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About thrive

Who we are?

Thrive is a not-for-profit organisation established with the vital financial backing of Westpac, private donors and the generous support of leading companies such as Allianz, Deloitte, Gilbert & Tobin, KPMG, Korn Ferry, LOUD, Newgate and Equifax.

Thrive is registered as a charity with tax-deductible status for donations.

What we do?

Our primary role is to provide microfinancing and business support that can help refugee entrepreneurs start and grow viable new businesses.

Why we do it?

Refugees and asylum seekers are eager for a fresh start. By supporting their business enterprises, Thrive enables and empowers them to become financially independent, to create jobs, and to integrate faster and more successfully as active contributors to our economy and society.

Our focus areas
Education

Providing information about the Australian business market and the knowledge and steps required to start or expand a business.

Loan

Providing refugees and asylum seekers with microfinance loans for new or existing businesses.

Post loan

Providing post-loan mentoring to guide refugee entrepreneurs towards business success.

Our Vision

We want to positively transform the lives of refugees and asylum seekers by helping them build successful businesses and fulfilling lives, so they can make meaningful contributions to the Australian economy and society.

Our Team
Our Board of Directors
John Curtis

Our Founding Chairman is driven by a passion to give refugees a fresh new start and an opportunity to contribute to the Australian economy. A respected businessman and Member of the Order of Australia, he has held many senior positions and brings his unique expertise and vast experience to Thrive.

Previously held positions:
  • Chairman of Allianz Australia Limited
  • Deputy Chairman of Westpac
  • Chairman St George Bank
  • International Advisory Board, Merrill Lynch Inc.
  • Chairman Sydney Cancer Centre
Huy Truong

Our Founding Deputy Chairman and Executive Director came to Australia as a Vietnamese refugee in 1978. An alumnus of Harvard Business School, he has a diverse operating, entrepreneurial and advisory background and is an advocate for a progressive Australia. His success is one of the inspirations behind the establishment of Thrive. He currently serves as the CEO of Australian Life Insurance Group.

Previously held positions:
  • Various founding and executive roles with Yarra Capital Partners, Carter Holt Harvey, Jurlique International, Boston Consulting Group and Wishlist Holdings
  • Director, Asialink
Anna Curtis

Our Founding Director is also an alumna of Harvard Business School and. has been on the board of IAG and Country Road as a Director. Anna has also held various executive roles with American Express, JP Morgan, Johnson & Johnson and Unilever.

Paul Fegan

Paul has over 30 years of global experience in Financial Services, Telecommunications, Insurance, and Government, including senior appointments in Australia, the United States, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and Ireland and is a Senior Advisor at Gresham Partners. Paul is also Chairman of the Bosch Institute for Medical Research at the University of Sydney and holds an MBA from the University of Melbourne and is based in Sydney.

Previously held positions:
  • Chief Executive Officer of St George Bank Limited.
  • Group Managing Director at Telstra Limited.
  • An experienced Non-Executive Director having previously served on the Board of AMP Limited, as well as Chairman of AMP Bank Limited.
Sue Beecher

Our Director is also a member of several boards and committees, including Human Rights Watch Australia. Sue also sits on the Indigenous Affinity Group of Philanthropy Australia as well as a refugee and asylum seeker philanthropy interest group. She has a passion for social justice, equity, Indigenous & refugee rights. A key area of focus is advising families & not for profits on their strategic Philanthropic fundraising.

Previously held positions:
  • Merchant banker with several large multinational organizations in Australia & London
  • Social worker & family counsellor working with disadvantaged families
  • Couple & relationship counsellor
  • Strategic Fundraiser & Advisor to philanthropic families
Catherine Scarth

Catherine Scarth’s career has focussed on the design and implementation of innovative social programs and enterprises in Australia and the United Kingdom. She has achieved this through the creation of partnerships with government, employers and the community sector to deliver programs designed to increase the economic and social participation for newly arrived migrants and refugees. Ms Scarth is the Chief Executive Officer of AMES Australia, an organisation providing a wide range of interconnected settlement, education, vocational training and employment services in Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales and Tasmania. Ms Scarth is a Board Member of the Migration Council of Australia.

Our Advisory Committee
David Gonski

is an Australian public figure and businessman. A leading philanthropist, he holds several prestigious positions as Chairman of ANZ Banking Group and Coca-Cola Amatil Limited, and Patron of the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation. David was commissioned by the Australian government in 2010 to chair the committee that reviewed the funding for Australian schools.

Tony Berg

is a highly successful businessman, Patron of Musica Viva Australia, an Executive Director of Gresham Partners Limited. He has previously held the positions of Managing Director and CEO of Boral Limited and was Macquarie Bank’s first Managing Director and CEO.

Key partners

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Thrive Refugee Enterprise
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