This dinner marked the fifth and final instalment of the John Monash Leadership Series, which were held across Australia and featured world-class guest speakers and a multitude of distinguished attendees. With the Sydney event being held in the College’s Dining Hall, the guest speaker was the University’s own Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mark Scott AO.

The Leadership Series is a new initiative of the General Sir John Monash Foundation, and as an alumnus and former board member of the Foundation’s scholarship program, it gave me great pride to bring together two outstanding institutions that foster the education of young university students — St John’s College and the General Sir John Monash Foundation.

Ms Jillian Segal AO, Australia's special envoy to combat Antisemitism and Chair of the General Sir John Monash
Foundation along with College Rector Dr Mark Schembri welcoming guests to the event.

The arrival of Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, Governor of New South Wales at the
Freehill Tower of St John’s College.

Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, Governor of New South Wales and Mr Dennis Wilson with
the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mark Scott AO.

Rector Dr Mark Schembri welcoming guests to the College.

A stellar array of dignitaries and guests attended the event and interacted closely with St John’s students, including: 

•  The Governor of NSW, Her Excellency the Hon Margaret Beazley AC KC, and Mr Dennis Wilson, 
•  Former Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon Julia Gillard AC (via video link up)
•  Professor Mark Scott AO, University Vice-Chancellor
•  Ms Jillian Segal AO, Chair of the Board, General Sir John Monash Foundation and newly appointed Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism in Australia
•  Mr Paul Ramadge, CEO of the John Monash Foundation and Former Chief Editor of The Age Newspaper
•  Professor Annamarie Jagose, Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, The University of Sydney
•  Mr John Coorey, Chair of St John’s College Council
•  Ms Kirsten Andrews, Vice-Principal (External Relations), The University of Sydney
•  Mr Steve Worrall, Managing Director, Microsoft 
•  Ms Liz Dibbs, Deputy Chancellor, Western Sydney University
•  Professor S Bruce Dowton, Vice-Chancellor and President, Macquarie University 
•  The Honourable Patricia Forsythe AM, Chancellor, The University of Newcastle 
•  Mr Roger Feletto, Managing Director & Head of Greenhill Australia 
•  The Honourable Nick Greiner AC, Former Australian Consul-General to New York 
•  Ms Liz Hughes, CEO, The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA)
•  Mr Daniel Knoll, National Industry Leader, Financial Services, KPMG 
•  Ms Nieves Murray, Deputy Chancellor, University of Wollongong 
•  Mr Michael Still, Chancellor, University of Wollongong 
•  Mr Warwick Shanks OAM, Deputy Chancellor, University of Wollongong 
•  Mr David Watts, Managing Director, Commonwealth Bank 
•  Ms Liz Watts, VP NSW Energy Coal, BHP
•  Judge Gerard Phillips, Member of St John’s College Council
•  The Hon John Sackar KC, retired Judge of the Supreme Court of NSW
•  Ms Alison Renwick, Vice-President of the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW
•  Mr Matt Gordon, Member of St John’s College Council
•  Mr David Mortimer AO, Former Fellow of the University Senate
•  Mr Frank Calabria, CEO Origin Energy
•  Mrs Josephine Sukkar AM, Former Chair of the Australian Sports Commission
•  Mr Tony Sukkar AM, BuildCorp
•  Mr Joshua Thomson SC, Former WA Solicitor General 

The Governor’s Aide-de-Camp seated beside Mr David Mortimer AO, Fellow of the Senate of The University of
Sydney.

Guests at the Leadership Series gathered beneath the portraits of Australian leaders associated with the College:
the former Archbishop of Sydney, John Bede Polding, and former Prime Minister and alumnus, The Hon Tony
Abbott AC.

The night was also one of the most substantial gatherings of University staff and academics at the College, including Deans and Heads of Schools of The University of Sydney:

•  Wei Chen, Head of School, Biomedical Engineering
•  Mary Collins, Head of School of Medical Sciences /Professor of Pharmaceutical Neuroscience
•  Suresh Cuganesan, Deputy Dean (Students & External Partnerships) for the Business School
•  Joachim Gudmundsson, Head of School of Computer Science
•  Chris Hilliard, Interim Head, School of Humanities | Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
•  Stuart Khan, Professor & Head of School of Civil Engineering
•  Brendan McCormack, Head of School of Nursing and Midwifery
•  Dominic Murphy, Head of School, School of History and Philosophy of Science
•  J. Jaime Miranda, Head of School of the Sydney School of Public Health
•  Nader Naderpajouh, Head of School of Project Management, Faculty of Engineering
•  Rita Shackel, Interim Head of School & Dean, Law School
•  Robyn Ward, Executive Dean, Faculty of Medicine

I am very proud that we were able to host so many academic and professional staff members of the University at St John’s, displaying the best of our College and our students, and to further solidify the historic relationship between St John’s College and The University of Sydney.

Conservatorium Music Student Mairead McCaughan singing at the dinner.

Eighty students of St John’s College were in attendance at the event, and were seated amongst the guests, with second-year student, Rocco Rizzo notably making a thought-provoking contribution to the Q&A with the Vice-Chancellor.

General Sir John Monash Foundation CEO, Mr Paul Ramadge.

Professor Annamarie Jagose, Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of The University of Sydney.

Liz Watts, Vice-President of NSW Energy for BHP.

Throughout the dinner, our students and guests were addressed by several notable leaders on the qualities and importance of leadership in twenty-first century Australia, including speeches by General Sir John Monash Foundation CEO, Paul Ramadge; Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, The University of Sydney, Professor Annamarie Jagose; as well as Former Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon Julia Gillard AC (by video-link).

Former Prime Minister, the Hon Julia Gillard AC joins the event via video link to talk about leadership.

A very special moment when the Hon Julia Gillard AC joins the event by video link, overseen by a portrait of
her successor as Prime Minister of Australia and alumnus of St John’s College, the Hon Tony Abbot AC.

Ms  Jillian Segal AO, Australia’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism and Chair of the General Sir John Monash
Foundation, speaking on leadership, with the portrait of another distinguished College leader, Richard Edward
O'Connor QC, one of the original three Justices of the High Court of Australia, in the background.

Facilitated by CEO of the Grattan Institute, Aruna Sathanapally, the in-conversation segment of the evening with Professor Mark Scott AO was an insightful dialogue that delved into the Vice-Chancellor’s unique experience in Australian journalism, canvassed candid comments on his role as head of the ABC during, arguably, its most significant period of change since the invention of colour television, and explored the challenges and opportunities faced since his appointment as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sydney. All those assembled in the Dining Hall were treated to the Vice-Chancellor’s charming candour and frank reflections on the requirements of leadership that imparted rich insights to students and staff alike. 

Professor Mark Scott AO being interviewed by CEO of the Grattan Institute, Aruna Sathanapally.

A significant motivator for hosting this event is my hope that we will see St John’s College students be inspired to become John Monash Scholars in the future. No doubt, the opportunity for our students to attend this event and meet past scholars, benefactors and members of the Foundation will provide a spark of inspiration and illuminate a path to future achievements. For those who are not aware, the General Sir John Monash Scholarship was established in 2004 by then-Prime Minister John Howard to create an Australian equivalent to the Rhodes Scholarship specifically for future Australian leaders to pursue post-graduate study overseas.

I remain extremely grateful to the General Sir John Monash Foundation and my staff for their superb collaboration and for helping deliver a fantastic evening.

Dr Mark Schembri
Rector

College alumni Max Heywood and Tom Neaverson.

(Left to right) College students Caitlyn Lee, Prithvi Narayan, Jake Perks and Nestor Pena-Gonzalez.

College students Julia Jeziorny, Josephine Armstrong and Evangeline Marr speaking with Paul Ramadge, Former
Chief Editor of The Age Newspaper.

Dr Robin Fitzsimons, Fellow of the Senate of The University of Sydney along with Mr Dennis Wilson.