Baxbys back to the future

TWINS ZARA AND IMOGEN CHOOSE CAMPUS WHERE THEIR PARENTS MET 30 YEARS AGO

by Andrew Bryan

Twins Ms Zara Baxby and Ms Imogen Baxby attended 11 different schools across four countries in their formative years but they have found a familiar home at Bond University. Parents Mrs Selina Baxby (Class of 1991) and Mr David Baxby (Class of 1992) first met on campus in Bond’s ‘Bat Lab’ in 923 and have been inseparable ever since. The connection with Bond has strengthened with Imogen and then Zara following their own unique paths to the University.

“Bond has always been a big part of our family,” Imogen says. “Conversations about how our parents met and their life on the Gold Coast have been shared a lot over the years. Dad had been trying to convince us to apply at Bond since we moved back to Australia. It’s definitely weird being in the Bat Lab! I don’t go there much, but walking around campus, it’s such a pretty place to be and I’m so happy I decided to come here.”

Imogen started a Bachelor of Biomedical Science in January, while elder twin Zara joined her on campus in May to study a Bachelor of Laws and Commerce. “Bond feels like home,” Zara says. “There is a common purpose because the University attracts that kind of student. I first came here for a High School Model UN conference in 2018. It was such an amazing event and the turning point for me. Growing up, obviously Mum and Dad both were emphasising how good Bond is and that they loved it, but I wanted to be different and forge my own path. When I came here, I got the vibe and since I’ve returned it has reaffirmed that – everyone is here for the same reason, the same motivation. It’s a really good place to be and it aligns with my upbringing and cultural experiences travelling the world with my family.”

Mr Baxby’s career as co-CEO of Virgin and Goldman Sachs took the family on a wild 10-year adventure around the world from Shanghai to Switzerland and Singapore. But before that he was just another bright young student plotting the start of his career, Mrs Baxby says. “I was introduced to Dave by a friend David Whelan (Class of 1992) who now lives in New York. It was about 8pm at night in the Bat Labs and I remember he had these tracky dacks and ugg boots that had holes in them. Dave was super-duper academic and on a scholarship. That probably rubbed off on me - I loved and thrived at Bond. We both had an amazing time there and some of our closest friends are Bondies. During our time

Ms Zara Baxby and Ms Imogen Baxby on campus.

“Dad had been trying to convince us to apply at Bond since we moved back to Australia.”

abroad we’ve had the opportunity to connect with Bond alumni all around the world.”

The Baxby family’s worldwide adventure has forged a tightknit connection between the twins and their younger sister Amelia. While Mr Baxby’s career took precedence in those early halcyon days, Mrs Baxby has forged an incredibly successful business in her own right.

The founder of Nurturelab, Mrs Baxby has a track record in helping individuals and teams identify their natural strengths and channel what they naturally do best towards increased productivity, more collaborative teams, stronger leadership capabilities and higher fulfilment. Her own journey has come full-circle after recently being asked to work with Bond’s leadership team.

“I’m so thrilled to be working with them, I feel I can make a difference from a professional development and team-building side of things,” she says. “I took a bit of a sidestep from my career, focusing on settling the kids every time we moved, learning the languages. Our first posting was in Shanghai and then we followed Dave’s career - that was my role for the first 10 years. When we got back I spent the first three or four years re-skilling and getting experience. Now I’ve got my own successful business.”

Seeing their mother establish her own career has been inspiring for Zara and Imogen. “I’ve realised my parents have given us such an unshakable foundation,” Zara says. “If we had been doing all those moves around the world without that solid foundation to lean on, we could have been so damaged. Because we moved so much, the only consistent relationship in my life is my family. They have done such a good job to weave us into each life we have created. My parents forged their own paths and seeing Mum develop her own business … obviously she did a lot of work supporting us all overseas while Dad was working. To see her come out of her shell and do her own thing has been so amazing to watch from a young woman’s perspective. Watching that evolution of her career has been awesome. Dad has obviously been very successful but I never wanted to be that person who was living in my parents’ shadow. I didn’t want to define myself by who my parents are.”

Now the Baxby name is back at Bond, ready to change the world again. “We were thrilled when they decided to come to Bond,” Mrs Baxby says. “There is a sense of pride about how well they are living independently. Living on campus has been an amazing experience for them. They are actively recruiting friends to Bond. Dave and I have very fond memories of our time there - the high quality education, the smaller class sizes and the super-fun social events. We are so happy that our girls have a chance to experience all that Bond has to offer. Like us, the girls are so proud to be Bondies too!” Mr Baxby runs his private capital advisory business Annecy Capital Partners and is a member of the Bond University Council.