“It is my great pleasure to welcome Bruce Parncutt AO and Alexandra Gartmann to our Board of Trustees, which oversees and guides the Trust’s grantmaking, investment and management.” Dr Philip Moors AO, Chairman of Trustees, said. “HMSTrust is one of Victoria’s major philanthropic trusts having distributed over 4,700 grants to Victorian charitable institutions since 1955, totalling $121 million. An extraordinary legacy grown from an initial bequest of £275,000 in 1951 to a corpus today of over $114 million.”

Two central pillars underpin HMSTrust’s work – investment and grantmaking. These pillars require the highest levels of due diligence, wisdom and care to ensure that HMSTrust’s corpus continues to generate the required level of income in perpetuity, and that grantmaking remains relevant and focused on the Trust’s vision for ‘a strong, just and sustainable Victoria.’

Bruce Parncutt and Alexandra Gartmann both bring extensive governance and practical experience across a broad range of corporate and social service sectors.

“I am honoured to be invited to join the Board of Trustees of the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust,” Bruce Parncutt said. “I look forward to playing a role in ensuring that it continues to preserve and build on its proud legacies of strong financial stewardship and outstanding community impact”.

Bruce Parncutt’s career spans over 40 years in investment management, investment banking and stockbroking. He is Chairman of investment banking group Lion Capital, a member of The Australian Ballet Board, The University of Melbourne Campaign Board, and The University of Melbourne Centre for Positive Psychology Strategic Advisory Board. His previous roles include: Managing Director of McIntosh Securities, Senior Vice President of Merrill Lynch, Director of Australian Stock Exchange Ltd, President of the Council of Trustees of the National Gallery of Victoria, Board Member and Chairman of the NGV Foundation, member of the Felton Bequest Committee, Council member of Melbourne Grammar School, and Director of a number of listed public companies.

Alexandra Gartmann is a passionate advocate and champion for rural and regional Australia. “I am delighted to join the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust,” Alexendra said.  “I have been both a past recipient of HMSTrust grants when I was in the not for profit sector, and a collaborator with HMSTrust when I was in the philanthropic sector, giving me an opportunity to experience the work of the Trust as both a ‘customer’ and ‘partner’. The fact that HMSTrust focuses on Victoria, and has a strong focus on regional Victoria, aligns with my personal passion and my knowledge and networks. I look forward to bringing some of this to benefit the work of the Trust and the communities it partners with.”

In addition to her role as Managing Director & CEO of Rural Bank, a member of the Prime Minister’s Community Business Partnership, and a member of the Victorian Agriculture Advisory Council. Her previous roles include: CEO of Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR) and CEO of Birchip Cropping Group, Chair of CSIRO Agriculture and Food Advisory Council, a member of Australian Landcare Council, National Rural Advisory Council, Victorian Flood Disaster Appeal Panel, National Centre of Excellence for Civil Society Advisory Committee, and Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee.