Simon McKeon Yakety Yak interview

In our May Yakety Yak interview, 2011 Australian of the Year Simon McKeon talks about the need for social innovation in the Not-For-Profit sector, and the life experience and events that drive his passion and dedication to social entrepreneurship.

Simon McKeon shares his story of growing up and being nurtured by parents who were actively involved in the community of the ethnically diverse suburb of Dandenong, Victoria.

This backdrop provided Simon with a sense of community and duty that would later emerge in his passion for promoting philanthropy and strengthening the Not-For-Profit sector.

At 39 years of age, he decided to step down from his fulltime career as an investment banker at Macquarie Group and to dedicate more of his energy to the community sector. This allowed Simon to end his time and skills to organisations and causes such as World Vision, Business for Millennium Development, and the Global Poverty Project.

It is this work that has led to Simon receiving the honour of being named 2011 Australian of the Year. And using his good standing Simon has endorsed the Charity Commission as an important innovation. He believes improving the efficiency of the billion dollar NFP sector by incorporating business acumen with genuine passion for the sector.