Fiona Menzies

Fiona Menzies commenced as the inaugural CEO of Creative Partnerships Australia in February 2013. Immediately prior to that, Fiona was the Development Manager at the Wheeler Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas, where she was part of the team that established the Wheeler Centre as Melbourne’s newest cultural institution in 2009. Fiona has a longstanding interest in private giving to the arts, reaching back to her studies at the University of Melbourne and the Courtauld Institute of Art, London, completing both her undergraduate and masters theses on collections related to this theme. Following her studies, Fiona took a sidestep into politics where she worked as Adviser then Chief of Staff to two Commonwealth Government Arts Ministers. During that time, Fiona worked across the arts, cultural heritage and film portfolio, but also continued her interest in giving by playing a key role in the introduction of new measures in the taxation system to increase private sector support for the arts. Following her time in government and some time out of the paid workforce while looking after small children, Fiona worked in media and communications for a property investment firm, then as Executive Officer for a children’s cancer research charity in Melbourne. Fiona is a Trustee of the Gordon Darling Foundation and a member of the CASE Asia-Pacific Council. She served the board of the St Catherine’s School Foundation in Melbourne for eight years, and was previously a director of the Dame Nellie Melba Opera Trust.