The boss of Australia’s biggest charity will part ways with the company after a string of allegations, including bullying, were levelled against him.
World Vision Australia told staff on Wednesday it would not be extending the contract of its embattled chief executive, Daniel Wordsworth.
It comes after Mr Wordsworth was confirmed as the subject of a number of alleged bullying complaints that were independently investigated by the charity.
A source from World Vision Australia told Daily Mail Australia that investigations had been ongoing for about 18 months.
They said none of the complaints were deemed necessary to be taken further, except for one that remained under investigation.
According to the Fair Work Commission’s website, Mr Wordsworth has initiated an adverse action claim against the charity which is listed for a conference on Monday.
Former employees have described the charity as having a ‘toxic’ workplace culture plagued by bullying and a lack of protections for staff.
One ex-employee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told the ABC that a number of their colleagues were ‘bullied out of the building’, including themselves.
Daniel Wordsworth (pictured) has served as World Vision Australia’s CEO since 2021
Mr Wordsworth’s contract with the charity will not be extended (the outgoing CEO is pictured)
‘Managers either couldn’t or wouldn’t protect their staff,’ they said.
Mike Bruce, who served as World Vision’s media manager from November 2019 to July 2022, said the company’s culture did not align with its charitable goals.
‘I reluctantly left WV over what I felt to be a culture of toxic and autocratic management that was at odds with a faith-based charity like World Vision,’ he said.
It is understood the charity has recently undergone a restructure, including several redundancies, and that all staff were given the opportunity to participate in the investigative process.
A World Vision spokesperson confirmed Mr Wordsworth’s contract had not been extended by the board, which would now ‘seek fresh leadership’.
‘As CEO, Daniel steered the organisation through the Covid-19 pandemic and the response to humanitarian crises and conflicts such as the ongoing war in Ukraine,’ they said.
‘The Board will shortly commence the search for Daniel’s replacement.’
Mr Wordsworth was still listed as chief executive on the World Vision website at the time of publishing.
Wordsworth spent 25 years working in conflict hotspots around the world. He is pictured appealing for relief in Northern Kenya in 2022
Born in Tamworth, in northeastern New South Wales, Mr Wordsworth began his career in the Royal Australian Navy.
He landed the top job in 2021 after 25 years of working in conflict hotspots across South East Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
He said he felt ‘compelled and called’ to work with World Vision when he was announced as the charity’s chief executive.
Prior to joining World Vision, he served as the chief executive for US-based charity Alight and led emergency response for the Christian Children’s Fund.
In December, he told Sky News Australia he had decided to commit his life to charity work after deciding he wanted to live a ‘worthy life’ at the age of 20.
‘What will I think was a worthy life? At the time, I thought helping poor people and helping people who are struggling would be a worthy life,’ he said.
Daily Mail Australia was unable to contact Mr Wordsworth for comment.
