New CEO for Sidney Myer Fund and The Myer Foundation
15 September 2011 at 12:51 pm
Leonard Vary, a Senior Executive with Australian transport giant, Linfox, is about to take up his first full time executive Not for Profit role as CEO of the Sidney Myer Fund and The Myer Foundation.
Vary will take over the position from Christine Edwards when she retires in late September. Christine Edwards has held the role for the past seven years.
Before this appointment, Vary was an Executive Director of the Fox Private Group, a Director of Fox Group Holdings and of Linfox Airports Group Pty Ltd. Among other duties, he had responsibility for a number of the Fox family’s business interests and oversaw their philanthropic activities through the Fox Family Foundation.
During his time at Linfox, Vary held various board positions and key management roles, including President Human Resources, General Counsel and Company Secretary. Prior to joining Linfox he was in private practice at Clayton Utz, a leading Australian law firm.
Vary holds a Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Commerce and Master of Laws degrees from the University of Melbourne. In 2006 he undertook the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
He is the current Chairman of the Centre for Contemporary Photography, a director of the Malthouse Theatre, a past Vice President of the Melbourne International Arts Festival, a member of the University of Melbourne’s Competition Law Graduate Program Advisory Board and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Martyn Myer, President of The Myer Foundation says they were looking for someone with high level interpersonal skills, strong ethical values, inquisitiveness, business acumen, experience in working with families across generations, and the ability to represent the Myer Family in the philanthropic and Not for Profit sectors, and with government.
He says they have found all these qualities in Leonard Vary and look forward to working closely with him in the years ahead.
Vary says he is utterly delighted to have been selected for this important role.
He says Christine Edwards is a greatly admired contributor to Australian society and leaves very big shoes to fill.
The Directors of the Foundation and Trustees of the Fund have acknowledged Christine’s outstanding contribution to both organisations and to the philanthropic sector generally. She and her husband are setting off on a new adventure together to sail the world.
Leonard Vary will take up the new position on 11th October,2011.
