Equity Trustees is entering a new phase of leadership with the appointment of Carol Schwartz AO as Chair from November 2020.

“Ms Schwartz has outstanding leadership credentials and is well known and highly regarded in business and the not-for-profit sector. She has an excellent reputation as an advocate for good governance in every organisation with which she is associated,” said outgoing Chairman the Hon. Jeff Kennett AC.

Carol Schwartz is recognised as an advocate for women in leadership and frequently called on for her insights into social enterprise, business, finance, gender equality and governance. 

Read more about Carol here

She is a non-executive director of the Boards of the Reserve Bank of Australia, Qualitas Property Partners and the Trawalla Group. In 2004, she founded the Trawalla Foundation with her family so they could target their philanthropy on funding exceptional individuals and organisations focused on strengthening gender equality, creativity, sustainability and social justice.  Ms Schwartz is also the founding Chair of the Women’s Leadership Institute Australia and also of Our Community – she remains chair of both Boards.

It was through her role at Our Community, a long-term granting partner of Equity Trustees where she first became aware of Equity Trustees.
“I believe in companies that have a purpose beyond commercial success,” said Ms Schwartz. “Equity Trustees is a company that has always existed to put the interests of others first – whether they are the beneficiaries of estates and foundations, members of superannuation funds or investors in managed investment schemes.

“While it has a strong balance sheet, at its heart, it is a company which helps people take care of the future and provides comfort it will deliver what it promises, whilst balancing the needs of shareholders. I am looking forward to working with this unique organisation,” she said.

Among the many awards and accolades in her career, in 2019 Ms Schwartz was awarded Queen’s Birthday Honours for her service to the community as a supporter of women in leadership, social justice advocacy and to business. She has an Honorary Doctorate from Monash University, has been inducted into the Australian Property Hall of Fame, made an Honorary Life Member of the Property Council of Australia, was recognised by Ernst & Young as the 2018 Champion of Entrepreneurship, Southern Region and inducted into the Victorian Women’s Honour Roll.

Carol’s appointment reinforces Equity Trustees’ commitment to deepening community impact and privilege of being one of the largest stewards of charitable funds in Australia.

We look forward to the opportunity to introducing you to Carol in the coming months.