Paul Ramsay Foundation (PRF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Leah Armstrong and Caitriona (Cat) Fay to its Board. Ms Armstrong and Ms Fay bring decades of combined leadership across First Nations economic development, philanthropy and social investment, adding significant depth to the Board as PRF works with communities to stop disadvantage in Australia.
Ms Armstrong, is a Torres Strait Islander woman with more than 30 years of business and not-for-profit experience and has played a key role in advocating for First Nations communities. Her previous roles include CEO of Reconciliation Australia, co-founder and Managing Director of First Australians Capital and Chair of Supply Nation, and she was a member of the Prime Minister's Indigenous Advisory Council. She currently serves on the First Nations Economic Empowerment Alliance and as its representative on the Commonwealth First Nations Economic Partnership, among a number of national advisory roles, including as the current Chair of PRF’s First Nations Advisory Council.
Ms Fay is a senior philanthropic leader with nearly two decades of experience in social investment and philanthropy in Australia and overseas. At Perpetual Wealth she is Managing Partner of Community and Social Investment and ESG, overseeing over $5 billion in community investments and more than $100 million in community grants annually. Widely recognised as a leader in gender-wise and LGBTQIA+ philanthropy, Cat is a founding member of the Melbourne Women's Foundation, an International Women's Forum member and on the Board of The Ladder Project Foundation.
PRF interim Board Chair Natalie Walker said the appointments, which were part of PRF’s Board succession, would strengthen the Board's expertise in First Nations economic self-determination, philanthropic practice and social investment.
“Leah and Cat each bring outstanding experience and deep relationships across communities, philanthropy, business and government,” Ms Walker said. “Leah's leadership in First Nations economic development and Cat's expertise in philanthropy and social investment will be invaluable as PRF continues to invest in, build and influence the conditions needed to stop disadvantage in Australia. We are delighted to welcome them both to the Board.”
Ms Armstrong said she was looking forward to contributing to PRF's work alongside communities and partners.
“I believe the solutions to many of the challenges we see today can be found within communities themselves,” she said. “Philanthropy is at its most powerful when it recognises that, shifting the balance from those who hold the money to those who hold the solutions and building genuine collaboration between them. For First Nations people, the community is always the best place to address the issues.
“I look forward to working with my fellow directors, the First Nations Advisory Council and the PRF team to support community-led change and greater economic opportunity for First Nations people across Australia."
Ms Fay said she was honoured to join the Board at a pivotal moment for philanthropy in Australia.
“Through my career I’ve seen that the most effective philanthropy backs good organisations for the long term, so they can tackle the root causes of the issues we care about,” she said. “PRF’s work to shift conditions so people and places can thrive reflects a genuine belief in fairness, and I’m delighted to be contributing to it.
“We all have a responsibility to help others at risk of falling through the cracks. I look forward to working with my fellow directors, the PRF team and our partners to help drive positive change.”
About Leah Armstrong
Leah is a Torres Strait Islander and senior professional with more than 30 years' experience in business and the not-for-profit sector, with a focus on Indigenous economic development and building successful Indigenous enterprises.
She is the current Chair of PRF’s First Nations Advisory Council, is a member of the First Nations Trade and Investment Advisory Group and an Australian Co-chair of the Indigenous Peoples Economic and Trade Co-operation Arrangement (IPETCA) Partnership Council. She is also a member of the First Nations Economic Empowerment Alliance and the Alliance Representative on the Commonwealth First Nations Economic Partnership.
Leah has previously held positions as Regional Manager for International Funders for Indigenous Peoples, co-founder and Managing Director of First Australians Capital, CEO of Reconciliation Australia, Director of Indigenous Business Australia and Chair of Supply Nation. She was a member of the Prime Minister's Indigenous Advisory Council. Leah grew up in Mackay and has called Newcastle home for around 30 years.
About Cat Fay
Cat is a social investment specialist who works across the for-purpose and for-profit sectors, with nearly two decades of experience in philanthropy and social investment globally.
As Managing Partner of Community and Social Investment and ESG at Perpetual Wealth, she advises families, individuals and institutions on their philanthropic and social investment strategies. Cat oversees approximately $5 billion in community funds across Perpetual Wealth’s work with philanthropists, non-profits and Native Title groups. Under her management, Perpetual Wealth’s clients distribute around $120 million annually through philanthropic trusts, estates, and endowments. She is also responsible for driving Perpetual Wealth’s client strategy in ESG investment.
Before joining Perpetual Wealth, Cat worked at The Ian Potter Foundation and at the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland and London, advising on community and built heritage regeneration projects. She is a founding board member of GiveOUT (formerly The Channel), Australia's first sexuality-, sex- and gender-diverse giving circle, a founding member of the Melbourne Women's Foundation, a board member of The Ladder Project Foundation and a member of the International Women's Forum.
About the Paul Ramsay Foundation
PRF is a philanthropic foundation.
The late Paul Ramsay AO established the Foundation in his name in 2006 and, after his death in 2014, left most of his estate to continue his philanthropy for generations to come.
At PRF, we work for a future where people and places have what they need to thrive.
With organisations and communities, we invest in, build, and influence the conditions needed to stop disadvantage in Australia.
Find out more about how we work at www.paulramsayfoundation.org.au
Contact details:
Amy, 0437 027 156
