Hello from our CEO - March 2025

Hanna Ebeling - Sefa CEO

After an incredible 13 weeks of long service leave adventures in Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Guatemala and Belize, I am back joining the team in pursuit of Sefa’s and Sefa Partnerships’ purpose to create healthy, empowered and resilient communities. My colleague Renee (thank you for keeping the impact baton shining bright and fearless whilst I was away) and team did not stop over the summer break!  

They were busy bringing to life our most recent work on gender lens and supporting women-led businesses. In fact, I touched down on Gadigal Country just in time to celebrate the external launch our Commitment to Gender Equality. A commitment that an internal project as part of revisiting our Impact Narrative kicked off over a year ago. The International Women’s Day event that let us hear Voices of Change, from women leaders who have inspired us as part of the EmpowerHER program. These women lead the charge and make it even more important that we champion a collaboration across philanthropy and government to remain steadfast about diversity and inclusion.

This event was also the first day I met Sarah MacDiarmid, our new Manager Impact Communications. Together with her we are excited to share more amazing stories about our clients, partners, investors and team. A new story of champions that we can share with you today is the business building of Habitat Women, a social enterprise paving pathways for women into the construction industry. After having supported three affiliates of Habitat for Humanity in Australia with capital solutions, it’s encouraging to see Habitat bring a gender lens to the housing conversation.

Do reach out if you have a story to tell or a topic that you think Sefa’s collective brain power and passion should get involved in. And meet Sarah in our Behind the Impact portrait to give you an idea of what persuasive keyboard hands you will be in.

Team Sefa is also out and about at sector events. Next week, I will be at the Impact Investment Summit, joining a panel that showcases capital opportunities in the arts sector. You can get discounted tickets with the Sefa friends code [IIS25SEFA]. And of course, I am excited to find out if we have won another Impact Investing Award: Sefa has been shortlisted for the fourth time as Asset Manager and Sefa Partnerships is a second time finalist in the Market Builder Category. Another sector milestone on the horizon again is the third Social Impact Summit that Sefa will also participate in – secure your affordable early bird tickets now via this link with the Sefa referral code [SIS2025SEFA]. We look forward to seeing you there!

Enjoy the last of the summer sun, and here’s to a fresh and impactful autumn ahead!