Grass Tree Governance

Who I Am

I was born in Hong Kong to Australian parents, with a family history based in Albany, Western Australia. I now live in Perth, the traditional country of the
Whadjuk Noongar people. I am married with three daughters. I take every opportunity I can to show them the beautiful country in which they live.

I would like to pay my humble respects and extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Traditional Owners and the Elders past and present who have cared for this incredible country for so many thousands of years.

Working with Aboriginal Organisations

My first experience on-country was as a Judge’s Associate during the Ngarluma-Yindjibarndi Native Title hearing in the Pilbara in 1999. My whole career has been shaped by those three months spent listening to the Elders telling their stories of connection to country and culture despite a history of dispossession. I later worked for ten years as a lawyer, five of them at the WA Aboriginal Legal Aid Service, often travelling through country and helping clients with their legal rights and questions. I then moved to a role as Executive Officer at the Forum for Directors of Indigenous Organisations (FDIO), focusing on building the capability of Traditional owner directors and increasing the cultural awareness of Independent directors. I have since been appointed Independent Director at two Aboriginal corporations, a role I see as one of support and empowerment of the Member Directors.

As Governance Partner at Grass Tree Governance, whether working with new or experienced boards, I will continue to listen and learn so that I can share my knowledge in a way that strengthens each Directors corporate governance knowledge whilst acknowledging and respecting their cultural obligations.

My qualifications – LLB, BA, GAICD

I am university educated, graduating in 1997 with LLB (Bachelor of Law) and BA (Bachelor of Arts – Politics and French) from the University of Western Australia. I graduated from the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) Company Director’s Course in 2016.

Would you like to include me in your governance journey?