Susan Metcalf

Susan Metcalf grew up in country New South Wales, attended Forbes High School (with time at boarding school and as an exchange student), and worked full-time while studying part-time. Her stated education includes a Postgraduate Diploma in Management from Macquarie University, a Diploma in Law from the University of Sydney, the Company Directors Course at the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and the "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Strategies for Business Impact" program at Cambridge Judge Business School (per aggregated profile data — treat as reported rather than primary-verified).

She built the first half of her career in marketing at major consumer brands — Westfield, McDonald's, and Disney — before stepping back for family years, during which she continued via part-time and consulting work. She then moved substantially into the not-for-profit sector, first with The Smith Family and then Social Ventures Australia (SVA), which she has described as "a really innovative organization in the social sector" that approaches change at a systemic, strategic level. At SVA she held a progression of senior roles: Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Executive Director, Marketing & Partnerships.

She subsequently became CEO of Chief Executive Women (CEW), the member organisation representing more than 800 of Australia's most senior women leaders, working with major Australian businesses to address the gender imbalance in senior roles. She led CEW for roughly four years (approximately 2018/2019 to 2022), during which the organisation grew significantly and launched initiatives including the CEW Leadership Summit and Annual Dinners across Australia. She has spoken publicly about the role ending in the aftermath of COVID-19, describing moving from being "well beyond burnout" toward intentionally building a different kind of life.

Beyond these executive roles, she has contributed to advisory councils and board/committee roles associated with organisations including TAFE NSW, The UPA, Scouts Australia, and others.

• Her professional "investment" lens is social impact rather than financial venture returns — the throughline of her career is systemic change in disadvantage, education, and gender equality.
• At Social Ventures Australia, the relevant investing activity is impact investing: SVA channels capital into social enterprises, impact funds, and outcomes-focused programs designed to alleviate disadvantage. Her own remit there was marketing, partnerships, and operations rather than deal-making.
• Through Chief Executive Women, her focus was advancing women into senior leadership and closing gender gaps in Australia's largest organisations — a "yes" for her centred on measurable progress on women's representation and organisational culture change.
• No public evidence of personal check sizes, a defined startup thesis, or a seed-stage angel portfolio was found.