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Jawun founder and patron Noel Pearson with CEO Karyn Baylis.
Photo: Frederic Courbet
5.3 Collaboration across sectors
People take networks for granted in
the business world and the government
world. But the networks created by
Jawun for Indigenous leaders and
communities are now three-way—
across business, government, and
Indigenous worlds.
—NOEL PEARSON,
JAWUN PATRON AND FOUNDER OF CAPE
YORK PARTNERSHIPS
Jawun Executive Visits are an opportunity for
Indigenous leaders and organisations to develop
their networks or business opportunities. Exposed to
senior-level representatives of corporate, government
and philanthropic organisations who visit a region,
they spark relationships that can have significant
positive impact on the region. This ranges from
increased commitment to Jawun secondments, to
formal partnerships with Indigenous organisations
(see Darkinjung case study on page 66).
Another type of cross-sector collaboration occurs
when Indigenous people take roles on corporate
boards, or vice versa.
As a result of relationships formed through Jawun
Executive Visits or secondments, a number of
Indigenous leaders have taken up roles on corporate
boards. Some of these include Sean Gordon, CEO of
Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council (Central
Coast) and member of Commonwealth Bank’s
Indigenous Advisory Committee; Andrea Mason,
CEO of NPY Women’s Council (Central Australia)
and member of the EY Indigenous Advisory Board;
and Shane Phillips, CEO of Tribal Warrior Aboriginal
Corporation (Redfern) and member of Westpac’s
Indigenous Advisory Committee.
Concurrently, corporate representatives have taken
up formal board roles at Indigenous organisations
whose leaders, programs and initiatives they
connected with through Jawun Executive Visits or
secondments. Some of these include Ross Love and
Trish Clancy, Senior Partner and Partner respectively
at BCG, both board members at Wunan (East
Kimberley); Liz O’Leary, Senior Manging Director
of Macquarie Group, and Michael Andrew, former
Chairman and CEO of KPMG, board co-chair
and director respectively at Good to Great Schools
Australia (Cape York); and Ann Sherry, Executive
Chairman of Carnival Australia, Gabrielle Trainor,
consultant and AFL Commissioner, and Jon
Nicholson, Chair of the Westpac Foundation, all non-
executive board directors at Cape York Partnership.
5. SUPPORTING COLLABORATION 65