Louise Walsh
Louise Walsh is the founding Director of Artsupport Australia.
Louise commenced her career as a corporate lawyer at Allens Arthur Robinson in Sydney in 1991. In 1992 she was seconded from Allens to the Sydney Olympic Bid to work for Chief Executive, Rod McGeoch AM, as the bid’s Community Relations Manager.
She worked closely with the bid’s lobby team, led by John Coates, to develop and implement strategies for the International Olympic Committee members. Following the success of the bid in September 1993, Louise joined the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG), becoming the first member of the sponsorship/marketing team which brokered several significant corporate partnerships for the 2000 Olympics and Paralympic Games.
In 1998, Louise took on the role of Director for the City of Sydney’s Look of the City program established by Frank Sartor, then Lord Mayor of Sydney, to improve the look of the city in the lead up to the 2000 Games. Working with council’s General Manager, Greg Maddock and Wendy McCarthy AO, Louise collaborated with some of Australia’s leading designers and architects on a range of special projects.
Her career took on an arts focus in late 1999 when she became the Director of Development (fund-raising) for the Sydney Symphony, working closely with Chairman Leo Schofield (followed by Helen Lynch AM) and Board. Over the next three and a half years, Louise and her team raised over $4 million a year in private sector support.
In May 2003, Louise became the founding Director of Artsupport Australia, which has since facilitated over $50 million of philanthropic grants and donations for the arts and cultural sector. Her role covers New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, South Australia and Tasmania.
Louise holds a Bachelor of Economics and Law from the University of Sydney and enjoys playing tennis, watching rugby union, going to the theatre and listening to music in her spare time. She is chair of Philanthropy Australia’s Arts Affinity Group which brings together philanthropists with an interest in the arts three to four times a year to hear guest speakers and stimulate exchange.
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