Executive Director Impact StrategistFounder & Chair Impact Investing Australia, Chair Australian Advisory Board on Impact Investment
Spent the last 15 years working at the cutting edge of social change building on 15 years before that in a successful global career ranked as one of the world's leading lawyers. Global strategist and thought leader in social innovation and investment, known for pioneering breakthrough systems level change beyond traditional binary notions of social and economic, public and private.
Loves applying deep and broad knowledge and networks to inspire creative leaders and innovators to embrace fresh approaches that create new social and economic value and cut through on tough problems. Proud to have earned a reputation as a ‘go to’ expert bridging the public, private and social sectors and leading long term change. Putting a lot of energy into impact investment because we need to tap a broader pool of resources to finance the work of social change.
Initiatives include: establishing and leading first Australian Federal Government social innovation function; strategy and design of Children’s Ground, a transformational initiative enabling communities experiencing the greatest disadvantage to create a different future, now operating in Jabiru, West Arnhem to realise the aspirations of the community for their children through intergenerational change; leading Australia's contribution to the Social Impact Investment Taskforce established under the UK Presidency of the G8 and Australian strategy to achieve breakthrough in the market; shaping "networked incubation' model of strategy and design for long term change; leading and shaping ground breaking work on place based impact investment in Australia.
Published works include: The Role of Government & Policy in Social Finance soon to be published by Oxford University Press in Nicholls, Paton & Emerson (ed), Reflections on the Global Market: Why the Social Impact Investment Taskforce matters & What comes next (2014); Delivering on Impact: The Australian Advisory Board Strategy to Catalyse Impact Investment (2014), IMPACT-Australia: investment for social and economic benefit (2013); Inviting Investment in Social Enterprise (2007).
Roles: Founder and Chair Impact Investing Australia, representative of Australian sector on the Social Impact Investment Taskforce established under the UK Presidency of the G8, established & Chair of the Australian Advisory Board on Impact Investment, Member of the NSW Government Social Investment Expert Advisory Group, Strategist for Global Learning Exchange attracting engagement from people in over 145 countries in pilot phase. Previously held senior leadership roles in all sectors, State and Federal Government including equity partner at major professional services firm and Social Innovation Strategist in Federal Government.
Formal qualifications: First class honors degree in Law, is admitted to the New York Bar, internationally accredited as a broker of cross-sector partnerships; qualified and experienced Company Director.