Kate Torney - CEO, State Library Victoria

Kate Torney was announced as the new Chief Executive Officer of the State Library of Victoria in July 2015. State Library Victoria is Victoria’s oldest cultural institution and Australia’s busiest public library with around 1.8 million visitors each year and 3.3 million visits online.

Kate joins the Library as it embarks on an exciting period of transformation, overseeing its evolution into an innovative contemporary centre for knowledge, learning and culture.  This includes a five-year, $83 million redevelopment projecting building new facilities and function spaces, including a centre for digital media, an e-Town Hall featuring emerging communication technologies, a centre for entrepreneurship and new education, learning and exhibition spaces.

From April 2009 Kate was Director of News at the ABC, leading 1400 journalists and production staff around Australia and in 11 international bureaus. Kate was a member of the ABC’s executive leadership team and reported to the Managing Director. She managed a $200 million divisional budget.  

ABC News produces scheduled radio and television news bulletins as well as continuous news coverage through ABC News Digital, News Radio and ABC News 24. Its stable of television and radio current affairs programs includes Four Corners, 7.30, AM and PM, Australian Story, and Foreign Correspondent. Kate was also responsible for the Asia Pacific News Centre, which produces news bulletins and specialist programs for the ABC’s international services.   

Kate led the News Division through a period of transformational change in the global news industry, expanding the national broadcaster’s news services with the launch and growth of News 24 and the rapid expansion of the ABC’s online and mobile news services. As a result, ABC News is now at the forefront of innovation in digital news delivery, with cross-platform news teams including ABC Fact Check and an interactive digital storytelling unit. Under Kate’s leadership, ABC News climbed from 15th to third place in the digital news marketplace. 

Before taking up the position of Director of News Kate was head of the Asia Pacific News Centre. She previously worked as a reporter, producer, executive producer and editor.