Joe Skrzynski, AO

Co-Chairman Investment Committee

Joe is Co-Chairman of CHAMP's Investment Committee. He is a founding partner of CHAMP Private Equity and its predecessor, AMIL, which he co-founded with Mr Bill Ferris in 1987.

He first became involved with private equity in 1970 when he was appointed to manage a pool of private investments for a wealthy industrialist. This pool included successful investments across all stages of private equity including seed capital, expansion capital and a management buy-in privatisation of a public company.

He has held numerous portfolio company directorships since 1987, including publicly listed company directorships in Australia and Asia, on behalf of both the AMIL and CHAMP Funds.

Joe has been active in the Australian industry association AVCAL, including time as its President. His contribution to the industry has been honoured the AVCJ Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008 and the AVCAL Lifetime Contribution Award in 2008, both awards being shared jointly with Bill Ferris as the managerial recipient of those awards.

He has also been active in community affairs for over 40 years. He has held several governmental senior appointments, including Chairmanships of The National Capital Development Authority, the Sydney Opera House Trust and broadcaster SBS.

Joe is currently a member of the international boards of Human Rights Watch and The Conversation Media Group and is a director of Philanthropy Australia and The Observership Program.

He graduated with honours from the Faculty of Economics, University of Sydney in 1969, was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1993, and in 2008 became an Officer in the Order of Australia for services to the industry and philanthropy.