Photo: NCIE Board of Directors (l-r): Damien Bidjara-Barnes, Anthony Ashby, Terri Janke, Alison Page, Dillon Kombumerri, Kate Cam. (Absent John Maher.)
The National Centre of Indigenous Excellence (NCIE) Chairperson, Alison Page, has welcomed three incoming Directors to the NCIE Board. Damien Bidjara-Barnes, Dillon Kombumerri and Kate Cam will join Ms Page, Deputy Chair Terri Janke, Anthony Ashby and ILC CEO John Maher (ex officio) on the NCIE Board of Directors, commencing 18 November 2016.
“Each of the three new Directors brings expertise, wisdom and passion in their own professional and personal fields to add to the wealth of experience and dedication already on the Board,” Ms Page said.
“Mr Maher’s appointment by the ILC Board, made in August, will help to strengthen synergies between the NCIE and its parent company the Indigenous Land Corporation (ILC), especially in support of the ILC’s National Indigenous Land Strategy in an urban setting.
“The NCIE Board’s vision is set firmly on the future as we continue our vital work in guiding the sustainable growth and self sufficiency of the organisation’s enterprises and programs towards future divestment of the site to the community.
“Our Fitness, Aquatics, Accommodation and Conferencing enterprises are going from strength to strength and our programs and partnerships lay the foundation for the next generation of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders.
“I thank outgoing Directors Kelvin Kong, Kyle Vander-Kuyp, Shane Phillips and Tim O’Leary and Patron Sol Bellear, for their invaluable contributions to the Board and the NCIE in general, and for their ongoing support.”
Ms Page also welcomed Nicole Courtman to the NCIE’s executive management team as Deputy Chief Executive Officer. Ms Courtman is a former CEO of Indigenous Corporate Partners, Senior Solicitor with NTSCorp, and Director of Corporate Governance and In-house Senior Legal Officer for the NSW Aboriginal Land Council,
SHORT BIOGRAPHIES
Damien Bidjara-Barnes is a Bidjara Murri from Woorabinda and Central QLD who has spent much of his life in Sydney. He is currently a Senior Legal Counsel with UGL Limited and has an extensive background in both civil engineering and law. His legal experience includes King Wood Mallesons, DLA Piper and several in-house legal and commercial roles across the construction, environment, planning, local government, cultural heritage and native title. Mr Barnes has been a Director of; Bangarra Dance Theatre; the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre; Ngalaya Indigenous Lawyers Association and the Aboriginal Housing Office NSW.
Dillon Kombumerri grew up on Minjerriba (North Stradbroke Island) and has family connections to the island as well as to the Yugembir nation (Gold Coast) but now lives and works in Sydney. A strategic design thinker and social conciliator, Mr Kombumerri has a passion for projects that seek to improve the health, well-being and prosperity of indigenous communities. With more than 25 years of experience in architectural practice, he brings a unique indigenous perspective to re-imagining the built environment and s peaks nationally and internationally on the positive effects of Indigenous knowledges on building better places for living.
Kate Cam has more than 20 years’ experience in the global investment and capital markets industries in Sydney, London and Hong Kong and is currently an independent governance and investment consultant based in Sydney. A former Head of Investment Governance for Asia-Pacific with Mercer Investment Consulting she has worked with a range of Indigenous, wealth management, insurance and superannuation organisations to provide governance solutions and strategic investment advice. Ms Cam is graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
John Maher has been CEO of the Indigenous Land Corporation since 1 June 2016. Prior to this, he was Chief Executive of the Livestock Biosecurity Network and he previously led rural services company, Ruralco Holdings Ltd for nine years as Managing Director and Chief Executive, and was an executive at Wesfarmers Ltd for 10 years. He has an honours degree in Agricultural Science from Sydney University, an MBA from AGSM, studied global agribusiness at Harvard Business School, completed the Advanced Management Program at INSEAD Business School in France and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He has also served on a number of boards and industry organisations including Landmark, Agfarm, LiveCorp, AuctionsPlus and Autism Awareness Australia.