Ferris Family Fellowship Award Recipients Announced

This year marks the 21st anniversary of the Ferris Family Fellowship. On 21 May 2026, this year's winners were announced at a luncheon held at Macquarie Bank. We are pleased to announce Arabella Gibson and Paul Singer CVO as this year's winners. 

Arabella Gibson 

Chief Executive Officer, Gidget Foundation Australia 

Arabella Gibson is the CEO of Gidget Foundation Australia, a national not for profit mental health organisation supporting the emotional wellbeing of expectant and new parents and their families. Arabella joined Gidget nearly 10 years ago, after a lengthy career in the media industry, working in executive management for small business as well as publicly listed entities in both Australia and the UK.

Arabella was formerly General Manager for iSUBSCRiBE, an online magazine subscription business, based in London. Prior to this, Arabella was the Director of Communications for Australian media business PBL Media (Nine Entertainment Co) as well as its subsidiary businesses the Nine Network Australia and ARE Media (formerly ACP Magazines /Bauer Media). Before this, Arabella was Global General Manager – Marketing & Sales for Australian icon brand, RM Williams. 

Arabella participated in the advisory group to devise the Australian Government’s Women’s Health Strategy for 2020 to 2030 in Canberra and contributed to the COVID-19 National Mental Health Strategy for Children, Young People and Parents. In 2020, she was awarded the Governor- General’s Medal for community service during the COVID-19 period.

Named as The CEO Magazines’ Not For Profit Executive of the Year in 2022, Arabella was also

a finalist in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2024 and 2025, and a Finalist in the Women’s Agenda Leadership Awards in 2019. Arabella was a finalist for the NSW Government Women of Excellence Award in the 2023 NSW Women of the Year Awards.

Arabella holds a Masters Degree - Communication Management from UTS and is a Graduate of

the Australian Company Directors Course. She is a Non-Executive Director of Future Women, an organisation supporting the advancement of women to connect, learn and lead and a Non- Executive Director of Motherland, a rural support network for mothers in the bush. Arabella is also Chair of the Board of national peak body, Perinatal Mental Health Australia and is a mother to twins – a son and a daughter.

Paul Singer CVO  

Chief Executive Officer, Soldier On 

 Paul Singer was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Soldier On in January 2025. As a veteran and having worked closely with the Defence community, Paul is passionate about the values of service, resilience, and community that Soldier On embodies. He is dedicated to supporting veterans and their families to lead meaningful and healthy lives.

Before Soldier On, Paul was the 12th Official Secretary to the Governor-General, serving in the role between 2018 and 2024. He oversaw the provision of advice and support to the Governor-

General in the conduct of their constitutional, ceremonial and community roles. Before his appointment as Official Secretary, Paul served in other senior roles at Government House, including as military aide-de-camp to Governor-General Michael Jeffery. Paul was previously a Warfare Officer in the Royal Australian Navy and enjoyed postings in several classes of HMA Ships, including destroyers, frigates, submarines and patrol boats. 

During his Navy career, Paul was awarded commendations for his leadership of specialist maritime teams responsible for enforcing United Nations sanctions during the Iraq conflict.

As the recipient of the Leadership for Social Impact scholarship at the University of Sydney, Paul completed an Executive Master of Business Administration in 2018. In 2015, Paul was selected to attend CSCLeaders – a unique leadership program for 100 exceptional leaders from across the Commonwealth to tackle challenges and build a network of enduring global relationships. In 2016, he was appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order by Her Late Majesty The Queen and promoted to Commander of the Royal Victorian Order by His Majesty The King in 2024. In 2019, he was admitted as an Officer of the Order of St John and in 2024, promoted to Commander of the Order of St John.

Paul is co-founder and General Manager of Make A Mark Australia (MAMA), a non-government organisation that focuses on empowering children in impoverished communities to achieve their full potential through improved access to education and economic independence. Since beginning in 2009, MAMA has helped to empower over 80,000 children in seven countries. He is also a board member of Cricket ACT; and Director with a number of different charities supporting educational, social housing, and sporting outcomes.