Blazing a Traill: the convergence of profit and purpose

Michael Traill is an absolute legend in Australia’s not-for-profit circles, but that is not how he started out. Like many other Harvard grads, Michael went into investment banking. He spent 14 years at Macquarie Bank, where he successfully co-founded the bank’s private equity division. But, a career that provides profit above all else didn’t sit comfortably with him. In 2002 at the peak of his career, Michael jumped ship to the not-for-profit sector. His idea was to bring corporate rigour to the charitable world. He was founding CEO of Social Ventures Australia, and he took a revolutionary approach with bridging the gap between privilege and property. These days, Michael Chair’s the Paul Ramsay Foundation and the Federal Government social impact investing taskforce among his many other roles. In 2010, he was made a member of the Order of Australia in recognition of his service to the not-for-profit sector.