Merlin Chandra
Born in Fiji, with Indian, Indigenous Fijian, and Scottish heritage, Merlin grew up on Cabrogal land on Darug country.
Merlin Chandra
Born in Fiji, with Indian, Indigenous Fijian, and Scottish heritage, Merlin grew up on Cabrogal land on Darug country.
Telstra’s vision for reconciliation is an inclusive Australia where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are connected and empowered to thrive.
Our vision will be achieved by embedding reconciliation outcomes and system changes into our organisation.
This involves harnessing the strengths of the organisation to build digital futures with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, providing employment and opportunities to lift economic participation, and creating a culturally responsive and engaged organisation.
Our current Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) is based on a theme of truth-telling, recognising our past successes, acknowledging our past failures, and continuing our healing journey.
As part of Telstra’s long-standing commitment to reconciliation, we are proud to support Reconciliation Australia’s National RAP Conference, and to celebrate First Nations’ self-determination in action at the Indigenous Governance Awards.
Emma Garlett is a Nyungar-Nyiyaparli-Yamatji woman from Geraldton. Emma is the Director of Garlett Group a 100% Indigenous owned specialist communications and sustainability firm. In addition to her role at Garlett Group, Emma is a First Nations leader. She is an Industry Fellow at the Sustainable Minerals Institute at The University of Queensland. Emma is a Teaching Fellow at the Law School at the University of Western Australia and an Adjunct Professor at Federation University where she sits on the Advisory Board for the National Centre of Reconciliation, Truth and Justice.
Prior to founding Garlett Group, Emma practised as a solicitor in planning and environment law at a top-tier law firm in Perth and worked in a commercial role at BHP. Emma is a regular First Nations legal and business social commentator and writes weekly columns in print and online for The West Australian. She is a Member of the First Nations Governance Forum at the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She is appointed to and sits on both the Law Society of Western Australia’s Commercial Law Committee and Indigenous Legal Issues Committee. Emma is also a Tribunal Member of the West Australian Football Commission.
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Jamie Lowe is a proud Gundjitmara Djabwurrung man and CEO of the National Native Title Council (NNTC). He first joined the NNTC as Chair in 2017 and two year later was appointed CEO. In this role he is charged with supporting First Nation’s people’s right to true self-determination speaking for and managing their own Country; governing their own communities; participating fully in decision making; and strengthening their own social and economic development.
In 2021 he was appointed as the Indigenous Specialist Representative for the Australian Heritage Council – the principal adviser to the Australian Government on heritage matters.
In 2018 he joined the Victorian Heritage Council as an Indigenous Specialist Representative and is a joint council member of the Coalition of the Peaks. Jamie was instrumental in negotiating the Closing The Gap Agreement with the all Australia Governments, that came into effect July 2020.
Prior to joining NNTC Jamie was CEO of the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation in Southwestern Victoria, awarded Native Title in 2011and 2023 over the Great Ocean Road. He was also an inaugural member of the historic First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, the representative elected body tasked with negotiating a Treaty with the Victoria Government.
Internationally, Jamie is the NNTC representative on the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) – a high-level advisory body to the New York based UN Economic and Social Council.
As a key influencer, Jamie firmly believes that creating economic independence and maintaining and growing cultural identity are vital in creating a self-determining nation of First Nations peoples and will continue to tirelessly advocate for a national Treaty whilst remaining a strong advocate for Traditional Owners and communities across Australia.
Joshua is Waanyi and Kalkadoon with connections to Northwest Queensland and Chair of the Truth-telling and Healing Commission in Queensland. He is a barrister specialising in native title, human rights and class actions.
Mr Creamer is a current Commissioner in the Queensland Law Reform Commission; Chair of the Bar Association of Queensland, Indigenous Affairs Committee, Chair of the Griffith University Elders and First Peoples Knowledge Holders Advisory Board and member of the Griffith University Council.
He has appeared in a number of landmark class actions and is ranked in Chambers and Partners Asia-Pacific and Doyle’s Guide for his work in the native title jurisdiction.
Joshua was previously named National Indigenous Legal Professional of the Year, and was a member of the Board of Legal Aid Queensland and a past President of the Indigenous Lawyers Association of Queensland.
Mr Creamer has a Bachelor of Law/Bachelor of Arts and a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice from Griffith University.
Rana Hussain is a dynamic force in the realm of inclusion and belonging, serving as a trailblazing leader, consultant, and advisor on leadership and organisational culture. As the founder of Good. Human, she champions initiatives that foster a sense of community and belonging.
With a background in social work and extensive experience in sports administration across multiple elite sports organisations, Rana brings a unique perspective to her work. Her passion for social justice and equity drives her commitment to creating inclusive environments where all individuals feel valued and respected.
Rana is a sought-after consultant and advisor, providing invaluable insights into leadership development and organisational culture. Her expertise in navigating complex issues and facilitating meaningful change has earned her recognition as a thought leader in the field.
As a board member of the Victorian Women’s Trust, Rana contributes her expertise to initiatives that promote gender equality, particularly marginalised women. Her dedication to advancing social causes extends to her work as a media commentator, broadcaster, and presenter, where she uses her platform to amplify marginalised voices and spark meaningful conversations. Rana is a regular presenter on the ABC and across various sports broadcasts.
Rana’s trailblazing efforts in sports administration and media have made her a respected figure in both industries. Her ability to break barriers and challenge the status quo has paved the way for greater diversity and inclusion in traditionally male-dominated fields.
Trent is a Wongaibon person who was raised on Darkinjung Country. As Head of First Nations Strategy, Ashurst, Trent combines both legal and First Nations lived experience and seeks to embed cultural considerations and safety to create meaningful change for First Nations Peoples across the firm and externally through his First Nations Advisory practice.
In addition to this, Trent is a lawyer, law lecturer and author who is on the UTS Law Faculty Industry Advisory Board, Director of the Australian Pro Bono Centre, Member of the Expert Advisory Panel for the Gari Yala 2 report, Member of the Indigenous Leadership Group for the Business Council of Australia, Advisor to the Starlight Children’s Foundation, Advisor to the Board of ActionAid Australia and is a lecturer in law and First Nations Peoples.
Jo-Anne was raised in Brisbane, Queensland and is a Guwa-Koa, Kuku Yalanji descendant.
Having completed a photography cadetship in 1999 at the State Library of Queensland, Jo-Anne continued working as a photographer and also across various arts and curatorial specialised roles including archival and anthropological research; exhibition programs and Aboriginal Family history support.
These skills have and continue to provide a holistic approach towards specialised projects including her current role as Artists in the Black Coordinator with Arts Law Centre of Australia which is a dedicated National service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Artists of all creative disciplines.
Principal, Nous Group
Rodney is a Guwa (Koa) man and has diverse industry experience across the private, public and community sectors where he has held board, senior executive and management roles.
He has 25 years’ of professional experience in management consulting, banking and finance, Indigenous economic development, higher-education, employment and training, mining and resources, and design.
Rodney has worked extensively with business and industry leaders, senior public service administrators and urban, rural and remote First Nations communities across Australia. Rodney applies strategic thinking, strong communication and well-developed commercial skills to effectively engage with all levels of management and solve challenging client problems across a broad range of industries.
Rodney is a Principal consultant with Nous Group, an international management consulting firm with 750 people working across Australia, the UK and Canada. He also leads Nous’ First Nations Practice and is Champion of Nous’ Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) having recently launched Nous’ Stretch RAP.
Mark has managed and developed a reverse mentoring program within TfNSW. His vision is to normalise and celebrate cultural diversity in the workplace through a two-way mentoring process.
This presents opportunities for our First Nations Peoples to develop and progress into leadership roles and non-Aboriginal leaders to gain a better understanding of Aboriginal history, culture and issues.
Ultimately, Mark is committed to unite all Australians by expanding this model throughout the public and private sectors and build a platform for us to walk together. The success of the reverse mentoring model was acknowledged in 2021, winning the prestigious Australian Human Resources Institute Award. Mark’s passion and commitment was recognised when awarded the 2022 Churchill Fellowship.
Mary Scales is the Program Leader for Professional Learning and the RAP Convenor for Gowrie SA. She has over 30 years’ experience working at Gowrie SA in numerous roles including Teacher, Project Officer, convenor of the Reconciliation Action Plan Working group and Program Leader. She is passionate about reconciliation, learning Kaurna language and developing reciprocal relationships with Elders and networks to ensure actions are authentic and meaningful for the community.
Kelly Williams is a Bundjalung woman from Northern NSW and is the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Head Indigenous, Diversity and Inclusion.
She has worked at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) for over 35-years and is passionate about creating pathways to senior management and editorial roles for Indigenous and diverse employees.
Kelly has co-ordinated the ABC’s last three Reconciliation Action Plans, the ABC’s 2023-2026 Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Plan and leads the strategic partnerships between the ABC and First Nations Media Australia and First Languages Australia.
Dr. Terri Janke is a Wuthathi, Yadhaigana and Meriam woman and an international authority on Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP). She is known for innovating pathways for collaborations using Indigenous knowledge and cultural expression.
Dr. Janke is the founder, owner, and Solicitor Director of Terri Janke and Company (TJC). Founded in 2001, TJC is the oldest First Nations owned law firm in the country. She manages her team to deliver excellent results to a diverse client base. Dr. Janke advises on legal matters including ICIP, intellectual property, business law, shareholder agreements and governance of Indigenous organisations.
She has written leading ICIP Protocols and models for various sectors including the arts, museums, archives, film, and business. Dr. Janke developed the True Tracks® ICIP Framework to bridge the gap in the IP laws and protection of Indigenous Knowledge. This framework is widely accepted as the leading best practice for managing Indigenous engagement in Australia. Her award-winning book True Tracks: Working with Indigenous Knowledge and Culture is considered as the best practice standards for Indigenous engagement practices.
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Jason is a proud Aboriginal man born and raised on Gunnai country in south-east Victoria who brings a deep passion and experience in Aboriginal affairs to his role as Director, Aboriginal Melbourne.
Aboriginal Melbourne is a branch within the City of Melbourne that is responsible for working with the Aboriginal community to ensure their needs are heard, respected and influence the delivery of a wide range of Council services and outcomes.
Before joining the City of Melbourne, Jason was the inaugural CEO of welcometocountry.com a tech startup that created an online marketplace to connect travellers to First Nations tours and experiences across the country and an online store of products either made by First Nations people or genuine collaborations.
He is a previous CEO of the Koorie Heritage Trust, and one of four Aboriginal co-owners that founded PwC’s Indigenous Consulting.
Alan Carter has been involved in a wide range of reconciliation work for over 30 years in the Political, Government, Corporate, University and Community Sectors. He has worked “in-house” on the development and implementation of RAP programs for a number of organisations including the Water Corporation and Curtin University. In addition, he has provided Consultancy Services to RAP organisations at various stages of their reconciliation journeys.
Alan has been active in advocacy work for reconciliation in Western Australia and was the key driver for the establishment of Reconciliation WA nearly fifteen years ago and was the Inaugural Non-Aboriginal Co-Chair of that organisation. He is a Life Member of Reconciliation WA. He has also been involved actively in advocacy for Stolen Generations Survivors and is currently the Non-Aboriginal Co-Chair of Bringing Them Home WA.
Alan is now in “semi-retirement” but maintains an active role in research and advocacy in relation to Truth-Telling and Reconciliation. He is an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at the National Centre for Reconciliation, Truth and Justice and is currently working with that Centre to establish a specific research project relating to best practice principles and protocols for Truth-Telling.
Anja is a highly regarded Ally, a First Nations engagement professional and a trusted advisor with a background advocating for First Nations people.
A skilled and confident leader, with a demonstrated capability and commitment to building cultural competency, she engages effectively with people from diverse backgrounds at all organisational levels.
She is dedicated to advocating for and supporting First Nations people who have resided within a Justice facility, which is demonstrated by her work mentoring Aboriginal men and women in Justice facilities across Western Australia.
Anja has a thorough understanding of how to successfully engage with First Nations community, personnel and businesses to promote and increase participation within Veolia’s contracts, specifically with the Department of Defence. Anja brings knowledge and cultural understanding to her position and is skilled at assisting First Nations employees and businesses to build capacity and capabilities.
Jim is a Minang-Goreng Noongar Elder, a Traditional Custodian of WA’s pristine southern coast who has passed his strong Aboriginal values to following generations of his extended family.
He has been a leader in pivotal Aboriginal community advancement roles for over five decades, working for the rights of the Stolen Generations and their families; Aboriginal child protection; the tragic mental health, justice and suicide issues in his community; equity in access to culturally safe services in State and Commonwealth Governments; Aboriginal Elder (Aged) Care overdue prison reforms; trauma informed healing programs and the formation and management of Aboriginal controlled organisations providing services to Aboriginal families and their broader communities.
He has won the John Curtin Medal for services to the community and partnered in winning seven awards in the virtual and Elder Survivor story augmented conservation of Aboriginal Missions in WA. Jim is the current Chair of the WA Stolen Generations Aboriginal Corporation, a founding member of Reconciliation WA and the architect and initial manager of Yokai Healing Our Spirit. Jim’s favourite hobby is hosting a weekly Aboriginal current affairs program Moorditj Mag on Perth’s RTR FM92.1, which feeds to Noongar Radio.
Patty Kinnersly is Chief Executive Officer of Our Watch, a not-for-profit organisation established to drive nationwide change in the structures, norms and practices that lead to violence against women and their children.
A leading health, welfare and education professional, Patty was Chief Executive Officer of Women’s Health Grampians for nine years, before joining Our Watch in 2015 as Director, Practice Leadership.
She was appointed to the Chief Executive role in June 2018.
Patty has extensive governance experience, serving on the boards of Ballarat Health Services, the Australian Women’s Health Network, Rural Northwest Health, and Child and Family Services Ballarat.
In 2023 Patty was appointed as expert advisor to Minister Clare’s University working group and the inaugural Chairman, National Respectful Relationships Education Expert Working Group.
She is a Vice President of the Carlton Football Club Board, the first Board Director to oversee its women’s football programs.
Patty lives in regional Victoria.
As a provider of essential infrastructure services, people are at the heart of our success.
Our vision is to be an organisation where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people feel accepted and included and, importantly, feel culturally safe and valued.
We also want to create a workplace where non-Indigenous people have their understanding of reconciliation transformed by the experiences they have while employed with, or subcontracted by, us.
Driving that culture within our organisation in turn supports reconciliation externally, as the sphere of influence of our employees and subcontractors goes beyond Ventia.
They influence and have the potential to transform the people they interact with, the communities in which they work and live, and the future workplaces with which they will engage.
In July 2020 Ventia acquired Broadspectrum which saw two companies come together with different RAP types – Broadspectrum at Elevate and Ventia at Reflect.
A detailed integration plan embedded specific RAP actions across the new entity.
Once those actions were achieved and closed out, we began the development of our current Stretch RAP.
In this RAP, the focus is on building strong relationships, respecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in all our activities and creating meaningful opportunities guided through consultation to preserve and protect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and customs.
We recognise the need for culturally proficient leadership and partnerships based on trust and respect. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures must be deeply understood, valued, and integrated into every aspect of our business.
Fiona Jose is a proud Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and Chief Executive of the Cape York Partnership Group – a First Nations organisation driving a comprehensive reform agenda improving the lives of Indigenous families in Cape York.
Fiona oversees 10 entities and businesses that form Cape York Partnership, including the Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership, two schools Djarragun College and the Cape York Girl Academy, a landscape and construction company, a health clinic, financial empowerment platform and more. Employing 350 people, 65% of whom are First Nations. She is in a unique position leading policy design and advocacy informed by rich on the ground experience of reform implementation.
Fiona is one of 10 First Nations leaders driving the national Empowered Communities reform initiative that has brought Indigenous, government, and corporate leaders into partnership to shift from the failing status-quo approach to a system focused on productivity and development outcomes.
Her passion for education, employment and economic development of the region has seen her launch initiatives, such Mayi Market – to deliver fresh food to remote communities at fair prices and Work Opportunity Network – to create earn or learn pathways for high school graduates. Under her leadership, CYP’s Bama Services has grown into a full-service construction, facility maintenance, landscaping and commercial cleaning social enterprise that has secured more than $50 million of contracts and employed more than 260 Indigenous staff.
Fiona is a Director of the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service Board, responsible for ensuring excellence in health service for the region. She is a member of the Paul Ramsay Foundation First Nations Council.
Tony Hansen is a Senior Traditional Custodian of Wilman, Koreng, Minang, Great Southern Noongar and Wagyl Kaip Booja with traditional connections to the Karri Karrak Aboriginal Corporation tribal boundaries of Wardandi, Pibelmen, Busselton, Margaret River, Manjimup, Gnaala Karla Booja tribal area of Wagin, and the Murchison region.
Tony was born in Katanning in September 1967, but in 1970, at the age of three years old Tony was forcibly removed from his mother and grandparents’ care and institutionalised without family consent at Marribank Mission. While the forced assimilation policies which had been in force up to 1970-71 no longer existed, the race-based policies of following governments kept him in government juvenile care until he was 18 years old. Tony identifies as a Stolen Generations Survivor, the descendant of Stolen Generations people and his children also as descendants of the Stolen Generations.
Tony is currently the recurrent Co-Chairperson of the Bringing Them Home Committee WA Inc (BTH), the Deputy Chairperson of the West Australian Stolen Generations Aboriginal Corporation (WASGAC), represents WA Stolen Generations Survivors as a Board Director of Yokai addressing Truth, Justice and Healing programs. Tony is currently a Member of the Healing Foundation Stolen Generation Elders Reference Group Committee on a National Platform, with The Healing Foundation, in Canberra. Tony was the former Chairperson of the Carrolup Elders Reference Group at Curtin University, representing the Carrolup Artwork of children from the Carrolup Native Settlement.
Tony is a Director of Karri Karrak Aboriginal Regional Corporation, an Associate of Curtin University as well as an associate of the Australian Rules Football organisation at the Fremantle Football Club External Advisory Group.
Tony is currently a Member of the First Nation College, National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse, Tony is a Member of the Find and Connect, Stolen Generations Indigenous Reference Group at Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research, at University of Technology Sydney.
Tony has participated in International Platform on truth-telling of the Stolen Generations across the United States, Abu Dhabi, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Luke is a proud Warramungu man from the Barkly Tablelands, in the Northern Territory with kinship ties to the Yuggera people of Brisbane, Queensland.
Luke has consulted, advocated and advised on Indigenous affairs across various industries and levels of community, government and corporate Australia; with experience spanning the education, employment and health sectors.
Luke has had the privilege of working within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health service sector contributing to the development and implementation of training and employment initiatives and to embedding virtual health care services within their clinics.
He is currently the Senior Program Development Coordinator for the Brisbane South Primary Health Network leading their Reconciliation Action Plan and coordinating projects to improve culturally appropriate primary health care with a focus on enhancing First Nations people’s access to mainstream primary care.
Professor Nareen Young is a descendant of the Gadigal through her matriarchal line and Associate Dean, Indigenous Engagement and Leadership, UTS Business School and Professor, Indigenous Policy, Indigenous Workforce Diversity at UTS Jumbunna Institute of Indigenous Education and Research where she established the Indigenous
People and Work Research and Practice Hub.
The Hub is the only one of its kind internationally and focuses on robust Indigenous-lead research and analysis, policy, practice, and law reform around the workplace experiences of Indigenous people.
Influenced by her Indigenous and culturally diverse heritages in all of her work, Nareen has made a major contribution to awareness and understanding of employment diversity in the Australian employment and wider community as a trade union official (and sat on the Executives of both the ACTU and Unions NSW in affirmative action positions) during that time, as CEO of
two employment diversity peak bodies (NSW Working Women’s Centre and Diversity Council Australia) and as Employment Lead at a large Indigenous consulting firm.
Nareen is one of Australia’s leading and most respected workplace diversity practitioners and thinkers, she has presented nationally and internationally, is a leader of the First Nations employment sector, is a published researcher and author has held and continues to hold numerous government appointments.
Born in Fiji, with Indian, Indigenous Fijian, and Scottish heritage, Merlin grew up on Cabrogal land on Darug country, and now calls Wangal country home, with her young family.
Her career spans over 20 years in the corporate sector across the finance and retail industries in Australia and the UK, focused on cultural change and communication. She’s currently Reconciliation Lead at Endeavour Group, which operates Australia’s largest retail drinks network under the Dan Murphy’s and BWS brands, and the largest portfolio of licensed hotels in communities across the country.
Her work is focused on community engagement, equity, inclusion and allyship to drive respect for and empowerment of First Nations peoples. She’s passionate about how reconciliation and cultural knowledge can unlock broader inclusion, belonging and connection for all Australians.
Nikki Burns is a Yorta Yorta, Wemba Wemba, Dharug woman living and working on Yuggera and Turrbal lands as the RAP Partner for UnitingCare Queensland’s four private non-for-profit Hospitals, Corporate Services and the Uniting Church in Australia Queensland Synod.
Within her five years at UnitingCare, Nikki has been instrumental in the organisation’s reconciliation journey with her contributions to the development, facilitation and implementation of Stretch RAP 2021-2024 and the recently launched Stretch RAP 2024-2027.
Nikki holds collaboration and connection with community as a priority in working for and with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and embeds cultural protocol and values in all practice and contexts she engages in. Nikki is the co-chair of the Uniting First Peoples Network, is an accredited Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health First Aid Instructor, and a proud Aunty of two nephews and two nieces.
Jason is a proud Badu/Waiben Island man from the Torres Strait Islands and an accomplished professional who has provided Indigenous engagement consultancy services for some of the largest organisations in Australia, including EY, Lendlease, Stockland, TikTok, Morgan Stanley, and Foxtel.
Previously, Jason held the position of Deputy CEO at Supply Nation, Australia’s premier supplier diversity organisation, advocating for Indigenous businesses.
Before this role, Jason headed up the Indigenous Reconciliation Strategy for the Qantas Group. Jason is a sought-after strategist and facilitator, with an emphasis on his thought leadership on Indigenous engagement. He is the former Founder and Director of Two Point Co and now the Managing Director of Stonecrab, a leading Indigenous engagement consultancy firm.
Vonda Malone was appointed as an Inquiry member to the Truth-Telling and Healing Inquiry for a three-year term, commencing 1 July 2024.
Member Malone is part of a five-member team independent of government. They aim to foster inclusiveness and mutual respect while also building awareness and understanding of Queensland’s shared history following colonisation. They invite all Queenslanders to walk with them as they work right across the state of Queensland during this Inquiry.
Previously Vonda held the position of Chief Executive Officer of the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) from May 2022 to May 2024 and made history as the first female Mayor of Torres Shire Council from 2016-2022.
A Torres Strait Islander woman with connection to Erub (Darnley Island) and Cape York Peninsula.
With more than 20 years of experience working across 3 levels of government, specialising in Indigenous Affairs, she also holds a unique international perspective with both the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the United Nations Office of the Human Rights
Commission, Geneva.
Ms Malone has a particular interest in improving health and wellbeing outcomes for the region.