Meet our Team
Deborah Barlow
CEO
Deborah has an Arts Degree, a Graduate Diploma in Communication, a Masters in Business Administration and a Law Degree (in international and human rights law.) She has worked assisting asylum seekers in their claims for refugee status and many years working in the film and television industry culminating in producing a feature film with her writer/director husband in 2015. Deborah is passionate about fighting injustice and believes we need to rethink our entire economic structures if we want to see real change. Deborah believes that smart philanthropy, impact investing and storytelling are some of the most powerful tools towards achieving that change.
Kate Kennedy AM
Chair
Kate is a passionate global human rights leader and strategist. Her work has affected the lives of tens of thousands of exploited women and children in poverty and slavery. Her executive roles have included Strategic Director of World Vision, CEO of Hagar Australia, Program Director of The Pratt Foundation and as New York based Managing Director of the Freedom Fund. Kate studied at Monash and Harvard Universities and has been an active non executive Director (MacKillop Family services, Mirabel, good company). Kate is currently Director of projects at Brotherhood of St Laurence.
Martin McKenna
Director
Martin has a Bachelor of Arts and comes from a long career as a writer and director in television and film. His first feature was produced in 2015. Since 2014 Martin has been informally involved with the Barlow Foundation travelling to partner programs all over the world to gain a deeper understanding of the impact we can have. Martin is also a very keen impact investor. Martin is based between Melbourne and the hinterland of Byron Bay where he is committed to land regeneration as well as a committee member and advisor to a local impact investment group. He is married to Deborah - they have two adult children and a dog called Ralph.
Greg Neave
Director
Greg is the CEO of the wider family office group. He has held various finance and senior executive roles within both the Group’s retail business and its Family Office practice. Prior to joining the retail business, Greg spent four years as the Finance Manager of MIC, a Singapore based trading company that represented a number of global brands in emerging markets. He also has held various finance roles in the technology industry. Greg has a Bachelor of Commerce Degree and an Advanced Diploma of Business Management. He has attended the General Management Programme at INSEAD Business School and the Private Wealth Management Programme at Wharton Business School. He is a member of CPA Australia and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Téa McKenna
Grants Manager
Téa is a passionate activist and social change maker. She is the Chair of the BIG Future board, member of Nexus and a New Gen member of Philanthropy Australia. She holds a degree in Global Studies from Monash University and is presently completing a JD at the University of Melbourne. Téa has had many years experience in hospitality as a supervisor for The Big Group and is also a Yoga Teacher. Téa is Martin and Debs youngest child and works one day a week in the B.I.G office in grant application management and assessment. She is the best person to talk to if you have any application questions.
Fergus McKenna
Impact Manager
Fergus has a degree majoring in philosophy, and is currently completing a JD at the University of Melbourne . He was chair of the Barlow Foundation’s NextGen throughout its first two years and recently completed a clerkship with MinterEllison. He is a member of Nexus and also has four years of experience in the hospitality industry working for The Big Group. He plays in the 1st XI premier cricket team for Melbourne University and is Martin and Deb’s eldest child. Fergus is incredibly passionate about the potential of impact investing to help us reconsider how we think about capital.