Early Life and Education
Fiona Geminder, born Fiona Pratt, is the daughter of the late Richard Pratt, a prominent packaging tycoon, and Jeanne Pratt. She has two siblings, Anthony Pratt and Heloise Waislitz, who are also billionaires. Geminder graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Arts in 1985 and later completed a law degree at the same institution in 2008.
Rise to Success
Geminder began her career in marketing and advertising, working with leading international agencies in New York and London. She later joined Visy Industries, the packaging and recycling company founded by her grandfather. In the early 1990s, she served as the Business Development Manager for Pratt Industries USA. Geminder returned to Australia in 1993 and co-managed Visy's recycling enterprise with her husband, Raphael Geminder. In 2000, she shifted her focus to Visy's plastics division and played a key role in building and floating Pact Group on the Australian Securities Exchange.
Key Business Strategies
Geminder's strategic involvement in Visy and Pact Group has been crucial. Her expertise in customer relations, factory management, governance, and strategic planning for innovation has been instrumental in the success of these companies. Her entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to innovation in the packaging industry have also been key to the growth of Pact Group.
Philanthropy
Geminder is a director of the Pratt Foundation, a philanthropic organization founded by her family. Through this foundation, she supports various charitable causes, with a particular interest in women's causes. She has funded programs at Monash University's law faculty and the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation. Additionally, she supports the Women's Homelessness Prevention Project of Justice Connect, which provides legal and social work support to prevent homelessness among women and children affected by family violence.
