Over the last two decades, Steve has applied his business skills to his many global philanthropic activities, establishing the internationally renowned global think tank, the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), and private family charity, The Charitable Foundation, which now has over three and a half million direct beneficiaries.

In 2007, Steve founded IEP – a highly-innovative non-profit and non-partisan research institute known for innovative analysis on the relationship between business, peace and economic development. IEP’s research is extensively used by multi-laterals, including the United Nations and World Bank. He is also the Founder of the Global Peace Index, the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness. In 2013, a coalition of Australian Foundations recognised his funding of IEP as one of the 50 most impactful philanthropic gifts in Australia’s history. In the same year, Action on Armed Violence recognised Steve as one of the 100 most influential people in the world on reducing armed violence. For his contribution to the global peace movement, Steve has also twice been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

As an entrepreneur in the high technology industry, Steve founded, built, and chaired one of Australia’s leading publicly listed IT companies, Integrated Research.  In 2001, Steve founded Smarter Capital, a venture capital company that specialises in investing in unique technologies with global applicability.

Steve has served on many boards, both public and private he has served on the President’s Circle for Club de Madrid, the largest forum of former world leaders working to strengthen democracy. He was an Honorary President of Religion for Peace, the world’s largest organisation working on inter-religious challenges.