Philip Wollen

Philip Wollen is a former merchant banker who was a vice-president of Citibank at the age of 34 and a general manager at Citicorp.

Wollen was thrust into advocacy when he recognised the cries of animals in slaughterhouses as the same cries we hear in humans. It was at this point he realised "in their capacity to suffer, a dog is a pig is a bear is a boy".

Wollen has since donated millions to improving the environment and helping society's most vulnerable - particularly children, youth, animals and the terminally ill.

Wollen founded the Winsome Constance Kindness Trust, which provides support for more than 400 projects across 40 countries, and advocates for the rights of all living beings.

Through this work he strives to "promote kindness towards all other living beings and strives to enshrine this as a recognisable trait in the Australian character and culture."