36 Facts About David Gonski

David Michael Gonski was born on 1953 and is an Australian public figure, corporate lawyer, and businessman.

David Gonski is best known for his recommendations on funding schools in Australia, in a document known as the Gonski Report, following a review commissioned by Julia Gillard, then Minister for Education in the Rudd Government in 2010, published in November 2011.

David Gonski chaired a second panel, commissioned by Turnbull government in 2017, to make recommendations on how school funding should be used to improve school performance and student outcomes, referred to as Gonski 2.0, with the second report being published in 2018.

David Michael Gonski was born in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1953.

David Gonski's father, Alexander Gonski, was a neurosurgeon, and a founding member of The Coast Golf Club at Little Bay, New South Wales.

David Gonski wrote a play about Alexander the Great while at school.

David Gonski graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of New South Wales.

In 2010, David Gonski described himself as a "corporate lawyer-merchant banker".

David Gonski practised as a solicitor with the firm of Freehills from 1977 to 1986, becoming their youngest ever partner at age 25, before leaving to co-found an investment bank.

David Gonski established a corporate advisory firm, Wentworth Associates Pty Ltd, which was acquired by Investec Bank in March 2001.

David Gonski had two stints at ANZ Bank: as non-executive director of between 2001 and 2007, and then chair from 2014 to 2020.

David Gonski served as chair at Barrenjoey Capital Partners; Ingeus Limited; Swiss Re Life and Health Australia Limited; and Investec Bank Limited.

David Gonski was chairman of Morgan Stanley Australia Limited, and remained a consultant after quitting the leadership position.

David Gonski was chairman of the advisory board of Transfield Holdings ; and a non-executive director of Singapore Airlines.

In 1999, David Gonski was appointed as a director to the UNSW Foundation.

David Gonski became chancellor of the University of New South Wales and a member of the council of the university in 2005 and in 2007 became chair of the UNSW Foundation.

David Gonski is the first alumnus of the University of New South Wales to hold the position of chancellor at that university.

David Gonski was chairman of the National e-Health Transition Authority, a statutory authority of the Australian Government; Gonski was a non-executive director of Infrastructure NSW, an agency of the New South Wales Government, and a member of the nomination panel for appointments to the boards of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Special Broadcasting Service.

David Gonski was chair of the Australia Council for the Arts between 2002 and 2006, and of the board of trustees of Sydney Grammar School between 2003 and 2010.

David Gonski said in an interview that the news was "very, very pleasing".

David Gonski has headed many boards of a variety of types of organisations, and has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to arts institutions, as well as motivating other philanthropists to contribute to the arts.

David Gonski was president of the Art Gallery of New South Wales from 1997 until 2006 and again from 2016 until he stepped down in December 2024.

In 2008 David Gonski interviewed Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton, who were co-artistic directors of the Sydney Theatre Company from 2008, at two events.

David Gonski chaired the board of the National Institute of Dramatic Art.

David Gonski served on the board of St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, and became chairman of the Bundanon Trust in 1995.

In 2002, David Gonski was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for service to the community through Australian visual and performing arts organisations, through the development of government policy, and through the promotion of corporate sponsorship for the arts and for charitable organisations.

In 2007 David Gonski was invested as a Companion of the Order of Australia for service to the arts through charitable support and the development of policy initiatives, to business and commerce as a company director, to education, and to the community through a range of philanthropic endeavours.

In 2013, David Gonski was ranked No 19 on The Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute's "Public Investor 100", and in 2018 named third in the top five most powerful people in Australian education by the Australian Financial Review.

In 2015, David Gonski received an Doctor of Laws from the University of Wollongong.

On 28 May 2024, David Gonski was awarded an honorary Doctor of Business degree at the University of Sydney, "for his outstanding and visionary leadership, exceptional contribution to the business community and to education, and for his support of the arts".

David Gonski is a life fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a fellow of CPA Australia.

David Gonski married Boston-born dermatologist Orli Wargon, a medical professional who is of Polish descent.

David Gonski was a close friend and advisor to the media baron Kerry Packer.

David Gonski persuaded Packer to provide funds for the building program at Belvoir St Theatre, where Gonski's wife Orli Wargon was a board member.

David Gonski has had connections with Rupert Murdoch, Kerry Stokes, and Frank Lowy.

David Gonski has long been a lover of theatre and art, and was a subscriber to the Sydney Theatre Company for around 28 years before being invited to become its chairman.