Our people

Trustees

• Jon Webster AM

  Chair

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  Jon Webster AM

  Chair

  Jon has been a Trustee of the Ross Trust since July 2018. 

  BCom, LLB (Hons) LLM. Independent Non-Executive Director. 

  Jon Webster had a distinguished career in the Law, having been a partner of Allens practicing in the area of corporate law and governance for over 30 years. He was a member of the Allens Board for 12 years. Jon was a Senior Fellow of the Law School of the University of Melbourne for over 20 years. He is Director of AMCIL Ltd, Hillview Quarries Pty Ltd and formerly an independent member of ASIC’s Audit and Risk Committee. Jon is a former Director of the Human Rights Law Centre, former Chairman of the Audit Committee of the Northern Land Council and former Chairman of the Corporations Committee of the Law council of Australia. He is also a former member of the ASX’s Listings Advisory Panel and of the Federal Government’s Consultative Group to the Corporations Law Simplification Task Force.

  
  

• Prue Digby

  Trustee

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  Prue Digby

  Trustee

  Prue has over 40 years of experience as a senior executive and non-executive Director in providing community and public related services to Melbourne and regional Victoria in the state, local government and non-government sectors. Prue was formerly the Deputy Secretary of Planning and Local Government in Victoria, CEO of the Victorian Building Authority and CEO of Yarra City Council. More recently Prue has served on the Boards of Chisholm Institute (a statutory TAFE Board), the Birrarung Council ( a Victorian statutory body created by the Yarra River Protection (Wilip-gin-Birrarung murron) Act 2017) and as a State Government appointed Municipal Monitor for Frankston City Council, Greater Geelong City Council and South Gippsland Shire Council.

  She is currently a Trustee of the Ross Trust (a philanthropic organisation) and a Municipal Monitor for Moonee Valley City Council.

  
  

• Jeremy Kirkwood

  Trustee

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  Jeremy Kirkwood

  Trustee

  Jeremy has been a Trustee of the Ross Trust since August 2017.

  Jeremy is a highly respected corporate advisor. He has been a principal with Pilot Advisory Group and was previously a Managing Director at Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley and Austock. He has primarily worked in public markets, undertaking merger and acquisitions and capital raisings for companies principally in the metals and mining, energy and infrastructure sectors. He is currently Chair of Joyce Corporation, Chair of Hawsons Iron and a Director of Talisman Mining and Gravitas Ltd. Jeremy has been a Director of companies in the not-for-profit sector, and previous Chair of Independent Schools Victoria and Geelong Grammar School.

• Annemarie Rolls

  Trustee

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  Annemarie Rolls

  Trustee

  Annemarie is a senior not-for-profit leader dedicated to education, equity, and sustainability. She is currently Director of Philanthropy at the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA), bringing decades of experience in strategic leadership, stakeholder engagement, and fundraising. 
  From 2017 to 2023, she was CEO of the General Sir John Monash Foundation, expanding opportunities for Australia’s future leaders through postgraduate scholarships. Prior roles include leading Schools Connect Australia and holding executive positions at the Australian Council for Educational Research. 
  Passionate about the arts and inclusion, Annemarie produced  Dare to Be Different, a documentary on arts-based learning, and served as Deputy Chair of Creative Art Therapy Australia. Her global experience spans Fiji, Indonesia, New Zealand, and the US. She holds degrees from the College of Charleston, Monash University, and Victoria University, and has completed executive programs at Oxford and AICD.

  
  

• Carolyn Ireland

  Trustee

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  Carolyn Ireland

  Trustee

  Carolyn is a Non-executive Director and Chair of Finance, Audit, Risk and Investment Committees specialising in finance, investments, Mergers & Acquisition management, and treasury.  

  In addition to the Ross Trust board, Carolyn currently serves on the board of Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools where she chairs the finance, infrastructure and audit committee, Defence Health Ltd where she chairs the investment committee with over $600m funds invested, Caritas Australia, and the Xavier College Foundation.  

  Carolyn recently concluded her 9-year term on the board of International Women's Development Agency where she chaired the finance and audit committee, and the investment committee. During her executive career Carolyn was on the executive leadership team at Pact Group Ltd (ASX:PGH) responsible for Investor Relations, M&A, Treasury and Transformation, she ran Investor Relations, Treasury, Transformation and M&A at Australian Pharmaceutical Industries including managing the sale of API to Wesfarmers, and prior to that worked in a variety of roles at Macquarie Group, Australian Unity Ltd, and in audit at KPMG. 

Staff

• Sarah Hardy

  Chief Executive Officer

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  Sarah Hardy

  Chief Executive Officer

  Sarah has been the CEO of the Ross Trust since January 2018.

  Sarah is an experienced chief executive officer, senior executive and board member with a demonstrated history of working in philanthropy, local government and the non profit sectors for over 33 years. Her strong business acumen includes established skills in governance, finance, strategy and risk, grantmaking, cultural change, communication and reputation and crisis management, fundraising and executive leadership. She is particularly interested in ethics and responsible investing. With a particular interest in regional and rural Australia, mental health and education, and placed-based initiatives, in 2010 Sarah co-foundered the national not-for profit, Youth Live4Life.

  Her experience is underpinned by national and international academic study, including post graduate study at Melbourne University, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government and Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. Sarah is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Executive Colloquium at Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership. She holds board positions as a Director of the Victorian Council of Social Services (VCOSS), a Trustee of the National Parks Conservation Trust and board member of the Port Phillip Community Foundation.

• Margarita Sagris

  Operations Manager and Executive Assistant to CEO

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  Margarita Sagris

  Operations Manager and Executive Assistant to CEO

  Margarita has been a staff member of the Ross Trust since February 2001.

  Margarita holds a Bachelor of Arts in Youth Affairs from RMIT University and has extensive experience in youth work, the charitable trusts sector and administration.

  Margarita came to the Trust after working at ANZ Trustees Philanthropy Partners. Prior to this she held a number of office management positions within the Department of Education and Training, Victoria.

• Meghan Weekes

  Senior Program Manager

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  Meghan Weekes

  Senior Program Manager

  Meghan has been Senior Program Manager at the Ross Trust since October 2018.

  Meghan has worked for over two decades in the philanthropy sector and has a deep commitment to social impact, strategic grantmaking, and community development. Meghan held the position of Philanthropy and Non-Profit Services Manager at Perpetual, working closely with philanthropists to support not-for-profit organisations achieve social impact and build strong, healthy communities. Prior to this, she worked at The Trust Company as Program Area Manager where she was responsible for funding approaches with a focus on positive ageing. Meghan was Co-Chair of the Philanthropy Australia Education Funder Network fostering collaboration among education-focused funders and advocating for educational equity. Currently, as a member the Ross Trust Investment Committee, Meghan ensures the foundation's financial assets are managed prudently and in alignment with its mission.

  Meghan has developed a comprehensive skill set that includes strategic grantmaking, impact assessment, collaboration, governance, and partnership development. She is particularly passionate about education equity, youth justice, community development, and promoting trust-based practices within the philanthropic sector. Meghan is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

• Pam Mitchell

  Senior Finance Manager

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  Pam Mitchell

  Senior Finance Manager

  Pam Mitchell has been the Finance Manager of the Ross Trust since October 2015.

  Pam is a chartered accountant with extensive experience in the establishment, documentation, financial management and reporting of property and investment funds management businesses and superannuation funds.

  Pam currently holds non-executive directorships with a State Government Board and is a member of a State Government audit committee.

• Dina Vlanes

  Administration Officer

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  Dina Vlanes

  Administration Officer

  Dina has been a staff member of the Ross Trust since January 2005.

  Dina has extensive experience in administration, accounts, customer service, stakeholder management and database administration.

  Dina has extensive experience in the public and private sectors and held several administrative positions within the Department of Education and Training, Victoria.