The Chair and Board of the Global Foundation hosted a special dinner in Sydney on Monday 4 May for Australian mining legend, Dr Mark Cutifani CBE, who has recently joined the Foundation’s Board.

The dinner featured prominent Australian figures from business and civil society, many of whom have played vital roles in shaping the work of the Global Foundation over the years.

The dinner followed Mark’s recent appointment as an independent director to the Board of Australian energy giant, Woodside, adding a very significant Australian corporate dimension to his extensive portfolio of global business and civil society interests. It also provided a timely opportunity to hear from such a distinguished global business leader and to synthesise views about prospects for the world and for Australia.

Dinner guests were delighted to hear Mark’s presentation about his practical philosophy of business leading with purpose for the betterment of society, in service of the ‘common good’, aspiring and delivering beyond short-term and self-interest considerations.

Mark’s remarks were framed against the backdrop of the global energy shock and the recent and ongoing contributions to the energy transition by the Foundation’s global network of partners and allies. In contrast, the dinner discussion concluded that current efforts by many of those in leadership positions in the public and private sectors in Australia are disappointing and that there is a distinct lack of a coherent national ambition.

The Foundation, with its low-key yet powerful network, was encouraged to continue to identify, align and mobilise effective contributors to the common good, in Australia and globally, to further extend its current base of support.

Chair of the Foundation, Ms Louise Watson, particularly noted that the recent addition of Dr Cutifani and Ms Sharan Burrow AC to the Board of the Foundation has already significantly strengthened the standing and capacity of the Foundation to increase its effectiveness and impact.