Who are the leaders that inspired you?

4 February 2016

Generosity Magazine asked 23 leaders, 'Who are the leaders (in philanthropy and beyond) who inspired you in the past 12 months and why?' The Funding Network Co-founder and CEO, Lisa Cotton, shared her insights and was also listed in this inspiring cohort. 

"More and more leaders are emerging which is fantastic to see. Deanne Weir (gender-wise giving), Ian Darling (impact documentaries), and Peter Hunt (public/private partnerships for women’s shelters) are doing some ground-breaking work, but two people who have inspired me are Simon McKeon AO, Chair of both AMP and CSIRO and former Australian of the Year, and Allan English, Founder and Non-Executive Chairman of Silver Chef and Director of the English Family Foundation. Simon has many accomplishments under his belt, but what I admire about him is that he has used these to agitate for change. He’s an outspoken advocate for corporate philanthropy and has used his clout pursuing the ”elephant in the room” that the top end of town aren’t generous givers and is a regular speaker on the subject. Simon believes the rich need to realise it’s not just about parting with their money but enriching their lives even further.  I love that he describes giving to others as a selfish pleasure! Allan English is different yet again. He has woven philanthropy into his personal and business philosophy and blended traditional philanthropy, social entrepreneurship and impact investing." – Lisa Cotton, Co-founder and CEO The Funding Network

To view the full article, visit generositymag.com.au.