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Our People

Advfinity brings together a network of globally experienced professionals to support purpose-driven organisations, philanthropists, and families. Led by Heather Hamilton and Geraldine Scott, our collaborative advisory model connects clients with the international expertise and sector knowledge each engagement needs.

We work alongside you, combining complementary perspectives across strategy, governance, people, partnerships, philanthropy, and performance. Relationships sit at the centre of our approach, grounded in shared purpose, trust and practical support for lasting impact.

Heather Hamilton

 Areas of Expertise

 - Strategic advisory, organisational readiness, and performance
- Stakeholder, alumni, and community relations
- Strategic partnerships, philanthropy, fundraising, and revenue diversification
- Integrated external relations, marketing, communications, and reputation
- Board and executive facilitation, leadership development, and team capability building
- Governance, ethical leadership, organisational culture, and social impact outcomes measurement

Sectors

Education, health and medical research, membership and professional associations, not-for-profit and community organisations, and corporate and industry.

Heather Hamilton

Founder & Principal Consultant
Purpose and performance for organisations that exist to do good, and the people who want to help them do it well.

Heather Hamilton is a strategic adviser who helps purpose-driven organisations and their leaders turn ambition into practical, sustainable outcomes.

Warm, thoughtful and commercially minded, Heather works alongside Boards, CEOs, and leadership teams to strengthen organisational capability, build internal readiness, deepen stakeholder relationships, and develop diverse sources of income. Her approach brings together purpose, people, partnerships, philanthropy, and performance to create the confidence and foundations organisations need to grow.

Heather brings more than 30 years of experience across Australia, Asia, and Canada. Her career began in commercial and investor relations roles in Canada’s oil and gas industry, which brought her to Australia. In the late 1990s, she moved into the not-for-profit sector and has since worked across higher education, schools, health and medical research, membership associations, and community organisations.

Throughout her career, Heather has brought strategy and delivery together. She has built and led multidisciplinary teams, developed high-value partnerships, secured and stewarded significant philanthropic gifts, and contributed to campaigns ranging from $1 million to $300 million. She has also managed strategic partnership portfolios exceeding $25 million and worked with more than 1,000 volunteers. These experiences have given her a deep appreciation of the relationships, leadership, and organisational discipline required for success.

Heather has held executive and director roles with the Lions Eye Institute, The University of Western Australia Business School, The University of Queensland, Brisbane Grammar School, and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. She has also served on the St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls Foundation and works with Global Philanthropic as Senior Associate, Asia Pacific.

She holds an MBA (International), is a Vincent Fairfax Fellow in Ethical Leadership, and has studied Social Impact Outcomes Measurement. Her contribution to educational advancement has been recognised with the CASE Laureate designation.

Through Advfinity, Heather offers clear thinking, honest advice, and practical support tailored to each organisation. She believes meaningful change begins with listening, understanding an organisation’s purpose, its people, and its aspirations before deciding what comes next.

Based in Western Australia, Heather is happiest near or under the water. Away from work, she enjoys swimming, sailing, and diving, often with a camera in hand, as well as spending time with her dog, Dexter.

Geraldine (Geri) Scott

Senior Associate
Private CFO & Strategic Advisor

Geri works with high-net-worth individuals and complex families to bring clarity and cohesion to their financial lives.

Her experience spans international investment markets across Canada, the UK, and Australia, and includes founding Demeter Wealth Management—an advisory firm built on long-term relationships and considered decision-making.  Following its successful merger into a national advisory group, she chose to return to a more considered, boutique approach, reflecting her preference for working closely and deliberately with clients.

She operates as a private CFO and advanced strategic adviser to families whose affairs extend beyond traditional planning—synthesising complexity across advisers, assets, and decisions into a single, aligned strategy.

Her work often sits at the intersection of financial structure, real assets, and intergenerational planning, supporting families to manage both the technical and human dimensions of wealth.

Alongside this, Geri is the founder of the Demeter Legacy Fund, through which she directs capital toward community, animal welfare, and conservation—reflecting a personal commitment to aligning resources with purpose. Explore Demeter Legacy Fund.

At Advfinity, she works with clients to shape considered approaches to wealth, legacy, and giving—ensuring decisions are thoughtful, aligned, and built to endure.

She divides her time between Tasmania and Perth, with a focus on family and her philanthropic work.

At home, she is outnumbered by three French Bulldogs—Mabel, Frank, and Fox—and a rescue cat, Nahla, who runs the household.

Geraldine (Geri) Scott

 
Areas of Expertise

- Private CFO advisory and coordination across complex family structures
- Strategic integration of advisers, assets, and decision-making
- Philanthropic strategy, legacy structuring, and impact investing
- Values-aligned wealth planning and capital deployment
- Guiding families in developing their approach to impact investing

Sectors

Finance, philanthropy, conservation, animal welfare, and real estate.

Mark Sollis

 
Areas of Expertise

- Alumni engagement, stakeholder relations.
- Performance management
- Strategy development and business planning
- Coaching, mentoring, and training

Sectors

Education, public policy

 

Mark Sollis

Senior Associate
Alumni & Stakeholder Relations 

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, strategist and creative of D3 Advancement Studio, Mark advises many alumni operations in Asia-Pacific and North America, and supported the reshaping of 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 Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre at the University of British Columbia, as well as the Senior Director, Operations and Planning, and Interim Associate Vice-President, Alumni/Executive Director Alumni Association for UBC.

Mark's experience in post-secondary education spans communications, university foundations, media relations, finance, and project management. Known for his innovative thinking, 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 (2013-2016) and the CASE District VIII Board (2014-2016) and has presented extensively 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. He has also completed post-graduate studies in Intercultural and International Communications at Royal Roads University (Victoria).

Nick Jaffer

Senior Associate
Philanthropy & Fundraising

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

 

Areas of Expertise

- Campaign, principal and major gifts, gift solicitation
- Board/executive coaching and training.

Sectors

Education, health & medical, arts & culture.

 

Heather Hamilton, Founder and Principal Consultant

Heather Hamilton

Founder & Principal Consultant

Heather helps purpose-driven organisations and their leaders turn ambition into practical, sustainable outcomes.

With more than 30 years of experience across Australia, Asia and Canada, she brings a whole-organisation perspective to strategy, governance, readiness, partnerships, philanthropy, and performance.

Meet Heather
Geraldine Scott, Partner

Geraldine (Geri) Scott

Partner & Senior Associate

Gerri works with families, family enterprises and family offices as they navigate wealth, responsibility, purpose and change.

She brings a calm, independent perspective to complex conversations, helping families clarify what matters and establish practical foundations for stewardship and philanthropic planning.

Meet Geri
Nick Jaffer, Senior Associate

Nick Jaffer

Senior Associate

Nick brings over 30 years of experience advising philanthropists and organisations across education, health, medical research, the arts and community service.

His expertise spans philanthropic strategy, fundraising campaigns, principal and major gifts, and coaching executive leadership.

Meet Nick
Mark Sollis, Senior Associate

Mark Sollis

Senior Associate

Mark specialises in alumni engagement, stakeholder relations and advancement performance.

As the founder of D3 Advancement Studio, he supports organisations across Asia Pacific and North America with strategy, business planning, research, benchmarking, coaching and training.

Meet Mark