The Building & Construction Foundation is proud to announce the appointment of George Abraham, Managing Director of the Hickory Group, to the position of Chair.

Having graduated with 1st class honours from a degree in Construction Management, George was appointed as Managing Director of Hickory Group in 2019, the youngest ever director appointed to Hickory. A champion of culture, George has a natural ability to empower and unlock potential in others. George brings significant insight and knowledge of the industry, a strong reputation for quality, delivery, and ethics, highly developed leadership skills, effective stakeholder management skills, and a commitment to education and personal development to his new role as Chair of the Board.

In his new role, George heads an outstanding Board of senior industry figures who are passionate about giving back to the industry and unlocking barriers for individuals to succeed in an industry they all love. The Board of nine Directors includes Dale Kennedy, Managing Director Harris HMC; Dani Bartolini, Business Development Manager Rock Up Group, Daniel Mazzei, Managing Director Mazzei Homes; John Goris, Director and CEO Kingsbridge Homes and Hermitage Homes; Steve Peluso, Managing Director Peluso Group; Tristan Moseley, Executive Director MBV and Viviana Hood, Management Consultant and past COO of MBV. 

We are also excited to announce our newest Director appointed at the 2022 AGM – Olivia Ross, General Manager Rossiter Constructions. Established in 1997, Rossiter Constructions Pty Ltd is an Australian-owned and operated construction company and are proud members of MBV. Appointed to the General Manager role in January 2021 Olivia is commercially astute, dedicated, and highly motivated executive passionate about business, finance, and helping people achieve their personal and business goals. She is driven by results and providing clients with optimal service, as well as adding value and making a difference. She brings this energy, passion, and drive to make a difference to her new role on the Foundation Board and is a great addition to the Board.

The Board also acknowledges the commitment and contribution of the outgoing Chair, Peter Picking. Peter joined the Foundation in July 2017 and was elected to the position of Chair in November 2021. Peter was instrumental in driving a number of key changes to the operation of the Foundation and establishing the new strategy that will inform the activities of the foundation over the next three years. His energy, passion for supporting young people in the industry and stewardship over the last year will be sorely missed by the Board.

The Building & Construction Foundation is an independent Charitable Trust with full tax-deductible status. Strong governance processes ensure that all our scholarships need strict criteria and that all donations are used only for the purposes that they are given.

You can make a difference and help someone to build a successful career within our industry by making a donation to the Foundation or by sponsoring one of our scholarships as part of your social procurement commitments.

If you would like to know more please contact the Foundation Executive Director on (03) 9411 4555.