By Jane Southward -
Jon Davies likes to call himself Chief Energy Officer rather than Chief Executive Officer in batyr, an organisation of young people working to promote positive conversations about mental health with young people.
Sebastian Robertson founded batyr in 2011 after he became frustrated as a university student about the stigma of mental ill health. The name batyr means “courage” in Turkic, an Asian language, and the symbol of the not-for-profit group is an elephant, referring to “the elephant in the room” that is stigma.
Batyr reports that of every 30 students in Australia, seven are dealing with a mental health issue, yet only two will reach out for support, leaving five suffering in silence.
Davies, who studied science and law at UNSW, joined batyr five months ago after a decade working in big corporates, including 10 years at Woolworths working in strategy and technology.
“Your mindset can predict how your day unfolds. My day starts with my mindset on balance. How to be present for my family and also my work. I have committed to managing the morning routine in my house: wake up, pack lunches, wake up the boys, re-wake up the boys, breakfasts, coffee (for me), iron shirt, shower, dress, teeth, bags packed, hugs, out the door, in the car, radio, through the tunnel. It’s a whirlwind.
