Dr Mark Cubit
Mark Cubit’s life has played out in three chapters so far. Chapter one started with a year of high school in a Japanese country town as an exchange student – this became the first of three lengthy stays in that country over a decade.
Chapter two involved 15 years spent in the finance sector, advising local and international institutions investing in the Australian equity market - based in Tokyo, London and then Melbourne. Mark retired from Merrill Lynch Equities in 2003 and overnight his title changed from Managing Director to ‘unemployed and not sure where to head next’.
A third chapter in the world of international philanthropy then began.
Mark spent 3,000 hours volunteering at The Smith Family in the social sector. He served on the boards of some local NGOs, then in 2005 established The Cubit Family Foundation with his wife Amanda.
Mark was asked to establish the Planet Wheeler Foundation on behalf of Maureen and Tony Wheeler in 2008 and he continues today as trustee of that foundation, as well as advising other foundations on their international giving programs.
The focus is, simply put, on supporting bright people with a problem to solve, usually overseas and often far away from the capital cities. Until COVID intervened, six to eight weeks a year was spent visiting overseas NGOs.
A passion to foster more and better international giving by Australians saw Mark and some like-minded colleagues found Partners For Equity and the Australian International Development Network. Both organisations seek to facilitate and encourage philanthropic Australians to look past their national borders to the need in Asia and Africa.
Since 2008 Mark has been Chair of The School of St Jude Australia. The organisation fundraises and supports a school in Tanzania educating 1,800 bright Tanzanian children selected from poor families. He also serves on the Tanzanian board of the school, an experience that provides considerable insight into the operation of a large NGO in an African country.
Mark was a member of Monash University Council from 2014 to 2019 and is still Chair of the University’s Investment Advisory Committee.
Mark has been a regular presenter at various forums including the Philanthropy Australia Conference, whilst also advising numerous NGO’s on how to improve their fundraising, marketing and strategies.
Mark and Amanda, his wife of 35 years, are the proud parents of two daughters, Ashleigh-Rose and Amy. He plans to continue his involvement in the social sector, believing that you are never too old to learn.