AEC Steering Committee

Andrew Forrest
Andrew's vision and tenacity in carving out one of Australia's most celebrated mining success stories against all the odds and a chorus of detractors is well documented. Now Andrew is bringing that same unique determination and insight to address Australia's biggest social challenge. And for the man who grew up in a remote cattle station in Minderoo in Western Australia's Pilbara region, he has always felt an intense affinity with the Indigenous people and an admiration for their adaptability.

"Growing up with Aboriginal people I saw them go from stock shepherds, to stockmen, to head stockmen to overseers. Then I watched them become just as adept at handling motorbikes as mechanics, then four-wheel drives and then aeroplanes. I realised they were just as smart as us, perhaps even smarter at adapting to new skills and new professional demands," said Andrew, who initiated FMG's own Vocational Training & Employment Centre program specifically for Indigenous people.

Andrew is adamant the only real roadblock to significant Indigenous attainment in the workforce is being given a fair go. "The only difference between those blackfellas who've made it and those who are completely wasted in Halls Creek is the opportunity," he said.

But wealth generation for its own sake is not Andrew's priority – rather his desire to help change the country he loves for the better is his big motivator. For him Anaconda, Murrin Murrin and now FMG have put him in a position to do what he really values. "Generation of wealth for wealth's sake is a goal which will bring you undone. But wealth can provide you with one of life's greatest satisfactions, and that is helping others," he said. And he won't be satisfied unless the target of helping 50,000 "others" into permanent full-time employment is met, even though he is privately aiming even higher than that, because he knows in his heart what this would mean for all Australians.

Marcia Langton
Marcia is the Professor of Australian Indigenous Studies at the University of Melbourne. Along with teaching, primarily in the School of Population Health, she is involved in research on agreements with Indigenous people. She is co-editor of two published collections on agreements with Indigenous people in Australia, New Zealand, North America and South Africa: Honour Among Nations (MUP, 2004) and Settling with Indigenous People (Federation Press, 2006).

Dr Sue Gordon
Dr Gordon recently retired as a Magistrate in the Perth Children's Court. From 2004 to 2007, Dr Gordon was the Chair of the National Indigenous Council (NIC). She has represented the NIC at various conferences, seminars and forums. On 25 June 2007 the Commonwealth Government appointed Dr Gordon as Chair of the Northern Territory Emergency Response Taskforce which provided advice to the Government and oversaw implementation of the emergency measures.

Sir Rod Eddington
Currently Chairman of ANZ and Non-Executive Chairman (Australia and New Zealand) of JP Morgan, in addition to maintaining non-executive roles with News Corporation, Rio Tinto PLC, Allco Finance Group Limited, CLP (China Light and Power) Holdings, and John Swire & Sons Pty Ltd. He also serves as Chairman of Victorian Major Events Company and is a director of the Centre for Independent Studies.

Noel Pearson
Became the Director of the Cape York Institute in 2004, an organisation sitting at the nexus of academia, policy formulation and community engagement and providing policy oversight for other Cape York oriented organisations. Noel was elected Chairman of the Cape York Land Council from 1996 to 1997 before resigning. He still acts for the Land Council in an advisory capacity from time to time. Today he works in a voluntary capacity as a Team Leader with Cape York Partnerships a project negotiated between the Queensland Government and Aboriginal Leaders of Cape York to plan and implement projects on a reform agenda for Cape communities.

Warren Mundine
The CEO & Company Secretary of NTSCORP Limited and an advocate for lifting Indigenous people out of poverty and building a strong Indigenous economy. Warren is also a member of the Australian Institute of Management, the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Chair of NSW Labor's Indigenous Policy Committee, a member of IAG's Expert Community Advisors Committee, Executive Member of the National Native Title Council, Executive member of the St. Joseph's College Indigenous Fund, Southern Cross University Foundation and a Board member of NAISDA. Warren is the former National President of Australian Labor Party, former Deputy Mayor of Dubbo and former Chair of NSW Country Labor.

David Bussau AM
A pioneer of microfinance, having founded Opportunity International Australia and co-founded the Opportunity International Network. Now retired from Opportunity International management, David continues to provide governance seminars to Opportunity International partners and consultancy services to governments, multinationals and other organisations. He is also a member of the Board of Opportunity International Australia. He was awarded the Ernst & Young Australian Entrepreneur of the Year in 2003, the ACFID Human Rights Award in 2006, the Beta Gamma Sigma Award for Entrepreneurship in 2007 and was most recently named Senior Australian of the Year 2008.