Matt Lawler

Judith Fiander cares deeply about philanthropy, so being the chief executive of Australian Philanthropic Services comes as little surprise. How she ended up in that position, however, is not as straightforward as one might think. Having graduated from Macquarie University with a double major in English and education, and a minor in history, Fiander wasn't quite sure where she wanted to focus her career. "Trigger events don't make people philanthropic, but it is the opportunity for them.

Brian Redican's journey into economics began in 1989, when he arrived at the University of New South Wales to pursue a bachelor's degree. That same year, young students in Beijing were protesting in Tiananmen Square for China's democratic rights. The 1980s showed that you could actually do it and we reaped the benefits in the 1990s. Redican heard Ross Garnaut, former Australian ambassador to China, on the radio speak on the implications for Australia's exports.

Growing up in Mount Isa in the 1980s, there weren't a lot of options on the table for a young Dave Woodall when leaving school. In fact, there were about three: get a job in the mines, the town's lifeblood, learn a trade servicing those mines, or leave. By this time, Woodall was well versed in embracing opportunities afar due to his father's career in the mining industry, having lived in the UK, Middle East, Africa and Australia by the time he was a teen.