Our People
At Advfinity, we are a network of globally experienced professionals dedicated to advancing purpose-led organisations. We work collaboratively, combining strategic insight with deep sector knowledge to support clients in a way that aligns with their institutional mission. Relationships sit at the centre of our approach—because meaningful, sustainable change happens through shared purpose and working together toward lasting impact.
Heather Hamilton
Specialist Skills:
>Integrated teams, advancement, external relations (including alumni), marketing and communications, strategic partnerships, and fundraising ecosystem.
>Board, executive, and team coaching and training.
>Ethics, Culture, Social Impact Measurement
Sectors:
Education, health & medical research, corporate, professional associations, and community service
Heather Hamilton
Chief Executive Officer
With over 30 years of international experience in the for-purpose sector, Heather has built a broad career in external relations, marketing, communications, and fundraising across Australia, Asia, and Canada. Beginning her career in the corporate sector and working as a reputation management consultant, Heather transitioned into fundraising in Australia in the late 90s and implemented integrated advancement strategies before they were widely recognised.
She has led integrated teams in higher education, secondary schools, health & medical research, and professional associations. She has secured several six and seven-figure gifts and contributed to campaigns ranging from $1M to $300M. Her expertise spans the entire philanthropy and fundraising lifecycle, including overseeing $25M in strategic partnerships.
Heather has held executive and director positions for the Lions Eye Institute, The University of Western Australia Business School, The University of Queensland, Brisbane Grammar School, St. Hilda’s School Foundation, and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).
Heather holds an MBA International, a Vincent Fairfax Fellowship in Ethical Leadership, and a certificate of completion in Social Impact Outcomes Measurement. Having served on various boards and commissions and chaired and presented at several conferences, Heather's significant volunteer commitments earned her a CASE Laureate designation in 2020.
Outside work, Heather enjoys spending time with family and friends, sailing, scuba diving with a camera, swimming, and daily beach walks with her dog, Dexter.
Nick Jaffer
Nick has over 30 years of experience serving both in-house and as a consultant to philanthropists and organisations in education, health, medical research, arts, public policy, and community service.
His clients have included the University of Melbourne, University Technology Sydney, Canberra Hospital Foundation, National Gallery Singapore, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Brisbane Grammar School, Hong Kong International School, The Lowy Institute, Lifeline Australia, St Peter’s Cathedral, and The Global Fund.
Before joining Global Philanthropic, Nick built a strong track record in Canada, working with organisations such as the Alberta Lung Association, Leukaemia Research Fund, and Aga Khan Foundation. He was a Senior Development Officer at the University of Alberta during its first comprehensive campaign.
After moving to Australia in 2001, Nick served as Director of Foundation and Alumni Relations at Curtin University. In 2005, he joined the University of Sydney as Director of Development, where he grew annual fundraising revenues from $20M to $75M, ultimately leading to Australia’s first $1B campaign, the Inspired Campaign.
Nick is a Fellow of the Fundraising Institute of Australia andEducatePlus, the peak body supporting advancement professionals in the education sector in Australia. He is a contributing author to the best-selling book Excellence in Fundraising in Canada: The Definitive Resource for Canadian Fundraisers, and he has presented globally.
Nick also serves on the NORTH Foundation Development Board and has held board positions with the Australian Theatre for Young People, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the Leukaemia Research Fund, and the University of Alberta School of Business.
Nick Jaffer
Specialist Skills:
>Campaign, principal and major gifts, gift solicitation
>Board/executive coaching and training.
Sectors:
Campaign, principal and major gifts, gift solicitation Board/executive coaching and training.
Michael Lavery
Specialist Skills:
>Marketing, communications, brand and reputation management.
>Marketing and communications coaching, mentoring, and training.
Sectors:
Education, non-profit, retail, and consulting.
Michael Lavery
Michael Lavery is a multi-award-winning leader, entrepreneur, marketing and communications consultant, musician, and philanthropist with extensive brand, marketing and communications experience in the private and public sectors working across the globe.
Based in the UK, he is a former adviser to the UK’s House of Lords and a fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts (FRSA), the Chartered Institute of Marketing (FCIM), and the IC Global Partnership.
After starting his career in a global agency and retail marketing and communications, he worked in higher education leadership for 12 years before establishing, in 2017, Brand & Reputation – which has quickly become the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Global Marketing Excellence Awards ‘Agency of the Year 2023-24’.
A marketing coach and mentor, an award-winning marketing and communications teacher, an international thought leader, and an angel investor, Michael has built and led multi-disciplinary marketing and communications teams across retail, education, non-profit, and consulting sectors, winning over 40 individual, team, and campaign awards.
Michael is the Ambassador for the Sir Graham Wylie Foundation and is married with two grown-up children. He is also an FA-qualified football (soccer) coach and a session musician and musical director.
Mark Sollis
Mark specialises in performance management, strategy development, and business planning in advancement. He is also researching cultural and national differences in stakeholder engagement and practices in education.
As the founder and Chief Strategist of D3 Advancement Studio, Mark advises many alumni operations in Asia-Pacific and North America, and has reshaped benchmarking, metrics, and reporting practices for consortia CAAE and PCUAD.
As the first Associate Vice-President, Alumni at the University of Calgary, he led the creation of the university’s acclaimed alumni strategy, making it a global leader in performance-driven alumni engagement. He also served three years as the project manager for Canada’s leading alumni facility, the $20M Alumni Centre, at the University of British Columbia, and the Senior Director Operations and Planning, Interim Associate Vice-President, Alumni and Executive Director Alumni Association for UBC.
Mark's experience in post-secondary education also spans communications, university foundations, media relations, finance, and project management. Known for his focused execution and collegiality, he has provided strategic counsel to higher education executives, led major Canadian political campaigns, and served as a political caucus chief of staff.
He served on the CASE Commission on Alumni Relations (2013-16) and CASE District VIII Board (2014-16) and has presented globally for CASE, AUAPG, and CCAE.
Mark holds a Bachelor of Applied Communications (Journalism) from Mount Royal (Calgary) and an Advanced Certificate in Design Thinking from IDEO, and he has pursued post-graduate studies in Intercultural and International Communications at Royal Roads University (Victoria).
Mark Sollis
Specialist Skills:
>Alumni engagement, stakeholder relations.
>Performance management
>Strategy development and business planning
>Coaching, mentoring, and training
Sectors:
Education, public policy