ALUMNI FOCUS

Lachlan Pike – All in the family

It takes time for a university to mature into a place where generations of graduates, sometimes from the same family, emerge to beat the drum and ensure others can follow in their footsteps. We speak with Lachlan Pike (Bachelor of Applied Finance (2004)/Bachelor of Law 2006) about having pride in your university – and what we can learn from universities overseas about alumni culture and generosity.

Words: Megan English

There’s no doubt the location of Macquarie University for those north of the Sydney Harbour Bridge makes further education accessible and convenient. Its open, sprawling bush setting further enhances the experience, for locals and international students alike, with many alumni reflecting it seems to have settled in their soul somehow, a balm to the intensity of study.

Not surprisingly, there’s more to becoming a top-ranking university recognised globally in key research disciplines, though. As with many things, it comes down to people. Researchers, support staff and graduates, who are among the most sought-after professionals in the world. Graduates who form our ever-growing and increasingly loyal alumni.

With time, we are also noticing generations of graduates, like the Pike family. Lachlan, who completed a Bachelor of Applied Finance (2004) and then a Bachelor of Laws (2006), followed in his mother’s footsteps, cementing a true family connection.

Lachlan says, ‘We have a strong history with the university. Mum was one of the first students in the teachers’ college in the 1970s, a time when women were significantly underrepresented across broader tertiary education, and went on to have a career in high school teaching.

‘She always looked back fondly on her time there and has been very encouraging of me studying at Macquarie. My two sisters also went to Macquarie, and we all got into the Golden Key Society, which made her very proud. Given where we live, I’ll probably encourage my children to go there, too.’

It’s this depth of experience, as the university grows in age and stature, that is instilling pride and a sense of place beyond the bush setting. ‘I have a great love for the university,’ continues Lachlan. ‘Macquarie opened up some great opportunities for my family; it’s opened the world to us.’

Quite literally. In 2003, Lachlan received a scholarship to study for a year at the Ecole de Management de Normandie, completing a Bachelor of Arts in European Business. But it wasn’t the last time he would venture overseas with Macquarie.

‘Once I discovered the university had some great international partnerships, I applied and got three more international scholarships,’ explains Lachlan. ‘I went to the Beijing University of Politics and Law to do a China trade and investment law course in 2004.

‘Then I went to the American University of Cairo to study Islamic jurisprudence and Islamic law, plus a course in international oil and gas law. I also got a partial scholarship to the University of Vienne in Austria to do international trade and human rights law.

‘When I returned to Macquarie, I volunteered to pick up international students from the airport and show them around. I was able to keep up some of my language skills and give back in recognition of what people had done for me.’

Macquarie was also where Lachlan started his working life, first as a casual at Student Services Reception. ‘It taught me a lot about the workings of the university, and I thoroughly enjoyed it,’ he remembers.

Like one of his sisters, he also did some auditing work for the conference and hospitality facilities at the Macquarie Graduate School of Management (MGSM), which led to a summer internship at Macquarie Bank and a full-time role after graduation. ‘Working at MGSM definitely gave me a start in my career,’ he says with gratitude.

His time at uni wasn’t all work and no play, though, as Lachlan became involved in the university rugby club, making lifelong friends and representing Macquarie at the University Games. Although his kids’ Saturday sport and COVID has meant he doesn’t play as much as he would like, he is still involved as a board member and supports the club and the university in general through regular donations.

‘I’m interested in remaining in contact with Macquarie and believe it is up to ex-students to follow some of the US models where students give back to the organisations that have given them a start in life,’ he explains.

‘It’s not as common here in Australia, but it’s a culture I’d like to see developed. People overseas often talk about their old uni and how they’re interested in seeing it thrive; it’s a good thing. In the US, the UK and Asia, there’s a lot of respect for where people went to university, which translates to financial support of their alma mater.

‘Having worked in finance, I’ve seen some of the big endowments, and it’s a sizeable advantage to the universities, especially given the pandemic,’ he says, citing the outdated perception that it is the sole responsibility of governments to fund universities as a barrier to this kind of support.

‘Australians are very generous but don’t often consider universities as a recipient of a targeted gift such as a scholarship or research donation. There’s a lot of good that can come from donating to universities,’ he says. ‘Both to individuals, especially those who may not be able to attain or complete a university education otherwise, but also to the community and society as a whole.

Indeed, there is a long tradition of giving to universities. ‘Throughout the history of universities, great leaders in their fields have often had sponsors to help them get through higher education, just as great artists often had the help of a benefactor. It is an established feature of our society but doesn’t get the focus it deserves.’

Exceptionally passionate, Lachlan says, ‘I’ve studied at three universities in New South Wales, two at a postgraduate level, and four international universities, so I have a good basis on which to compare – I’ve always been very proud of studying at Macquarie.’

So, would he study again? ‘I would never call time on further education,’ he says. ‘Maybe something in the humanities this time,’ and you can hear the ever-present lure of study in his voice and even the echo of the Macquarie University motto.

Although it takes the phrase, ‘And gladly teche’ from the Prologue to The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, the preceding line, ‘And gladly wolde he lerne’ might be even more appropriate for Lachlan Pike and his family.

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Lachlan Pike completed his studies at Macquarie University in 2006 with a Bachelor of Applied Finance and Bachelor of Laws, having obtained a Bachelor of Arts (European Business) while on university exchange in France. He subsequently worked in an investment bank in Sydney and New York before co-founding a successful funds management business in Sydney in 2012.

Lachlan’s parents instilled in their children the benefits that can accrue to society through volunteer participation and philanthropic means. He is currently involved in several not-for-profit and community organisations, including Crohn’s and Colitis Australia, the Macquarie University Rugby Football Club and Surf Life Saving Australia; and is in the process of setting up a scholarship at Macquarie in his family’s name.

To find out more about setting up a scholarship, please call the Philanthropy office on  +61 (2) 9850 4038 or email mqadvancement@mq.edu.au