Appointments to the Board of Indigenous Business Australia

Media release - Minister Wyatt

Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Hon Ken Wyatt AM, MP, has announced three reappointments and one new appointment to the Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) Board.

The Board provides important oversight of IBA, whose role is to foster economic development opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Australia.

“I congratulate Mr Callaghan as a new appointee, as well as thank Mr Fry, Ms McPhersion, and Mr Allert for their continued efforts. I look forward to seeing IBA serve their customers and continue to advance economic opportunities for Indigenous Australians, particularly in the post-COVID recovery.”

New Appointee:

Mr Richard Callaghan is an Aboriginal man from the Potawurtj (Tatiara) people of south east South Australia. He has had a distinguished career working for the public and private sectors and his consulting work has included engagements across most of Australia working with both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled and mainstream business, including the mining and resources sector, heritage and native title management, health and aged care systems and design, including business and strategic planning, organisational reviews, administrations, evaluations, quality systems management and implementation. He is Director of Yaran Group of Companies and a Member of the South Australia State Aboriginal Advisory Committee.

Reappointments:

Mr Eddie Fry is a Dagoman-Wardaman man from the Katherine region in the Northern Territory. He has extensive experience within the Australian resource sector and is a specialist in Indigenous and native title issues. Mr Fry is also Deputy Chair of the Aboriginal Foundation of South Australia Inc.; Chair of the Indigenous Advisory Board at Broadspectrum; Chair of Todd River Resources Mineral Exploration (ASX); and Executive Director of Gimbulki Ltd, a native title land access company he established in 2002. Mr Fry has served as Chairperson of IBA since 2014.

Mr Richard Allert AO is a Chartered Accountant with significant board experience. His previous board appointments include AXA Asia Pacific Holdings Limited, Tourism Australia, Coles Myer Ltd and Coles Group Limited, Southcorp Limited, AustralAsia Railway Corporation, Voyages Hotels and Resorts Pty Ltd, and the Aboriginal Foundation of South Australia. In 2008, Mr Allert was awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia for leadership in corporate social responsibility. He has served on the IBA Board since 2014.

Ms Shirley McPherson is a Yamatji and Nyoongar woman from the Perth and Murchison regions of Western Australia. She has extensive experience in Indigenous affairs, business, finance and accountancy, education and government and is a member of the official Australian Delegation to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples. Ms McPherson is also the former Chairperson of the Indigenous Land Corporation. She has served on the IBA Board since 2014.

For more information on IBA, visit https://www.iba.gov.au/