Maddie Taylor

A Million Moments was created to shine a light on the ways in which millions of different lives enrich the Y and in turn, Australia. Madeleine Taylor, Chief Risk Officer for the Y in Canberra, is one of these people.

Maddie’s path in life has been far from straightforward. As a child she had her heart set on a career in the army. But, just a year into her army service, a knee injury during a rugby game meant she was out of a dream and unsure of where to go next.

Maddie turned her attention to the Corporate sector and built an impressive resume while finishing her MBA and travelling to more countries within a few years than most will visit in their lifetime.

She faced one of her greatest challenges when she accepted a dream job in Singapore, only to have it cancelled just weeks before her move date. This left Maddie without a job and with nowhere to live.

Determined not to let these setbacks slow her down, Maddie, with the support of her family and friends, bounced forward and found herself an even better job in Hong Kong and moved there just weeks later.

Fast forward a few years, and Maddie has settled in Canberra, and is working with the Y Canberra. Now, as the Chief Risk Officer, Maddie works every day to ensure the safety of the staff, volunteers and participants of the Y.

In 2019, Maddie was asked to run two workshops at the YMCA175 global conference in London, centred around the topic of resilience, an area that she knows better the most.

Maddie supported the set-up of the new YMCA Canberra Youth Space @ Civic in the city centre, which aims to provide a safe place where young people can come and find a sense of belonging with their peers.

Work colleagues have described Maddie as having a profoundly genuine investment in the work being conducted by the Y. “It’s obvious that she cares about the impact that we’re having, especially with young people. She has a really good heart.” Says Pete Burns, Y Canberra Manager Program Innovation and Development.

Although Maddie has only been involved with the Y for 12 months, she says that the organisation has had a massive impact on her as a person.

“It’s really opened my eyes to the joy you feel when helping the community and helping young people access the services they need,” says Maddie. “I plan on being with the Y for a long time.”

Undoubtedly, Maddie will continue to contribute to the Million Moments shaping the future of The Y.

 

“You really have to look past how someone’s acting on a certain day and try to understand their circumstances.”

– Maddie, 31, Chief Risk Officer, the Y in Canberra