Australian High Commissioner HE Adam McCarthy on under-estimating the cold in SA
Not only are we seeing corporate leaders participate in The Sun International CEO SleepOut™, but also prominent leaders in diplomacy and politics as well. Listen to how the Australian High Commissioner to South Africa HE Adam McCarthy challenges the Canadian High Commissioner to South Africa HE Sandra McCardell to take part in South Africa's biggest fundraiser.
His Excellency Adam McCarthy is Australia’s High Commissioner to South Africa with non-resident accreditation to Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland and the Southern African Development Community (SADC): “I participated last year, I found it a very worthwhile experience and I don’t think I quite anticipated just how cold it would be by June!”
Until recently, HE Mr McCarthy was Assistant Secretary, Africa Branch and was earlier head of the International Legal Branch. Prior to that HE Mr McCarthy served as Deputy High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Deputy Australian Governor to the Commonwealth from April 2009 until December 2012. During that time he served as the Australian Team Attaché at the London 2012 Paralympics.
Speaking on the origins of The Sun International CEO Sleepout, he says: “It was started ten years ago in 2006, initiated in Australia but sort of generated steam outside of Australia and in the last couple of years it’s exploded worldwide, including right here in South Africa.”
HE Mr McCarthy has previously served overseas as First Secretary (Political) at the Australian High Commission in Wellington (1996-99) and Counsellor (Trade Policy) at the Australian Embassy in Washington DC (2002-2006).
In Canberra HE Mr McCarthy has worked in a range of positions primarily in the multilateral, trade, legal and arms control fields, including from 2006-2009 as Assistant Secretary, International Legal Branch.
After graduating from the University of Sydney with honours degrees in economics and law HE Mr McCarthy practiced as a solicitor before joining DFAT in 1993. He also holds Graduate Diplomas in Legal Practice (UT) and Foreign Affairs and Trade (Monash) and is admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales. HE Mr McCarthy is married to Nicky with two children, Ella and Benjamin.