John is a proud Aboriginal man from the Wiradjuri Nation of southwestern NSW. He has extensive experience in delivering innovative Aboriginal engagement, employment, training and enterprise development solutions across a diverse industry mix including:
- Government (Local, State and Commonwealth)
- Mining and resources
- Not for Profit
- Corporate
John is also a Director with Community First Development (CFD), an Aboriginal not-for-profit organization that provides opportunities nationally for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to develop human and community capacity in order to improve their quality of life, health, social and economic wellbeing, and participation in Australian society.
John is an experienced professional that is confident working, consulting, and engaging with a diverse representation of stakeholders and communities, designing strategic Aboriginal engagement initiatives to achieve mutually beneficial community, economic and environmental outcomes that lead to positive social change and economic opportunities.
Experience
- John developed and implemented Aboriginal engagement, business development, employment and training strategies, and managed commercial contracts for some of Australia’s largest companies, including ACT Government, AGL, AMP, BP Australia, Broken Hill Community Working Party, C&K Childcare, Cement Australia, Citigroup, Compass Group, Dyno Nobel, Incitec Pivot, McDonald’s Australia, Peabody Energy, St George Bank, Stockland, Talent2, The Riviera Group, Veolia, and Woolworths.
- Demonstrated commitment and capacity to promote the rights and interests of Aboriginal people
- High-level management skills with experience in economic development and capacity development initiatives
- Strategic agility and in-depth knowledge across a number of sectors
- Proven leadership, interpersonal, influencing, negotiation and people management skills
- Experience in fostering a team approach and ability to manage staff
- Strategy Development and Implementation
Key Capabilities
- Cultural Intelligence
- Strategy, Policy and Design
- Workforce, Leadership and Economic Development
- Research, Data and Evaluation
- Governance, Performance and Risk
“I want all Australians to understand and accept the wrongs of the past and the impact of these on First Nations people. I look forward to the day when all Australians value and recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and heritage as a proud part of a shared identity and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to participate equally in a range of life opportunities and the unique rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are recognised and upheld.”