Ethical by Design; expanding youth movement at scale

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The Menzies Foundation is delighted to announce the expansion of its Emerging Leaders focus, with a new pilot commencing this July. Delivered in collaboration with The Ethics Centre, this initiative is part of our ongoing commitment to building leadership and ethical capabilities in young people, together with equipping them with the skills and resilience to navigate the complexities of our modern world.

Our starting point in re-orienting the program is the recognition that traditional models of leadership are no longer fit for purpose. Furthermore, the very concept of ‘leadership’ requires a radical reconfiguration. Rather than retrofitting or rehabilitating the existing paradigm of ‘leadership,’ we choose to foreground the processes and relationships through which change is effected. This is best reflected by using terms such as ‘leading change’ rather than ‘leadership.’

Ethical by Design will continue to empower students by providing them with a comprehensive framework to develop their leadership capability through ethical design, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. The expansion notably includes the incorporation of new platform delivering updated modules and interactive workshops designed to challenge students and a challenge prize competition model, inspiring innovative thinking and unlocking new approaches to major issues facing our society.

“We are committed to nurturing the next generation of leaders who can navigate and address the ethical and complex challenges of our time. This pilot program is a significant step towards creating a sustainable and impactful leadership development framework for young Australians.”

Liz Gillies, CEO,Menzies Foundation

Pilot Schools: the pilot will involve a diverse group of schools across Victoria and New South Wales, including:

  • Sydney Secondary College The Hamilton and Alexandra College
  • Masada High School St Joseph’s College, Echuca
  • Knox Grammar Sacred Heart College, Geelong
  • St Ives High Phoenix P-12 Community College, Ballarat
  • Tempe High School Preston High School, Melbourne
  • Dulwich Hill High School
  • Oxley Grammar
  • Sydney Boys High
  • Rosebank College
  • Inner Sydney High School
  • Marrickville High School

These schools will participate in the program’s initial phase, which includes module development, workshops, and the final design challenge. The pilot program will kick off in July 2024, with the first workshop sessions scheduled for August. The program will run through November, culminating in a final competition where students will present their innovative solutions to a panel of experts.

We look forward to bringing you insights along this journey with the plan for a broader release of Ethical by Design in 2025.

If you are interested in finding out more or to explore funder benefits and opportunites, please contact us at menzies@menziesfoundation.org.au

This expansion; Ethical by Design, forms a broader youth movement strategy of the Menzies Foundation in their dedication to cultivating leadership in Australia and beyond. This focus supports a pipeline of young leaders in their leadership journey, global positioning and ethical development.

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Natasha Eskinja

Digital Communications Coordinator

Natasha is driven by a profound passion for both creativity and analytics, a synergy that fosters authentic storytelling in the digital realm with both innovation and integrity. 

Throughout her career, she has consistently integrated the overarching marketing and communications narrative with the emotional connections of audiences. She is currently pursuing a Certificate in Society and the Individual from Flinders University, furthering her exploration of human behaviour and the critical importance of connectedness between organisations, individuals, and communities.

LinkedIn | natasha.eskinja@menziesfoundation.org.au

Sarah Jenkins

Strategic Communications Manager

Sarah has more than 18 years’ experience in communications and marketing leadership across a range of sectors.

Communications strategy and organisational growth is a continuing theme in Sarah’s career. Most recently, she leads the development of a Leadership Movement, evaluated by Menzies Viral Co-efficient Model; a contribution to the NFP. 

Sarah’s early career centred around best practice in marketing and communications which later culminated into the establishment of her very own agency. This work extensively spanned across PR, traditional media, event management, strategy, digital marketing, graphic design and business development consultancy. 

In 2019, Sarah joined the lean and robust team at the Menzies Foundation. She has since crafted the Foundation’s narrative and communication strategy. The development of this strategic communications platform is essential for ‘movement building’ and requires a strong strategic, management and communication skills set. Sarah has brought so much to this important work, which sits at the forefront of communication practice. 

Sarah continues to contribute to the NFP sector through her commitment to Purpose; as she reflects on her own leadership, builds her own leadership capability and contributes to the greater good. 

LinkedIn | sarah.jenkins@menziesfoundation.org.au | 0401 880 071

Rohan Martyres

Director, Strategy and Partnerships

Rohan has 15 years’ experience in facilitating cross-sector collaborations to address complex social and health challenges.  He has worked with the World Economic Forum in Australia, led an international conflict resolution field team in Nepal, and directed a 10-year £40m initiative to reduce health inequity in London.

Most recently, Rohan was Major Grants Development Manager at the Ian Potter Foundation.  He refined the foundation’s major grants strategy, and co-developed a series of large scale initiatives, including joint philanthropic-government funding for a new national organization to support place-based approaches across Australia.

Rohan has held several non-executive roles, including with an international NGO and with London Funders, the peak body of independent foundations in London.  He holds several qualifications including a graduate degree in innovation and strategy from the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.

When Rohan isn’t exploring Melbourne’s creeks with his partner and 6yo daughter, he’s working on his currently weak Australian accent (after 15 years in the UK).

LinkedIn | rohan.martyres@menziesfoundation.org.au | 0404 505 954

Trudy Morrison

Operations Manager

A marketing and communications specialist with over 20 years experience in government, corporate and consumer marketing, Trudy brings her adaptive and organisational project management skills to the Menzies Foundation team. 

With a BA degree in Public Relations, Trudy began her career with the City of Melbourne and in magazine publishing, before moving into marketing communications consulting. She has worked in strategic marketing leadership roles with retail brands and enjoys juggling many projects and tasks simultaneously. Her skills were further enhanced when managing her own communications business representing industries across private education, financial services, aviation, government and the health industry. 

Trudy is passionate about leadership and all people being encouraged to reach their full potential through research and educational initiatives and opportunities throughout Australia. A skilled and accomplished writer and editor Trudy is enthusiastic about bringing her variety of skills to the Menzies Foundation team. 

LinkedIn | trudy.morrison@menziesfoundation.org.au | 0402 361 878

Liz Gillies

Chief Executive Officer

Liz Gillies has had over 25 years experience in a range of fields focused on initiatives for social impact. She has held roles in multiple sectors and academia.

In 2018, Liz was appointed CEO of the Menzies Foundation which aspires to build a leadership movement that supports Australians to pivot to purpose, build their leadership capability and contribute to the ‘greater good’.

Liz joined the Melbourne Business School in 2009 and was instrumental in establishing the Asia Pacific Social Impact Centre (APSIC) and The Centre for Ethical Leadership. In November 2011 she was appointed as research fellow to lead a partnership focused on strategic philanthropy which culminated in the release of the reports: Philanthropy: Towards a Better Practice Model (2018) and the Philanthropy: The Continued Journey to Real Impact and better Practice (2021).

Liz has extensive governance experience, having served on the Board of the Publish Galleries Association of Victoria, Social Firms Australia, Uniting Care Community Options, United Way Australia and the Development Committee of the Towards a Just Society Foundation. She is currently on the Philanthropy Reference Group of Barmal Bijiril and a Director of Philanthropy Australia.

LinkedIn | liz.gillies@menziesfoundation.org.au | 0416 112 703

Natasha Eskinja

Digital Communications Coordinator

Natasha is driven by a profound passion for both creativity and analytics, a synergy that fosters authentic storytelling in the digital realm with both innovation and integrity. 

Throughout her career, she has consistently integrated the overarching marketing and communications narrative with the emotional connections of audiences. She is currently pursuing a Certificate in Society and the Individual from Flinders University, furthering her exploration of human behaviour and the critical importance of connectedness between organisations, individuals, and communities.

natasha.eskinja@menziesfoundation.org.au