Our Principal joins the 2026 Vincent Fairfax Fellowship
We are delighted to celebrate our Principal, Gerard Foley, who is joining the 2026 cohort of the Vincent Fairfax Fellowship – a program brought to life through the Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership, Monash University, The Myer Foundation, and the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation.
The Fellowship brings together leaders from across sectors including education, government, law, finance, technology and the arts, united by a commitment to ethical, values-led leadership. Gerard joins this cohort representing the education sector and the Ivanhoe community.
Since becoming Principal of Ivanhoe Grammar School in 2015, Gerard has guided the school through a period of significant growth, establishing the Ivanhoe Institute, the First Nations Scholarship Program, and the evidence-informed Ivanhoe Instructional Model, among other initiatives. Underpinning all of it is a philosophy grounded in belonging: the belief that when young people feel genuinely connected to a community, they are compelled to go out and contribute to the world beyond it.
For Gerard, this Fellowship is both a personal and professional milestone.
“I was motivated to join the Fellowship to continue growing as a values-led leader and to learn from others working through complex ethical challenges. At Ivanhoe, being ethical is central to our purpose of developing young people of character – moral, civic and performance – and I am keen to explore how we can bring this to life more deeply, particularly through our global education program. I hope to contribute a perspective grounded in education, while also being challenged and informed by the experiences of others across different sectors.”
Gerard has long believed that leadership is about more than setting direction – it is about helping people make sense of their work and feel connected to something meaningful. In the context of a school, he sees storytelling as one of the most powerful tools available: recognising moments of character, sharing student journeys, and connecting the everyday to a greater purpose. It is, as he puts it, through these stories that culture is shaped and sustained.
We look forward to following Gerard’s journey through the Fellowship and the insights he brings back to our community.
