Investing in tomorrow’s leaders

John Bagnall was one of “The Originals”, the trailblazing generation of students from the early 1970s who studied in a series of former army huts on the Kensington campus as part of the University’s newly established School of Law.

Like many of his peers, John went on to enjoy a successful career, first as legal counsel in the resources sector and later in senior executive roles, including Company Secretary of publicly listed companies.

Today’s graduates face a more challenging environment, he says.

“In today’s world, it seems much harder to secure that first job. Life is not getting any easier for young people.”

It was this reality that motivated John to make the UNSW Founders program one of the key beneficiaries of his Gift in Will.

Established in 2018, Founders aims to embed an entrepreneurial mindset across UNSW and provide support at every stage of the entrepreneurial journey, from idea to start-up. Since its inception, the program has created hundreds of jobs and generated millions of dollars in value through the ventures it has helped launch.

The program gives students opportunities to work alongside postgraduate students on real-world problems while gaining valuable insight into employer expectations and workplace challenges.

“In my early jobs, I worked for several chairmen who were genuine entrepreneurs. They demanded performance and expected results,” John says.

“I was thrust into situations I’d never encountered before.”

At one stage, his manager asked him to convert an offshore bulk carrier into an offshore drilling carrier.

“It worked,” John recalls. “My boss knew what I could do and had faith in me. He just said, ‘Go out and do it.’”

John believes the entrepreneurial skills, exposure to commercial realities and practical problem-solving experiences provided through Founders will help students stand out in a competitive job market.

His bequest will also support hydrogen and nuclear energy research at the University, reflecting his longstanding interest and professional background in the resources sector.

“The University has recently developed a program to research hydrogen and has also announced initiatives within the School of Engineering to help build capability in nuclear power,” he says.

“I wanted this bequest to help UNSW Sydney and give confidence to the next generation of business leaders.”

Learn more about how you can donate to scholarships that open doors to university for students from underrepresented backgrounds.