Established in 2002 by the Bangarra Family Office, the Bennelong Foundation aims to enhance community wellbeing and provide opportunities for positive and lasting change in our community. The Foundation also aims to provide opportunities for people within Bangarra Family Office and within the Bangarra Family Office community to personally get involved in the activities of the organisations it supports.

The activities of the Foundation are overseen by an independent Board working with selected Key Advisors.

The Foundation also has a sub-committee of volunteers from the various Bangarra businesses, known as P.A.C.E. committee (Philanthropy and Community Engagement) . The P.A.C.E. committee consider smaller, innovative and grassroots grants within the Bennelong Foundation's key focus areas. The P.A.C.E. committee actively seek out and work alongside these organisations to assist in their project application and development.

Carena Shankar

Chairperson

Carena Shankar is Chairperson of the Bennelong Foundation and an Executive Director of Bangarra Family Office. She is also the Manager of the Bangarra Family Office Private Portfolio. Carena has a degree in economics and has worked in various areas including hospitality, finance, television production and property. Carena has previously held Non-Executive directorships with the Australian Opera Capital Fund, Asialink and Noosa Chances.

Jeff Chapman AM

Non-Executive Director

Jeff is the co-founder and previous Chairman of the Bennelong Foundation. Jeff is the founder and Chairman of Bangarra Family Office, a privately owned Family Office with extensive operations in the wealth and funds management sectors. His early career was spent in Australian manufacturing, retailing and investment banking. Jeff has degrees in law, accounting and business. In 2019 Jeff was appointed as a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia (General Division) as part of the Australia Day honours 'for significant service to the community through philanthropic initiatives'.

Sandra Jacobs

CEO/Executive Director

Sandra joined the Bennelong Foundation as CEO in 2016 and was appointed to the Bennelong Foundation board in 2021. Prior to this Sandra had considerable experience in the wealth management industry spanning over 10 years at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management as a financial adviser. Sandra is currently the chair of The Nappy Collective, and non-executive director Of TarraWarra Museum of Art and Israel for Youth Foundation.

Kelly Chapman

Non-Executive Director

Kelly Chapman joined the Bennelong Foundation board in 2020 following a Non-Executive Directorship of Bangarra Family Office since 2009. Kelly is also a Non-Executive Director of Sanpoint Pty Ltd, Chair and Founder of the Studio 64 Group. Following a move to Western Australia, Kelly joined the senior management team of Hawaiian Pty Ltd, a leading private equity property company. Kelly is currently the Managing Director of Western Australian property group, Rpoint Properties. Kelly commenced a professional association with the Bangarra Group in 2007 through her involvement in one of the Bennelong Foundation committees.

Christine Fleer

Non-Executive Director

Christine Fleer is a Partner at Arnold Bloch Leibler, providing strategic advice to high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs and family groups, as well as to global hedge funds, listed companies and insolvency administrators. She is a member of the Boards of the National Theatre St Kilda, the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, the TarraWarra Museum of Art and the Besen Family Foundation.

Craig Bingham

Non-Executive Director

Craig Bingham is the global CEO of Bennelong Funds Management in Australia and BennBridge in the UK and US. He is a highly regarded financial services executive with extensive experience in Australian and international markets. Craig was previously the CEO of Federated Investors Asia Pacific. Prior to that, he was CEO at Portfolio Partners (which later became Aviva Investors Asia Pacific) where he was responsible for establishing and developing licensed asset management businesses in Australia, Singapore and China, and expanding a presence in Asia and the Middle East.

Hon. Phil Honeywood

Non-Executive Director

Phil is a Non-Executive Director of Bangarra Family Office and the Bennelong Foundation. Phil is also the Chief Executive Officer of the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA), Convener of the National Council for International Education and a member of the Higher Education Standards Panel, New Colombo Plan Steering Committee and the Education Visa Consultative Committee. Phil was a Member of the Victorian State Parliament, Australia, for 18 years (1988–2006). During this period Phil served as the Victorian Minister for Tertiary Education, Training and Multicultural Affairs. He was also Deputy Leader of the Opposition from 2002–2006.

Omar Al Kassab

Special Adviser

Omar is an associate at Right Lane Consulting. Outside his professional life, Omar is a notable public speaker and a youth, community and humanitarian leader passionate about social change. In 2017, Omar was a finalist for the Victorian Young Achiever Award (Leadership and community impact) and he also received the Global peace award from their majesties, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz of Saudi Arabia for his international humanitarian and community work. Omar was previously a strategy analyst at Monitor Deloitte and holds a Bachelor of Business (majoring in finance and accounting) from RMIT University. In 2018, Omar was a Bennelong Foundation internship and scholarship recipient.