I bring this background to my role as leader of the firm's Pro Bono & Community Investment Group and our leading Social Impact practice, supporting the growing social enterprise and business for purpose sector and in the ESG Advisory Practice, where the convergence of business and purpose meets and I focus on sustainable finance.

My commercial experience and interest in social justice issues and broader notions of sustainability help inform my current work with corporates, not-for-profit, social enterprise and for purpose business clients. I enjoy collaborating across the corporate, government, not-for-profit and education sectors working with others to develop innovative shared value approaches to tackling social and environmental issues and the mobilisation of human and financial capital to achieve positive social impact, recognising the importance of business as a catalyst for the development of social foundations within ecological constraints (in line with Doughnut Economic principles).

I lead the MinterEllison Pro Bono and Community Investments programs and in this role, I develop partnerships with government and corporate clients who are seeking to amplify their social impact through engaging with charities and social enterprises, working on social business models, impact investment and social finance and developing cross sector collaboration.

We work with a large cohort of for purpose business and social enterprise clients on corporate and financial structures and transactions so that they can take advantage of capital and funding streams and corporate and government partnerships. We are active participants in the social enterprise and impact investment ecosystem and seek to build sector capacity through our work. I sit on ISO and Standard Australia’s Technical Working Groups for Green and Sustainable Finance, which enables me to provide clients with up to date information about sustainable finance, local market and global trends and am part of RIAAs Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) working group.

ESG considerations continue to be mainstreamed as society and business recognises ethical and sustainable operations across upstream and downstream supply chains – as impact investment becomes investment, social procurement becomes just procurement and sustainable finance, becomes finance.

Career highlights

• Heading up the Sustainable Finance team, acting on sustainability linked loans, green loans and other themed products and funds, including product design and review against impact frameworks and standards
• Impact investing initiatives, including Social Impact Bonds, Payment by Outcomes contracting, Impact Investment Readiness grants, B Corp advice, Crowd Sourced Equity Funding and other capital initiatives
• Supporting over 100+ social enterprises and indigenous business, including formation and scale up initiatives, M&A and financing, including Jigsaw's $3m syndicated facility; acting for Social Enterprise Finance Australia, Many Rivers and First Australians Capital on its financing transactions; and establishing social enterprise precincts across Australia.
• Social and Affordable housing and Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) projects with Community Housing Providers, including Ability First, Mission Australia and others and working with Social Ventures Australia on 10 year loan facility for SDA acquisition and development, as well as Build to rent joint venture including SDA components
• Establishment of Social Enterprise Australia, SECNA (Social Enterprise Council NSW &ACT); SENVIC (Social Enterprise Vic) and working with other peak bodies on governance and capacity building initiatives, including Social Traders and Social Impact Hub.
• Supported RIAA with establishment of Australian Sustainable Finance Institute to roll out the ASFI Sustainable Finance Roadmap and on AFSL advice in relation to product and fund certification and ratings. Supporting Climate KIC on Climate Measurement Standards Initiative, Small Giants with Regen Melbourne; STREAT and others with Moving Feast and Open Sauce initiatives, as well as many other collaborations and alliances
• Capacity building programs, including Westpac Board Observership Program mobilising human capital support to the NFP and social enterprise sectors, with Westpac and MinterEllison members supported through a leadership development program
• Worked on landmark real estate projects that are changing Australia’s city skylines, including King Street Wharf, Central Barangaroo, Luna Park and World Square in Sydney, and Melbourne Convention Centre
• Assisted with market-leading transactions, including Morgan Stanley’s $4 billion takeover of Investa, the Melbourne Convention Centre public–private partnership (PPP), the South East Queensland schools PPP, the sale of Macarthur Intermodal Shipping Terminal to Qube Logistics, and major shopping centre developments, such as Top Ryde and Claremont, WA
• Advised on major corporate financings, including Singtel Optus’s $1.5 billion syndicated Sustainability Linked Loan financing; Brookfield’s C$360 million syndicated financing; and Alliance Pulse Processors Inc.’s C$363.5 million syndicated financing and related Canadian dollar bond issues
• Work with leading not-for-profit clients such as Adara Group, Mission Australia, and, and corporate client foundations such as the Westpac Foundation, AMP Foundation and family offices on governance and grant programs
• Combined my passion for football and law by serving on the Sydney Olympic Football Club board for many years and Football NSW’s Legal and Regulatory subcommittee, as well as work for Football Federation Australia on Women's Football Business Case

Current board positions

• Westpac Foundation, a leading foundation providing scholarships and supporting social changemakers
• White Box Enterprises – chair of leading National social enterprise incubator and advisory business
• MothersBabies - acting chair of a health promotion charity funding research with the Microbiome Research Centre and UNSW into the microbiome and impacts on the health of mothers and babies
• Constellation Project – a charity founded by Australian Red Cross, Centre for Social Impact, Mission Australia and PwC and incorporating the Business Alliance to End Homelessness, aiming to end homelessness in a generation
• Humanitix, an on-line event ticketing platform for good (established as a public benevolent institution)
• Plus One - company secretary of a platform which provides corporate learning and development opportunities to emerging not for profit leaders
• Social Traders Expert Advisory Group
• Football NSW, Legal & Regulatory Board sub-committee
• MinterEllison Reconciliation Action Plan Steering Group
• Member of International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and Standards Australia Technical Working Groups on Environmental Management Systems and Green and Sustainable Finance and Investment

Education
BEc, LLB

• Mobilising private finance to effect social change
  

  FINSights is future focused - it's an outlook on emerging trends and the direction of the financial sector and its participants. Our financial services team reflects on and explores a range of issues across industries and sectors affecting our clients. 

• NFP structuring: From incorporated association to company
  

  Your guide to transitioning from an incorporated association to a company limited by guarantee.

• Australia's Sustainable Finance Roadmap: A comprehensive guide
  

  We respond to Australia's new Sustainable Finance Roadmap, which proposes an ambitious agenda intended to have economy-wide effect.

• One step closer to law – Modern Slavery legislation
  

  The Australian government is on the cusp of legislating modern slavery reporting and compliance obligations with the bill for the Federal Act introduced into Federal parliament.

• Modern slavery & global supply chain reporting: Gearing Up for Compliance
  

  Australia is moving closer to establishing modern slavery legislation, including a modern slavery reporting requirement.

• Federal Budget analysis: Funding social impact & ESG measures
  

  The 2024-25 Federal Budget commits to funding a range of social impact and environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives.

• Value in sustainability. Investors ratcheting up demands
  There has been a tectonic shift in how financial capital is allocated. Responsible investment strategies with an environmental, social or corporate governance focus are now a critical consideration for shareholders, investors and asset managers alike, and correspondingly, those seeking to access that capital.
• Paving the path for purpose-led businesses
  

  Navigating the certification journey for social enterprises and B Corporations

• COVID-19 and the not-for-profit sector
  

  To assist NFPs, we have prepared the following guide to help navigate the impacts of COVID-19.

• Our inspiring people: Interview with Keith Rovers
  

  Keith Rovers, Finance and Projects Partner and the Sydney Office's Pro Bono and Community Investment Partner discusses the firm's community investment projects.

• Keith Rovers wins Individual Achievement Award
  

  Keith Rovers wins Individual Achievement Award at the 2023 Australian Impact Investment Awards. Impact Investing Hub has recognised ers who are promoting social impact and driving innovation.

• MinterEllison partners with philanthropic organisations to support social enterprises
  

  MinterEllison has partnered with ing Australian philanthropic organizations to establish the Work Integration Social Enterprise (WISE) Grant Program.

• Social enterprises recognised as tool to enhance access to equitable employment opportunities
  

  The Government's Employment White Paper recognised social enterprises as a key means of creating supported employment opportunities for vulnerable cohorts.

• Social impact gets a boost in 2023/2024 Federal Budget
  

  Albanese government commits $199.8 million for social impact initiatives targeting community disadvantage and promoting cross-sector collaboration.

• COVID-19: guide on small business sole trader and NFP entitlements
  

  Our guide outlines the support that small businesses, sole traders, charities and employers are entitled to under federal, state and local government schemes to manage the impacts of COVID-19.

• A guide to risk management for not-for-profits and social enterprises
  

  For many, managing risk, and even knowing where to start, can be overwhelming. This guide offers not-for-profit and social enterprise organisations a framework to establish appropriate risk management processes that help them to succeed.

   

• MinterEllison awarded Law firm of the Year in 2020 IMPACT Awards
  

  MinterEllison's significant impact practice and expertise in social enterprises and advisory impact-driven transactions and investments has been recognised at Environmental Finance’s inaugural 2020 IMPACT Awards.

• Companies are about more than maximising profits? 
  Business Roundtable has issued a statement redefining the purpose of a corporation to include delivering benefits to all stakeholders