Greg Lindsay AO is the founder and was the Executive Director for 42 years. After stepping down at the beginning of 2018 he has continued his involvement by becoming a Director of the CIS. While studying philosophy at Macquarie University in the early 1970s, Mr Lindsay became interested in the ideas underpinning a free and open society. A maths teacher by training, Mr Lindsay taught for some years at Richmond High School in Western Sydney, and while there, founded the Centre in 1976. Since then, he has overseen the development of CIS into Australia’s largest independent think tank covering the three major policy areas – economic, social and international. He has been active in the international liberal movement and is a former President of The Mont Pelerin Society .