"I came from a very disadvantaged background, one of 10 young people living with my single mum in a very run down housing commission home in Western Sydney. We didn't have many of the basics; I often lived on cereal and toast and didn't have clean clothes. Mum found it difficult to manage, with all good intentions. I was also sexually abused when I was 11 or 12 years of age." Ducker says Youth Insearch, the community organisation which runs peer-focussed programs to help adolescents (and of which he's now CEO), changed his life.

"I found out I wasn't the only one who'd experienced abuse or lived in that background — that was quite healing in itself. I also saw people who'd overcome those things and were doing fantastic things with their lives. I realised my past did not equal my future, and I could make a decision to change and do things with my life." From then on, Ducker wasted no time. He became a youth leader at Youth Insearch, joined its board of directors, and got involved speaking at conferences, events and raising money. Eventually, he went on to university to study law, where, like many lawyers in the making, Ducker wanted to make a difference: "I felt law would help me to understand how society operates, and it's a mechanism through which you can apply change ... I quite deliberately took up a position in a corporate law firm [first]. To effectively create change you need to have a balanced view of the world, so I wanted that experience. I learned so much, it was a perfect choice," he says.

After moving to work as an advisor to the Attorney General of NSW, he slid into the CEO's position at Youth Insearch at just the right time.

"My role [at the Attorney General's] had finished as we'd had an election," he laughs. "I felt privileged to be able to go back to Youth Insearch and contribute in a different way." Today, the organisation is in it's 30th year, and continues helping youth across NSW, Victoria and Queensland. The small staff of about 10 is supported by more than 200 volunteers — both adults and teens.

Ducker says managing volunteers is not too dissimilar to managing paid staff.

"They need boundaries, guidance and coaching, with the added element of passion, purpose and giving back. You have to inspire them, if you want volunteers to work well, they've got to be involved in the dream."

CURRICULUM VITAE

Name: Heath Ducker

Current position: CEO, Youth Insearch

Responsibilities: Many and diverse including: instituting corporate governance, increasing efficiency, developing strategy, growing the team, fundraising and building Youth Insearch's profile across Australia. Also oversees delivery of programs.

Education: • Double degree in law and arts (majoring in journalism).

• Graduate diploma in legal practice, College of Law.

Additional training/courses: Numerous including: specialised legal training, policy and political process courses; several leadership and presentation skills courses through RogenSi, APM Training Institute, Anthony Robbins and Youth Insearch.

Professional associations: Member, Law Society of NSW.

Honourable mentions: Regular conference speaker including: Young Minds Conference 2012, Julia Gillard's Social Inclusion Conference 2010, and the Australian Family Law Conference on Children and the Family Law System, 2010. Author, A Room at the Top (Random House, 2009); recipient of the Australian Davos Connection, Australian Leadership Award, 2008, and recipient of the Rotary Youth Leadership and Service Above Self awards.

Strength: I understand people really well.

Weakness: I can overcommit sometimes, particularly in this situation where I'm so passionate about what I'm doing.

Management style and tips: Collaborative. It's about getting people on board through making them feel part of the solution.

Work motto: Live each day as if it was your last. "Each day I see as a new day to achieve new things. Things that didn't work yesterday are yesterday's news."