Tim Costello is a prominent advocate for social justice, leadership, and ethics in Australia, renowned for his work on issues like gambling, urban poverty, homelessness, reconciliation, and substance abuse.
As the Chief Executive of World Vision Australia, Tim has been instrumental in bringing global poverty issues to the forefront of national discussions. His commitment to justice and aiding impoverished communities was particularly evident following the devastating Asia tsunami on Boxing Day, where his leadership inspired Australians to donate over $100 million for relief efforts.
Tim currently chairs the Community Council of Australia, the Australian Churches Gambling Taskforce, and the National Australia Bank's Social Responsibility Advisory Council. His extensive service record includes positions on the Alcohol Education and Research Foundation, the Australian National Development Index, Business for Millennium Development, and the Australian Council for International Development, as well as co-chairing the Make Poverty History campaign.
He was a delegate at the Constitutional Convention and led the Communities and Families stream at the Australia 2020 summit.
Before his tenure at World Vision Australia, Tim served as Minister at Collins Street Baptist Church in Melbourne and Executive Director of Urban Seed, a Christian outreach service for the urban poor. He was also the National President of the Baptist Union of Australia and led a dynamic ministry at St Kilda Baptist Church, where he was elected Mayor of St Kilda.
Tim's academic achievements include degrees in economics, law, and education from Monash University, theology studies at the International Baptist Seminary in Rueschlikon, Switzerland, and a Master's in Theology from the Melbourne College of Divinity. He also holds an Honorary Doctorate from the Australian Catholic University.
Tim has received numerous accolades, including being named Victorian of the Year, an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO), and Victoria's Australian of the Year. His publications include "Another Way to Love" (co-edited with Rod Yule), "Streets of Hope: Finding God in St Kilda," "Tips from a Travelling Soul Searcher," and "Wanna Bet - Winners and Losers in Gambling's Luck Myth" (co-written with Royce Millar).
