Sydney Young Leaders Breakfast 2014

The Australian Ireland Fund

Young Leaders Network Corporate Breakfast

“Lessons in Leadership”

May 1st 2014 – 7.15am registration for 7.30am start

Guest Speakers  

Michael Bencsik
Head of Strategy and Operations, Investment Banking Division
Commonwealth Bank of Australia

Jenny Dean
Pathways Director
Australian Indigenous Education Foundation

Level 30, 420 George Street, Sydney

Proudly hosted and sponsored by

Tickets:  $25 per person  
Reservation Form

A light breakfast will be provided.

Guest Speakers Information

Michael Bencsik

Michael Bencsik is the current Head of Strategy and Operations in the Investment Banking division at Commonwealth Bank of Australia and has previously held roles in HSBC as Head of Strategy, Global Banking & Markets and Group Functions in the Group Head Office Strategy & Planning unit in London and as Chief Financial Officer for HSBC Australia. He is a Fellow of the Australian Society of CPAs’, Fellow of the Chartered Certified Accountants (UK), Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia, Graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of NSW and a Master of Business Administration from Macquarie Graduate School of Management. Outside of work, Michael’s interests include rugby union, rowing and ocean racing.

It is arguably in ocean racing that Michael has had the most success, having competed in 19 Sydney to Hobart Races, even winning the race in 1998. The story of the 1998 race (the most disastrous in the Race’s history with over two-thirds of the boats failing to finish and the loss of 5 boats and 6 lives) and the heroics of the team on board his yacht, Midnight Rambler, is captured in the book “Into the Storm” written by Dennis Perkins and Jillian Murphy. At our breakfast briefing, Michael will be sharing the Lessons in Leadership that he leaed from that infamous race which he has been able to apply to his successful career in banking.

Jenny Dean

Jenny Dean is Pathways Director at the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation (AIEF), a private sector led, non-profit organisation focused on empowering Indigenous children in financial need to build a future through quality education and career pathways at Australia’s leading schools, universities and companies.

As Pathways Director, Jenny is responsible for the development and delivery of the AIEF Pathways Program, which prepares AIEF Scholarship Students for life post-school and supports their transition from school through further studies or employment into productive and fulfilling careers.

Jenny has been working in the not-for-profit sector for the past fifteen years, beginning her career with AFS Intercultural Programs, an inteational organisation which provides opportunities for secondary and tertiary students to live and study overseas. Jenny held a number of positions at AFS including Scholarship Account Manager and Program Manager. After six years with the organisation she moved to The Smith Family, where she was a senior member of the Community Programs Team focused on developing and implementing programs for disadvantaged children in the areas of Computer Literacy and Personal Development. In this role, Jenny oversaw the development and implementation of programs in a number of Indigenous communities in Queensland. Jenny is also a founding member of the Kids for Life Foundation.

Clyde & Co is a global law firm with a pioneering heritage and a resolute focus on its core sectors of aviation, energy, infrastructure, insurance, marine, and trade. With over 1,400 lawyers operating from 37 offices and associated offices in six continents, the firm advises corporates, financial institutions, private individuals, and govements. The firm has a reputation for its work in emerging markets, being the largest inteational firm in the Middle East and with a rapidly expanding network across Asia, Latin America and Africa.