Monash Business School Dean’s Gala Dinner 2026
Please join us for a special evening of celebration, inspiration, and recognition - our annual Monash Business School Dean's Gala Dinner.
We’ll proudly celebrate several distinguished alumni, with six major awards to be presented by our Dean, Faculty of Business and Economics and Head of Monash Business School, Professor Simon Wilkie.
They will comprise the Emerging Talent Award, Professional Achievement Award, Impact Award, Community Award, Indigenous Award and Lifetime Achievement Award.
We are also thrilled to welcome Dr David Brand, a globally-renowned forestry sector investor and nature capital investment philanthropist, as our keynote speaker.
The David Brand Foundation has partnered with Monash Business School to establish Australia’s first Chair in Natural Capital Investment to work towards a more sustainable future through research that translates into commercialised and practical outcomes for the benefit of local and global communities.
As the founder of New Forests, Dr Brand developed a model for sustainable forestry investment which sees land use and forestry as central to the sustainable future transition.
During the evening, we will also highlight our exceptional accomplishments throughout the past year, acknowledging the commitment and excellence that define our community.
As we gather to applaud our achievements, recognise our distinguished alumni and engage in meaningful conversations, the Monash Business School Dean's Gala Dinner promises to be an enriching evening of networking, inspiration, and festivity.
We invite you to join us in commemorating our collective triumphs and shaping a future that is prosperous, fair, and sustainable for all.
For further information on the awards, please visit our dedicated website.
Registrations
Register here
Registration includes a three course dinner, canapes and beverages.
Keynote speaker
Dr David Brand, Managing Director, Arborcrest Investments
Based in Sydney, Australia, Dr Brand is Managing Director of Arborcrest Investments, a company he founded, and also Director of the David Brand Foundation, which supports education in conservation and sustainable forestry finance. He is also Executive Chair of Standwell Forest Investments, a firm he established in March 2026 that is focused on impact investment in forestry in British Columbia.
Dr Brand is the Founder and former Executive Chair and CEO of New Forests, an Australia-based, international investment management firm that has been a global leader in integrating investment and innovation in sustainable forestry operations with investment in natural capital and climate solutions.
Under Dr Brand’s leadership, New Forests grew to one of the world’s largest forestry investment firms, managing approximately $US8 billion in assets across Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Southeast Asia, and Africa, including investments developed in partnership with Indigenous communities in these jurisdictions.
Dr Brand was also the inaugural Chair of the International Sustainable Forestry Coalition, a group of 23 major forest-sector companies working together to enable the sector to create greater value for society by managing forests more holistically for both timber production as well as natural capital values, together with increased use of renewable biological resources.
Dr Brand has a PhD in Forestry from the University of British Columbia (UBC), and a Bachelor of Science in Forestry from the University of Toronto. In 2023 he received the UBC Alumni Award for Entrepreneurship for his role as an internationally- influential trailblazer in forestry who is investing in support of a sustainable future.
Host
Professor Simon Wilkie, Dean, Faculty of Business and Economics, Head of Monash Business School, Monash University
Professor Wilkie’s career spans a remarkable array of roles that extend beyond the higher education sphere and include appointments as Chief Economic Policy Strategist at Microsoft Corporation and Chief Economist with the US Federal Communications Commission.
In 2019, Prof Wilkie joined Monash Business School from the University of Southern California (USC). His research has particularly focused on game theory, its application to business strategy, economic and regulatory policy design, and the economics of the communications industries.
With an exceptional record for advancing multi-disciplinary collaborative research and leveraging its potential to transform policy and create lasting impact, he is widely published on the subjects of spectrum auctions, game theory and telecommunications regulation in leading scholarly journals.
Moderator
Professor Richard Hall, Deputy Dean, Leadership and Executive Education, Monash Business School, Monash University
Prof Hall has extensive experience in the design and delivery of leadership development programs for managers, professionals and senior leaders. He has published widely in the areas of management and organisation studies, including leadership, technology, organisational change, transformation and development and the future of work. He has designed, managed and delivered MBA programs at a number of universities and currently teaches Executive Leadership Mindsets in the Global Executive MBA at Monash University. He has deep experience working with major corporations, and organisations in the business, government, community and not-for-profit sectors.
Prof Hall has held previous appointments at the Universities of Queensland, Melbourne and Sydney. He has been visiting professor at the University of Strathclyde, Imperial College London, and Harvard University.
Event Details
- Date:
- 8 October 2026 at 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
- Venue:
- Metropolis events, Upper Level, Southgate Precinct, Southbank Boulevard, Southbank VIC 3006
- Categories:
- Alumni; General
Description
Please join us for a special evening of celebration, inspiration, and recognition - our annual Monash Business School Dean's Gala Dinner.
We’ll proudly celebrate several distinguished alumni, with six major awards to be presented by our Dean, Faculty of Business and Economics and Head of Monash Business School, Professor Simon Wilkie.
They will comprise the Emerging Talent Award, Professional Achievement Award, Impact Award, Community Award, Indigenous Award and Lifetime Achievement Award.
We are also thrilled to welcome Dr David Brand, a globally-renowned forestry sector investor and nature capital investment philanthropist, as our keynote speaker.
The David Brand Foundation has partnered with Monash Business School to establish Australia’s first Chair in Natural Capital Investment to work towards a more sustainable future through research that translates into commercialised and practical outcomes for the benefit of local and global communities.
As the founder of New Forests, Dr Brand developed a model for sustainable forestry investment which sees land use and forestry as central to the sustainable future transition.
During the evening, we will also highlight our exceptional accomplishments throughout the past year, acknowledging the commitment and excellence that define our community.
As we gather to applaud our achievements, recognise our distinguished alumni and engage in meaningful conversations, the Monash Business School Dean's Gala Dinner promises to be an enriching evening of networking, inspiration, and festivity.
We invite you to join us in commemorating our collective triumphs and shaping a future that is prosperous, fair, and sustainable for all.
For further information on the awards, please visit our dedicated website.
Registrations
Register here
Registration includes a three course dinner, canapes and beverages.
Keynote speaker
Dr David Brand, Managing Director, Arborcrest Investments
Based in Sydney, Australia, Dr Brand is Managing Director of Arborcrest Investments, a company he founded, and also Director of the David Brand Foundation, which supports education in conservation and sustainable forestry finance. He is also Executive Chair of Standwell Forest Investments, a firm he established in March 2026 that is focused on impact investment in forestry in British Columbia.
Dr Brand is the Founder and former Executive Chair and CEO of New Forests, an Australia-based, international investment management firm that has been a global leader in integrating investment and innovation in sustainable forestry operations with investment in natural capital and climate solutions.
Under Dr Brand’s leadership, New Forests grew to one of the world’s largest forestry investment firms, managing approximately $US8 billion in assets across Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Southeast Asia, and Africa, including investments developed in partnership with Indigenous communities in these jurisdictions.
Dr Brand was also the inaugural Chair of the International Sustainable Forestry Coalition, a group of 23 major forest-sector companies working together to enable the sector to create greater value for society by managing forests more holistically for both timber production as well as natural capital values, together with increased use of renewable biological resources.
Dr Brand has a PhD in Forestry from the University of British Columbia (UBC), and a Bachelor of Science in Forestry from the University of Toronto. In 2023 he received the UBC Alumni Award for Entrepreneurship for his role as an internationally- influential trailblazer in forestry who is investing in support of a sustainable future.
Host
Professor Simon Wilkie, Dean, Faculty of Business and Economics, Head of Monash Business School, Monash University
Professor Wilkie’s career spans a remarkable array of roles that extend beyond the higher education sphere and include appointments as Chief Economic Policy Strategist at Microsoft Corporation and Chief Economist with the US Federal Communications Commission.
In 2019, Prof Wilkie joined Monash Business School from the University of Southern California (USC). His research has particularly focused on game theory, its application to business strategy, economic and regulatory policy design, and the economics of the communications industries.
With an exceptional record for advancing multi-disciplinary collaborative research and leveraging its potential to transform policy and create lasting impact, he is widely published on the subjects of spectrum auctions, game theory and telecommunications regulation in leading scholarly journals.
Moderator
Professor Richard Hall, Deputy Dean, Leadership and Executive Education, Monash Business School, Monash University
Prof Hall has extensive experience in the design and delivery of leadership development programs for managers, professionals and senior leaders. He has published widely in the areas of management and organisation studies, including leadership, technology, organisational change, transformation and development and the future of work. He has designed, managed and delivered MBA programs at a number of universities and currently teaches Executive Leadership Mindsets in the Global Executive MBA at Monash University. He has deep experience working with major corporations, and organisations in the business, government, community and not-for-profit sectors.
Prof Hall has held previous appointments at the Universities of Queensland, Melbourne and Sydney. He has been visiting professor at the University of Strathclyde, Imperial College London, and Harvard University.