Vincent Fairfax Fellowship celebrates 30 years of ethical leadership  

One of the country’s most respected leadership programs, the Vincent Fairfax Fellowship (VFF), marks three decades of supporting leaders to hone their skills in an ethical framework, build moral maturity and learn how to make decisions for the greater good.  

More than 400 alumni have participated in the year-long Fellowship program, established by the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation (VFFF) in 1995 to honour of Sir Vincent. They include many of the country’s top decision-makers charged with shaping public policy and corporate strategy, influencing sector reforms and steering organisations through periods of crisis and uncertainty, from Royal Commissions to COVID-19.   

Sir Vincent was a business leader and philanthropist, having been Chairman of AMP and a Director of John Fairfax Limited, publishers of The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and other newspapers. He and his wife Nancy founded the VFFF in 1962, which has so far granted more than $220m to Australian communities. 

Jenny Wheatley, CEO of the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation, said that the principle of ethical leadership is about doing the right thing, even when no one is watching, and that Sir Vincent believed wealth and influence comes with responsibility.  

“Ethical leadership builds trust, encourages collaboration and creates a culture where decisions are made for the greater good, as well as shapes a civic society grounded in fairness and respect.” 

The model is especially relevant today, as society faces a polycrisis, because it provides “a stabilising force, and offers clarity and confidence when the path forward feels uncertain,” said Jenny.  

“A basis in ethical leadership ensures that even under pressure, choices reflect long-term wellbeing, not short-term gains. That kind of leadership is essential for maintaining trust and unity when society is under strain. The Fellowship was designed for challenging times and moments like we are facing today: to invest in leaders who listen, who understand and make decisions anchored in values rather than expediency.” 

Notable Fellows include: 

• Michael Grainger, Assistant Commissioner of Victoria Police 

• Dr Doug Hilton, CEO of CSIRO Australia 

• Lyndall Stoyles, Group Executive & General Counsel at Telstra 

• Elizabeth Hollingworth, Judge of the Trial Division at the Supreme Court of Victoria 

• Kelly Bayer Rosmarin, CEO of Australian Unity 

• Barry Sterland, Commissioner at Australian Productivity Commission 

• Misha Schubert, CEO of Super Members Council of Australia 

Up to 25 senior leaders are selected as Fellows each year to engage in learning intensives, online modules, peer-led discussion and reflective practice designed to hone critical thinking, moral courage and ethical fluency. Participants learn to identify and challenge their own “ethical defaults”, apply decision frameworks under pressure, recognise and manage risk, master strategies to navigate challenges, and drive positive change within their organisations and networks.   

The essence of Sir Vincent’s vision was to build the scaffolding for a fairer future, where leadership looks to serve the community and protect future generations, said Jenny. 

“By supporting leaders who act with integrity and moral courage, we create systems that prioritise justice, sustainability and shared prosperity. When leaders make decisions from a place of understanding and service, Australia moves closer to a future where fairness and sustainability are not aspirations, but realities.” 

In 2019, the Myer Foundation partnered with the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation to deliver the Fellowship through the Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership at Monash University. 

To mark the 30th anniversary, the Cranlana Centre will be launching At The Intersection, a project including alumni roundtables, video content and a digital anthology, as well as the VFF’s first ethical leadership assembly for all past and present Fellows, which will take place in November in Sydney.