Our Industry

Building better businesses to grow our nation's economy

From the Chair

We entered the 2022 financial year with high hopes of bouncing back from an immensely challenging 2020 and 2021 and in the first half of the year we were certainly on track to returning to full operations. Unfortunately, we now know the year would prove disruptive and uncertain. We have had to adapt and change over the last two years and change has been a common theme for our industry and the broader economy over the past year. Markets have been challenged by inflationary pressures and rising geopolitical tensions intensifying the real prospects of a slowing global economy; leadership changes have occurred in several world economies including a change of government in Australia; and the Council has seen a change in leadership both on the Board and executive team.

From the CEO

The Council’s 2022 Annual Report is being published in my second week as CEO of your peak body. I am energised by the opportunities to be your advocate and to lead a team that is committed to contributing to an active, sophisticated private capital industry in Australia.

Those who were at the Annual Investment Conference in September, would have heard my perspectives on the importance of private capital to Australia’s future prosperity and in meeting areas of unmet community need, as well as the country’s opportunity to be the destination of choice for diverse forms of global capital.

Advocate

The Council’s advocacy work seeks to make the case for private capital by bringing together sensible, constructive – and collective – perspectives on matters that are relevant to our members. We are uniquely placed to provide an industry view, giving policy makers confidence as they set the policies that enable private capital to invest in the Australian economy, businesses and talent.

Our work with policy makers includes public submissions, industry consultations, parliamentary hearings, and other forms of engagement. Using research, case studies and insights, we highlight the importance of private capital in achieving positive economic and community outcomes that also deliver returns. Over the past year, we have focused on issues, such as maintaining a steady flow of investment capital, addressing critical skills shortages, and driving innovation to support the national interest.

Connect

The Council has an important role in bringing the industry together at various stages throughout the year. Our aim is to bring together our diverse membership to facilitate knowledge, generate cross-industry engagement and have robust discussions that lead to opportunities for our members.

While pandemic restrictions were in place for some of FY22, we were pleased to return to in-person networking events in line with government guidance.We were delighted to see so many of our members attend our Annual Conference, the first since 2019, and the strong engagement with the program.

Equip

Ensuring members have access to insights and professional development opportunities is an area of core focus.

We harness the collective wisdom of our members and work with strategic partners to deliver research insights for a consolidated view of our industry that highlights the contribution it makes to the Australian economy and community. This research underpins our advocacy efforts, providing evidence of the value delivered by our industry and identifying where further policy work is required to ensure Australia’s status as the destination of choice for global capital.

Generating opportunities to invest in the extraordinary talent in our industry is the Council’s way of supporting members. We seek to augment the programs individual members provide for their teams with sessions and courses focused on relevant topics or investing in emerging talent. This has been supported with a return to in-person knowledge events and professional development courses, along with the flexibility offered through online events.

ESG | DE&I

For many of our members, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) are increasing in importance across their operations, including fundraising, investment due diligence, risk management, and constructing investment teams.

The Council’s role is to assist members through activities such as developing tools and resources, providing insights on global trends and collating data that can be used in setting in-house policies and frameworks.

Our Members' Stories

New funding, access to networks, and comprehensive industry experience are just some of the ways the private capital sector supports the sustained growth of Australian businesses. Our Investing for Growth campaign features a number of business success stories that have resulted from private capital’s involvement, which we share here.

Our Annual Partners

We thank our Annual Partners for their ongoing support for the Australian Investment Council and value their contribution to the private capital ecosystem.

Our Philanthropic Partners

Supporting communities is an important focus of the Council's work and we continue to work with our philanthropic partners to improve social outcomes across the Australian economy.