Who We Are: Staff & Council

Gina Anderson joined Philanthropy Australia in November 2005. She has diverse experience in large and small, public and private organisations, having held general management, human resources, corporate community and communications roles. Prior to joining Philanthropy Australia  Gina was General Manager Human Resources for St Hilliers, an integrated property development and construction company. She had seven years at Westpac Banking Corporation in a variety of management roles including Head of Community Involvement. This was a national role with responsibility for the Westpac Group's corporate community involvement strategy, sponsorships and relationships with community, not-for-profit organisations and charities, and for the oversight of staff matching gifts and volunteering programs. Gina published a booklet detailing the guidelines for a 'Mentoring in the Community' program she created, which has been used as a basis for mentoring programs across Australia.

From 1992 to 1995 Gina lived and worked in Jordan, a moderate Islamic, developing country. She was the personal assistant to HRH Prince El Hassan Bin Talal, and gained valuable experience of the creation of political and policy responses to issues of refugees, human rights and interfaith dialogue. Gina is a former Director of both Father Chris Riley's Youth Off The Streets and Landcare Australia Limited.

Gina was a participant in the 2008 Australian Federal Government 2020 Summit, and is a member of the National Roundtable for Nonprofit Organisations.

g.anderson@philanthropy.org.au

Based in Sydney, Louise is responsible for Membership recruitment and the development and delivery of Philanthropy Australia's Membership activities and services.

l.burton@philanthropy.org.au

Vanessa provides information and research services, writes for our publications, and develops and conducts grantseeker and customised workshops.

v.meachen@philanthropy.org.au

Joanna manages our various websites and listservs, contributes to the Blog and the PhilanthropyWiki, responds to the 'info@philanthropy.org.au' email and provides technical and administrative support to the office.

j.fulton@philanthropy.org.au

Mary is responsible for the collation and distribution of the Members' media alert service, PRESSing Matters, and is a sub-editor of the Australian Philanthropy Journal. She also provides general support for the Knowledge Centre team.

m.borsellino@philanthropy.org.au

Mr Bonyhady is a Trustee of The William Buckland Foundation, representing ANZ Trustees Limited. He also represents the Company on the Sylvia and Charles Viertel Charitable Foundation and is a Member of the Felton Bequests' Committee.

Other community positions held by Mr Bonyhady are: Chairman of Yooralla and Chairman of Solve! At the RCH, at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne.

Since 2000, Mr Bonyhady has been a Director and Chairman of ANZ Trustees Limited. Mr Bonyhady is also Chairman of Acadian Asset Management Australia Limited and a Director of Dexus Wholesale Property Limited.

In 2008 and 2009, Mr Bonyhady was a Member of the Commonwealth Government's Disability Investment Group, established by the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities, the Hon Bill Shorten, and the Pension Review Reference Panel.

Whilst an Executive at ANZ, Mr Bonyhady held the positions of Chief Investment Officer and Managing Director of ANZ Investments. Other senior positions previously held by Mr Bonyhady include: Executive Vice President and Head of International for BT Funds Management and Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer for National Mutual Funds Management Europe.

Sam Meers (BA, LLB, M Litt) is the Executive Director of the Nelson Meers Foundation, which she and her father, Nelson, established to support projects that foster innovative cultural expression, and that utilise the arts to create positive social change. The Nelson Meers Foundation was Australia's first Prescribed Private Fund and, in 2005, was the winner of the AbaF/Goldman Sachs JBWere Philanthropy Leadership Award.

Prior to establishing the Nelson Meers Foundation in 2001, Sam practised as a specialist media lawyer for over ten years.

Sam is also a board member of the Documentary Australia Foundation; a council member of the Power Institute Foundation; a council member of the Centre for Social Impact Advisory Council; a council member of The Climate Institute Strategic Council; a member of the Australian Women Donors Network Steering Committee; and an Ambassador for Al Gore's Climate Change Leadership Program.

Gina Anderson joined Philanthropy Australia in November 2005. She has diverse experience in large and small, public and private organisations, having held general management, human resources, corporate community and communications roles. Prior to joining Philanthropy Australia  Gina was General Manager Human Resources for St Hilliers, an integrated property development and construction company. She had seven years at Westpac Banking Corporation in a variety of management roles including Head of Community Involvement. This was a national role with responsibility for the Westpac Group's corporate community involvement strategy, sponsorships and relationships with community, not-for-profit organisations and charities, and for the oversight of staff matching gifts and volunteering programs. Gina published a booklet detailing the guidelines for a 'Mentoring in the Community' program she created, which has been used as a basis for mentoring programs across Australia.

From 1992 to 1995 Gina lived and worked in Jordan, a moderate Islamic, developing country. She was the personal assistant to HRH Prince El Hassan Bin Talal, and gained valuable experience of the creation of political and policy responses to issues of refugees, human rights and interfaith dialogue. Gina is a former Director of both Father Chris Riley's Youth Off The Streets and Landcare Australia Limited.

Gina was a participant in the 2008 Australian Federal Government 2020 Summit, and is a member of the National Roundtable for Nonprofit Organisations.

Paul Clitheroe is a director of ipac securities, a company he founded in 1983 with four partners. ipac manages more than $16 billion dollars for clients.  Paul is a leading media commentator on financial issues and is renowned for his ability to explain complex money issues in plain English.  His books have sold over 600,000 copies.  Paul is also a regular radio commentator and writes weekly newspaper columns.

He was host of the Channel 9 TV program money from 1994 to 2004 and has been Chairman and Chief Commentator of money magazine since 1999.

In February 2004, the Federal Government appointed Paul as Chairman of the Consumer and Financial Literacy Foundation. This Foundation has established a national strategy to improve the financial skills of all Australians and is now implementing this strategy in schools and the workplace.  Most Australians would have seen the “Understanding Money” campaign run on TV, magazines and newspapers.

In 2002, Paul and his wife Vicki set up a PPF, The Clitheroe Foundation. The Foundation provides support for medical research and the arts. In recent years it has funded annual scholarships, fellowships or grants for Sydney Symphony, National Art School, Sculpture by the Sea, NSW Art Gallery, Ensemble Theatre and Taronga Zoo.

Terry Macdonald (FIEAust., CPEng.) is the Principal of Macdonald Technical Services, consulting in Engineering and Business Management.

His initiation to the Community sector was as a Councillor in the City of Nunawading . He was President of Reach Out for Kids Foundation 1996-2003 and currently holds office in several Community organisations in the Eastern suburbs of Melbourne . He joined the Board of the Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation in 1999 and became Chairman of the Grants Committee and a member of the Executive Committee of the Fund in 2003. He was elected to the Board of United Way Australia in 2005 and was a member of the Hosting Committee of UWA preparing for the United Way World Congress in Melbourne in 2006.

Terry's career as a senior Engineering and Management executive was in the Federal Departments of Civil Aviation, Transport and Defence as well at three of Melbourne's Universities. He is Immediate Past President of a Defence/Industry Association, a Member of the Victorian Chapter Committee o f the Australian Society of Defence Engineering and a member of the Alumni of the Australian Graduate School of Management and the Swinburne Philanthropy Alumni.

Christopher Thorn (BComm, FFin, MSDIA) is the Executive Director of JBWere's Philanthropic Services team, where his primary responsibilities include raising awareness of philanthropic issues; providing advice on investment and capital management to individuals and organisations wishing to implement a philanthropic strategy; and fostering relationships between interested parties in order to facilitate the giving process.

Christopher is a partner of JBWere. He joined the firm in 1984 and worked in Melbourne as a Retail and Institutional Adviser. In 1993 Christopher moved to New York as Vice President Institutional Sales. Upon returning to Australia in 1996 he was appointed Manager of JBWere's Queensland business, until returning to Melbourne in 2001.

Christopher has held a variety of senior management roles within JBWere's Private Wealth Management business, including business integration and strategy. In 2002, Christopher established the firm's Philanthropic Services division.

Christopher is a member of the Philanthropy Australia Council; Chairman of StreetSmart Australia - a campaign established to provide financial support to the homeless sector, Chairman of ShareGift Australia and also Vice-President of the Camberwell Grammar School Foundation.