Animal rights organisation Vegan Australia has named Dr Heidi Nicholl as its first ever CEO, with Vegan Australia co-founder Greg McFarlane remaining as Managing Director. 

Nicholl has a diverse background in fields including zoology, molecular biology, bioethics, and nonprofits.

“I want to do whatever I can to normalise veganism as a fantastic, and hugely impactful, life choice for anyone who is considering how they can live a life more aligned with their values,” Nicholl said. 

New Vegan Australia CEO Dr Heidi Nicholl
New Vegan Australia CEO Dr Heidi Nicholl. Image via Vegan Australia.

Founded in 2012 by vegans across the nation, Vegan Australia incorporated in 2014 as a registered non-profit charity and is independent of other vegan organisations.

The vegan diet was officially recognised by the Australian government as a viable option for all Australians earlier this year.

The newly-released Australian Dietary Guidelines from the National Health and Medical Research Council regard plant-derived foods as alternatives to animal-derived foods.

The Guidelines also state that alternatives to animal foods such as nuts, seeds, legumes, beans and tofu can, “increase dietary variety and can provide a valuable, affordable source of protein and other nutrients found in meats” for all Australians.

The newly-released Australian Dietary Guidelines recognize the vegan diet as viable for Australians.
The newly-released Australian Dietary Guidelines recognize the vegan diet as viable for Australians.

Recent research from the University of Oxford also shows that vegan diets have 30% of the dietary environmental impact of high-meat diets.

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