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Gourlay Visiting Professor of Ethics in Business

ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ campus on a beautiful day
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'Ambitious goals are only of value if pursued honestly and fairly. Clandestine gains fail all: the community, business, and particularly the offenders.' John Gourlay

In 2004 John and Louise Gourlay provided a $2.5 million endowment to ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ to establish the Gourlay Visiting Professor of Ethics in Business initiative. Inspired by a belief that the exercise of uncompromising integrity and morality is not only intrinsically desirable, but also delivers improved and more certain business outcomes, the professorship promotes an over-riding ethical approach to business activity and decision making.

The Gourlay Visiting Professor endowment is used to bring an internationally distinguished professor to reside at ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ each year to teach ethics in business at ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ and the Faculty of Business and Economics, and within the wider Australian university community, plus local and business communities. The program exposes students from many disciplines to the world’s best minds in applied ethics, and helps them understand critically important principles, values and decision making frameworks.

2022 Gourlay Ethics in Business Week event: The Coal Conundrum at the Wheeler Centre.

GOURLAY ETHICS IN BUSINESS: VISITING PROFESSORS

The Gourlay Visiting Professor commitment

The Gourlay Visiting Professor of Ethics in Business participates in and contributes to a range of programs. This may include:

  • living at ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ and engaging with the Trinity community
  • presenting a public lecture 
  • providing a range of learning opportunities for students and academic staff by offering master classes to Trinity students, for example 
  • being a guest of honour and speaker at a major dinner
  • being a guest of honour at an event for Melbourne’s business community.

About John Gourlay

John Gourlay was a resident student at Trinity from 1954–56. He graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Commerce, and in 1957, joined Coopers and Lybrand. During an 11-year career with the company, he worked in the Melbourne, Toronto and London offices, eventually holding the position of senior audit manager.

In 1968 he joined share brokers Davies and Dalziel as a client adviser and in 1972 moved to Parsons and Co share brokers as an institutional adviser and partner, furthering his successful and rewarding career as a stock broker and financial analyst.

John became a member of the Australian Stock Exchange in 1973, and a Fellow of the . In 1974 he became a partner in McCaughan Dyson and Co, and was appointed chairman and managing director when the company was incorporated in 1984. He was awarded an Order of Australia medal in 2007 for his contribution to accountancy and the community.

He and his wife Louise have made significant contributions to education, health and other spheres through philanthropic activities. John was the inaugural chairman of the Trinity Foundation in 1983, and his wife, Louise Gourlay OAM, was the inaugural president of Trinity’s Warden’s Circle.