Sally Curtain appointed new CEO of Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has announced the appointment of highly regarded transformational leader Sally Curtain as its next Chief Executive, following the resignation of Paul Guerra.

Ms Curtain will take up the role before September 1, 2025. Paul Guerra will remain with the Chamber until after delivering the 14th World Chambers Congress in early September, before moving on to become CEO of the Melbourne Football Club.

The announcement marks a new chapter for the Victorian Chamber, which last year merged with the Committee for Melbourne to create a united voice for business and industry in Greater Melbourne.

The move was designed to strengthen advocacy around key policy issues including housing, infrastructure, and economic growth, with the Chamber continuing to represent business interests statewide.

Former VCCI CEO Scott Guerra and former Committee for Melbourne chair Scott Tanner last year following the announcement of the merger. Photo: Hanna Komissarova.

Ms Curtain brings deep experience in driving change and leading complex organisations across state and local government and business.

As CEO of the Bendigo Kangan Institute (BKI), she led a major organisational transformation that saw the institute named 2022 Victorian and Australian Large Training Provider of the Year.

Under her leadership, BKI doubled in size and delivered significant projects such as the $60 million Bendigo City Campus Revitalisation and the $60 million Kangan Institute Health and Community Centre of Excellence in Broadmeadows.

Beyond BKI, Curtain’s public sector career includes roles restructuring the former Department of Justice, helping to establish the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC), scaling services in Melbourne’s rapidly growing south-east at the City of Casey, and modernising registration and licensing at VicRoads.

In 2022 she was named a Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia (Victoria) for her outstanding contribution to public service.

Victorian Chamber president Adrian Kloeden welcomed the appointment.

“Sally brings purpose-led and future-fit leadership attributes, strategic vision and a transformational approach that aligns with our direction and will be warmly embraced by our team, members and clients,” he said.

For her part, Ms Curtain said she was honoured and excited to lead the Chamber into the next chapter of its 174-year history.

“My ambition is to position the Victorian Chamber for the future – supporting business to adopt AI, empowering young and new business owners to succeed, and responding to the needs of business in growth areas will be among my areas of initial focus,” she said.

She also paid tribute to outgoing CEO Paul Guerra, acknowledging his significant contribution and the strong foundations he leaves behind.