New leaders, new focus for the Menzies Foundation

/ News / By

The Menzies Foundation has recently undertaken a strategic review leading into its 40th year and will be shifting and refining its priorities.

From 2018, the Menzies Foundation will continue to invest in visionary and inspirational Australian leaders, focusing on three key areas:

  • new investment to identify and support the development of entrepreneurial leaders to harness and exploit new opportunities from innovation in science and technology
  • new investment in school-based education leaders (eg: principals) from all sectors and systems who have the capacity to revolutionise student learning.
  • continued investment in international law specialists who can help shape Australia’s response to increasingly complex global issues.

Chair of the Menzies Foundation, Professor Simon Maddocks, said decisions about the future work of the Foundation were shaped by three guiding principles which come from the original intent of the organisation to:

  • honour the memory of Sir Robert Menzies, particularly as it relates to education
  • invest in initiatives of national importance, and
  • make a difference to the lives of Australians, where we can demonstrate the greatest need and impact.

“As we approach 40 years since the establishment of the Menzies Foundation, we have taken the opportunity to conduct a strategic review, to take stock of our achievements and look to the future,” Professor Maddocks said.

“We are very proud of our past work and we want to continue having far-reaching impact.”

Professor Maddocks said early investment in areas of need had been extremely valuable and produced an incredible array of talented leaders. “In many instances however, there are many other organisations now offering similar scholarships to those we have supported over recent decades, and the Foundation is looking to where it can continue to identify new potential leaders but in areas of greater need and impact for the Australian community,” Professor Maddocks said.

The Foundation was established following the death of Sir Robert Menzies in 1978. A public appeal raised $6.2 million including contributions from the Australian Government. These funds were invested to support the Foundation’s work.

Since then, the Foundation has awarded more than 200 prestigious post graduate scholarships to bright and inspiring young Australians in a range of fields including law, engineering, medicine, allied health and more. It has also invested in and supported the establishment of four health and medical research institutes and supported a range of other legacy activities in line with Sir Robert’s endeavour to improve the quality of life for all Australians.

CEO Sarah Hardy said, as the Menzies Foundation makes the transition towards its new key focus areas, some tough decisions have been made on continuation of some of the existing initiatives.

“All current commitments will be fulfilled, including scholarships underway. The majority of our existing initiatives will be completed by the end of this calendar year. Most of our current scholarship program will no longer be offered, and w e will not call for applications for any scholarships in 2017 whilst we undertake work to transition the Foundation into the new focus areas.

“This is a very exciting time for the Foundation as we identify the next wave of leaders who can have an impact on the lives of many Australians.”

The Menzies Foundation will spend 2017 shaping its new priorities and unveil them during the 40th year celebrations.

Related Posts

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