Speakers
Private markets are booming globally, and ASIC reports that in Australia, private capital funds have nearly tripled over the past decade from AUD$57.1 billion in 2014 to AUD$148 billion in March 2024. Over 20% of private capital fundraising flowed into ESG-focused funds in 2024 according to The Sea Capital. Yet, unlike public markets, private assets tend to operate behind closed doors, making transparency and accountability – a key feature of responsible investments – a challenge.
This session will examine how investors can achieve leading responsible investment practice in what is often an opaque asset class. We’ll explore practical tools and frameworks to embed ESG in private market deals and stewardship, opportunities to influence outcomes where governance is less visible, and lessons from leading private market players who are navigating increased scrutiny. Join us to uncover how responsible investment in private markets can move from aspiration to action – and why this matters for long-term value creation.
Director, Capital Raising & Advisory at Eaton Capital Partners
Benson Saulo is a national leader working at the intersection of responsible investment, Indigenous economic development and long-term stewardship. A descendant of the Wemba Wemba and Gunditjmara peoples of Western Victoria, and New Ireland Province in Papua New Guinea, Benson brings a deeply relational and intercultural lens to leadership, capital and partnership.
In 2021, he became the first Indigenous person appointed as an Australian Consul-General, leading Australia’s diplomatic and economic engagement across four U.S. states. During this time, he championed Indigenous-to-Indigenous trade relationships with Native American and Native Alaskan leaders, strengthening economic and cultural ties.
Benson has held senior roles across investment, advisory and social impact, including as Managing Partner of First Australians Capital, where he helped advance catalytic capital models to support Indigenous-led enterprises. He now works in renewables infrastructure and capital advisory, with a focus on enabling First Nations participation in Australia’s energy transition.
He currently serves as Chair of The Torch, a First Nations organisation supporting artists with lived experience of incarceration, and is passionate about building systems that create dignity, opportunity and intergenerational impact.
At the heart of Benson’s work is a simple belief: capital should not only generate returns, but contribute to a future grounded in dignity.
Head of Private Markets and Infrastructure at Cbus
Jordan is the Head of Private Markets and Infrastructure at Cbus and is responsible for delivering the Infrastructure asset class strategy and overseeing the Property and PE strategies. Jordan is a member of the Investment Leadership Team.
Jordan has been at Cbus since January 2024 and has over 20 years of industry experience including 11 years at Hostplus and 8 years at Macquarie.
Jordan has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Monash with Honours in Finance.
Why we selected Jordan Kraiten?
Jordan brings a practitioner’s view on embedding responsible investment in private markets. As the leader of Private Markets and Infrastructure at one of Australia's major super funds, Cbus, Jordan brings extensive practical, real-world insight into complex private market deals. He understands the constraints, trade‑offs and opportunities inherent in these markets, helping investors move beyond theory to the realities of responsible investment in private assets, which are under increasing scrutiny.
