Steve Baird
Steve Baird | |
---|---|
Born | (1977-10-02) 2 October 1977 (age 46) Canberra, Australia |
Alma mater | University of Sydney (BCom) |
Occupation(s) | Business leader, anti-slavery advocate |
Title | CEO |
Children | 3 |
Parent(s) | Bruce Baird, Judy Baird |
Relatives | Mike Baird (brother), Julia Baird (sister) |
Steve Baird is an Australian businessman noted for his marketing campaigns and, more recently, campaigns to end modern slavery.
Early life and education
Baird is the youngest of three children born to Judy and Bruce Baird.[1] As an infant, his father was made Australia's Trade Commissioner to the United States, and the family relocated to Rye, New York.[1] His family returned to Australia in time for to him begin primary school, as his father ran for a seat in NSW Parliament.[2] Baird excelled at cricket while attending Knox Grammar School, with his HSC results listed by the Board of Studies for merit.[1][3][4] He was shaped by family conversations about the bid to win the Sydney 2000 Olympics and caring for refugees in Australia.[4] Following his father's path, his university studies were in business, though Baird himself says it was his mother's model of empathy that would be the bigger influence.[5]
Business
After a period in business banking with National Australia Bank, Baird's career moved to roles in marketing, beginning at Qantas.[5][6] While managing campaigns, including the launch of the Qantas Frequent Flyer app, he also managed volunteers from the Qantas Cabin Crew Team, providing flight blankets homeless people, in partnership with local charities, such as Youth Off The Streets.[7][5][8]
In 2013, after ten years service with Qantas, Baird took a management role running brand and engagement campaigns for Virgin Australia.[5] By 2016 he was the Head of Marketing, growing the membership base of the Australian frequent flyer program to 10 million.[9] His team won international several awards at this time, including a Cannes Lion for the 'Billion Point' campaign in 2017.[6][10]
Anti-slavery
In 2020, Baird was appointed to the role of Australian CEO of International Justice Mission, the world's largest anti-slavery operation.[4][1][4] The priorities were to raise the profile of IJM in Australia, mobilise Australian expertise in the field, generate resources and initiate several campaigns to legislators.[6]
In 2022, he launched a report that of all Australian company statements submitted under Australia's Modern Slavery Act, 85% failed to show any response to actual or alleged slavery in operations or supply chains.[11] Baird's work was profiled in a podcast produced by Australian Federal Police, in which he admitted he was appalled to discover that, as of 2021, Australia ranked third for global consumption of online sexual exploitation of children material:
"...it's important that we start to have more of a national conversation around terrible forms of slavery like the online sexual exploitation of children that we understand that Australia is part of both the problem and the solution."[12]
By directing campaigns at individual lawmakers and government leaders, saw breakthroughs at the state and federal level.[13] One campaign targetted the Special Minister of State, Don Harwin, to fully introduce anti-slavery reforms to NSW.[14] Another activated religious leaders to push Dominic Perrottet to endorse the Modern Slavery Act.[15] By 2022, NSW became Australia's first state to appoint and resource an Anti-slavery Commissioner.[16] This complemented the federal regime, where companies with annual consolidated revenue of at least $100 million have to report on their supply chains.[1]
Personal life
Steve Baird's older sister is the author and journalist, Julia Baird.[5] In a passage of her book, Bright Shining, she explores what motivates her brother's drive for justice, and learns it was their mother, Judy, whom he saw ‘model solidarity with the vulnerable and make power decisions to support and express kindness towards those in need. This has always been true north for me.’[17] His older brother, by ten years, is Mike Baird, who served as the 44th Premier of New South Wales.[4][18]
Baird shares the faith of his father Bruce, and his mother Judy, who died in 2021.[19] He and his wife live in the Blue Mountains, with their three sons, and where he coaches the Glenbrook-Blaxland Cricket team. [1][20]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Patty, Anna (10 September 2021). "'Hard to look away': Steve Baird's fight against modern-day slavery". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ "Mr Bruce George BAIRD (1942 - )". parliament.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ "– Board of Studies Teaching and Educational Standards NSW". boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "Life & Faith: The Brothers Baird on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "Leading Conversations: A Born Leader with Steve Baird on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ a b c Chancellor, Jonathan (29 July 2020). "Merivale's move south put on hold". The Australian.
- ^ "Coffs Harbour Rotary Daybreak Herald". studylib.net. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ "Qantas launches new app". Australian Aviation. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ Wilkinson, Zoe (30 October 2019). "Brexit, Trump and the gender pay gap used in Velocity campaign celebrating 10m members". Mumbrella. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ "Velocity's Steve Baird kicks off Travel DAZE: "We needed to stand out from the crowd"". Travel Weekly. 3 September 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ Patty, Anna (4 April 2022). "What you are wearing is almost certainly tied to modern slavery". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ "Closing The Net: Closing The Net - Trailer on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ Lim, Anne (19 November 2021). "Pressure on federal government as NSW gets anti-slavery bill across the line - Eternity News". Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ Beach, Kylie (30 September 2021). "'Get it done, Don' – NSW Minister Don Harwin urged to bring 2018 Modern Slavery Act into full force". Eternity News. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ "Push for a crackdown on modern slavery". Sydney Anglicans. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
- ^ Bannister, Maeve (30 October 2023). "Frontline services urged to help end modern slavery". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ Baird, Julia (2023). Bright, Shining: how grace changes everything. Fourth Estate. p. 102. ISBN 9781460760253.
- ^ Visentin, Lisa (19 January 2017). "Mike Baird resigned: The life and times of NSW's 44th Premier". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ FitzSimons, Peter (1 May 2021). "More Australians are becoming less religious, so what's with our PMs?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ "$2.5 million federal funding for Glenbrook Oval". Blue Mountains Gazette. 11 April 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2024.