Arminé Nalbandian

Arminé Nalbandian is a public policy leader with a career spanning social impact, international development and public sector leadership. She is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Social Impact (CSI)—a national collaboration of Australian universities dedicated to advancing social change through education, research and community engagement. She also serves on the boards of The Front Project, the Ari Literature Foundation and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in London.

Her public service includes several senior appointments within the NSW Government, most notably as Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of Policy to the NSW Premier. In that capacity, she played a leading role in shaping pandemic response policy and oversaw strategic policy initiatives across education, health and social services. Beyond Australia, Arminé has contributed to international efforts focused on place-based economic development.

A Fulbright Scholar, Arminé graduated summa cum laude from Northeastern University as a Presidential Scholar. She went on to earn a Master of Science in International Development from the London School of Economics as a Luys Scholar, and a Master of Commerce in Strategy, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship from the University of Sydney, where she was awarded a Business Leaders Scholarship.

Arminé remains deeply committed to addressing structural inequality by driving systemic change, strengthening capability, and empowering communities in collaboration with all sectors involved in social change.

Ben Smith

Ben is responsible for Paul Ramsay Foundation’s impact, sustainable and responsible investing across its endowment and funds. Alongside his role at PRF, Ben is the Vice Chair, and Chair of the Investment Committee, for NatWest Social and Community Capital. Ben also Chairs the Investment Committee for NAB’s impact investment fund. Furthermore, he holds the position of Adjunct Associate Professor at the Centre for Social Impact, Flinders University, and is Chair of Australia’s Foundations Group for Impact Investing (FGII).

Prior to joining PRF, Ben was Head of Impact Investment at Esmée Fairbairn Foundation – the UK’s largest impact investing foundation. Ben previously established UnLtd’s – the UK’s largest early-stage social enterprise supporter – impact funds management division and first funds. Other notable activities in the space include co-authoring the CFA UK’s Impact and Investing Certificate, co-Chairing the UK’s Social Impact Investors Group and lecturing on Social Finance at Cranfield University and University of Westminster.

Ben Hamer

Dr Ben Hamer is a renowned sociologist and accredited futurist, who was recently awarded the number one thought leader for the Future of Work in the Asia-Pacific by Onalytica.

Ben has undertaken work and research around the world, including time spent leading critical projects at the World Economic Forum as well as being a Visiting Scholar at Yale University. He is an Adjunct Professor at Edith Cowan University’s School of Business and Law and a Non-Executive Director for the Australian HR Institute, where he was appointed as the youngest Non-Executive Director in the organisation’s history, as well as being on the Board of Netball NSW, which includes oversight of both the NSW Swifts and Giants professional netball teams.

A sought-after media commentator and keynote speaker on future trends, Ben is the host of the ThinkerTank podcast, which is all about the trends shaping the way we will live, work and play in the future.

Elaine De Gruyter

Elaine is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Government Outcomes Lab, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. She is also a current Visiting Academic at the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, University of Melbourne. Her research seeks to understand the role of innovative financing in improving social outcomes.

Elaine completed her PhD at the Centre for Health Economics at Monash University. Alongside her PhD, Elaine worked at the Australian National University undertaking research on innovative financing in social policy. Prior to academia, Elaine was a Senior Economist/Manager at EY’s Economics, Regulation and Policy practice, where she was seconded internationally (China, New Zealand) and to various Australian government departments. Elaine has also held various roles in the Australian public health system including research and service development.

Jane Arnott

As Strategy Leader Governance and Philanthropy at Julia Farr group, Jane leads on grant making for the JFM Fund and Julia Farr Association Trust Funds. 

Jane has spent much of her professional life working in organisations providing governance, management and financial support to not for profit organisations. She started her career working with community groups, including local advocacy organisations led by people with disability and their families. Jane held senior roles in large grant making organisations in the UK, where she led teams developing new funding programs and grant making processes. Immediately before moving to Adelaide, Jane was working in global philanthropy, with a focus on growing giving in key global markets.

Jane previously led programs supporting disability service providers to transition to NDIS, and mainstream community organisations to make their services more inclusive. Since joining the Julia Farr group, Jane has worked with the JFM Fund trustees and the disability community to lead the development of the JFM Fund's new strategy, which focusses on funding innovation in disability inclusion. Jane is a former board chair of the Impact Investment Network South Australia. 

Jessica Harmsen

Jessica Harmsen is the host of the ABC's nightly TV news in South Australia and an award-winning journalist and producer. 

Jess has over two decades experience in broadcast and digital journalism, with specialties in business and political reporting. 

On screen and on stage, she's interviewed newsmakers, thought-leaders, politicians and celebrities, guiding conversations and eliciting fascinating stories. 

Jess has spent many years as a mentor within SA's media industry and is also a voice and presentation coach. 

Nat Cook

Nat Cook is the South Australian Minister for Human Services and Minister for Seniors and Ageing Well. She has been an elected Member of Parliament since 2014. She was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Housing and Urban Development in the previous Labor government. Nat is a lifetime local of Adelaide’s southern suburbs, a fierce advocate for her local constituents and a dedicated mum.

Nat’s passions lie in health and disability care, ending homelessness, and making our families and communities fairer and safer places in which to live. Having spent nearly 30 years as a Registered Nurse in specialty areas such as intensive care and brain injury rehabilitation, Nat is honoured to hold the title of Adjunct Associate Professor with the School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of South Australia. After losing their son Sam to a violent and unprovoked one-punch assault in 2008, Nat and husband Neil formed the Sammy D Foundation to educate young people about the consequences of violence.

On becoming the Minister in 2022, Nat committed to a proactive and collaborative approach to delivering improved policy and services for marginalised South Australians. In 2024, Minister Nat Cook added the portfolio, Minister for Seniors and Ageing Well, where she will focus on improving the lives of senior South Australians and promoting the benefits of an age-diverse, accessible workplace and community.

Maria Palumbo

Maria is a highly accomplished leader in the State's housing and community services sector. Known as 'a business head with a social heart,' she has made a significant impact in affordable housing over her 25-year career.

In executive roles for the Department for Families and Communities, she led strategy, funding, and regulation of community and affordable housing, as well as reforms in homelessness and domestic violence. As CEO of Common Ground Adelaide, she developed key housing projects, including a $15.5 million apartment building for single parents and a $10 million unit development for Aboriginal people sleeping rough – both the first of this type in SA.

Maria later led the largest housing transfer in SA as Director of Housing Strategy at Renewal SA. She became CEO of Junction in 2017, leading a period of significant expansion. Under her leadership, Junction's turnover reached $51 million in 2022/23, a 45% increase from 2017/18, and she established a $500 million affordable housing pipeline.

A single mother of three, Maria is dedicated to uplifting others. She was a finalist for SA Telstra Business Woman of the Year in 2019 and won UDIA SA’s Women in Leadership Award in 2021.

Michelle Di Fabio

Michelle Di Fabio is experienced in responsible and impact investing having worked with institutional investors, philanthropic funders and social enterprises.  Michelle is the Director of the Foundations Group for Impact Investing (FGII) , an impact investing market building initiative hosted by Philanthropy Australia designed to support foundations and charitable funders interested in starting or currently undertaking impact investing. Michelle also independently consults to impact investors and organisations on strategy, partnerships, and program management as Director of Strategic Global Advisory.

Michelle worked with the superannuation sector as the former Head of Strategy for one of Australia’s largest superannuation funds, and in various roles with the UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). Michelle is passionate about the education sector, currently lecturing part-time in Impact Investing (Sustainable Investments) at The University of Melbourne and formerly at the Centre for Social Impact (CSI).

Michelle qualified as a Chartered Accountant at PwC and is an alumnus of The University of Melbourne, University of Manchester and studied the Social Impact Investing Programme at Oxford’s SAID Business School. Michelle is a board member of Dodgeball Australia, National student body Financial Management Association of Australia (FMAA) and former Alumni Deputy Chair at The University of Melbourne.

Peter Rutter

Peter has extensive experience in finance, having spent more than 30 years covering retail, marketing, and community development. 

Possessing an advanced MBA from Adelaide University and being a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Peter is a values-based leader driven by collaboration and innovation. He is passionate about shared value partnerships and businesses' ability to create sustainable value for all stakeholders, including their customers, their business, and the community. 

The team he leads at Beyond Bank, today partners with more than 6000 community organisations across Australia.

Stacey Thomas

Stacey is the CEO of The Wyatt Trust, Australia’s oldest philanthropic foundation with a vision of a South Australia free from poverty.

Stacey was also the Founding Chief Executive Officer of Foundation SA – South Australia’s newest community foundation and previously, the Fay Fuller Foundation. She has worked with families and foundations to achieve philanthropic and investment goals for twenty years.

Stacey holds a Master of Business majoring in Philanthropy and Social Investment. In addition to her role as a Director of Philanthropy Australia, Stacey is also a Director of Community Foundations Australia and serves on a number of other boards and advisory committees.

Location

U City Function Centre

Level 1, 43 Franklin Street, Adelaide SA 5000