A legacy of global connections
Article by Amanda Hanna | Matheson Society Newsletter
John Allen’s most treasured childhood memory is of growing up in South India and interacting with workers in the surrounding tea estates. “I was brought up always communicating with the people around me”, says John, fondly recalling how unfailingly happy the workers were, valuing social connections over material possessions.
Communicating well, coupled with a fascination for relating to people from all walks of life, made for a highly lucrative skillset in the elite headhunting industry, where John excelled in an unparalleled career spanning over 30 years. His career included several senior appointments to the Monash leadership team.
Due to commence next year, the John Allen Family Scholarship is the legacy that John wants to leave behind. For John, entrusting Monash as the scholarship’s caretaker was an easy decision. “I have really enjoyed being part of the greater Monash family of likeminded people. (As a university), Monash wins hands-down in every possible way.”
John’s two sons, Freddie and Toby Allen completed their university studies at Monash: Freddie in 2011, achieving a Bachelor of Business (Banking and Finance) and in 2015 his Master of Applied Finance, and Toby in 2008, was awarded the honours degree of Bachelor of Commerce.
Inspired by his familial and professional connection to Monash, and memories of his birth country, the scholarship will support talented students from across the globe to access a Monash education regardless of cultural or financial barriers. It’s a scholarship that John will see the benefits of in his lifetime. He hopes that, one day, recipients of the John Allen Family Scholarship might choose to play a role in supporting Indigenous relations in Australia, reminding him of the lifelong connections he feels lucky to have made in his home country.