Through Richmond’s role as a leader in reconciliation, the Club has supported a ground-breaking program to bring more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders into the C-suite.
The Tigers, one of only 21 organisations and the only sporting club in Australia to hold Elevate Status Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), supported the establishment of the Emerging Indigenous Executive Leadership Program (EIELP).
Korin Gamadji Institute (KGI) Director Aaron Clark was one of 15 participants who graduated on Wednesday night.
The EIELP is run by the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) and is a nine-month program during which participants undertake executive learning modules focusing on strategic thinking, leadership and identity, innovation, personal effectiveness and communicating with influence.
“The evidence is very clear that diverse businesses are more effective businesses,” said Richmond CEO Brendon Gale.
“This program supports the collective ambition of Elevate RAP partners to develop Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Executives, and address what is a very clear gap at senior management level.”
“Richmond is extremely proud to be one of the 21 organisations nationally whose RAP has achieved Elevate status.
“We thank NAB – who drove the development of this program – and other Elevate RAP partners for their commitment to delivering this important program.
“We also congratulate our own Aaron Clark - Director of the Korin Gamadji Institute - who is one of the inaugural graduates.”
Clark said the program empowered participants and further enhanced their skillsets.
“Your own personal education journey never ends and it’s fantastic to have a prestigious business school provide this cohort of talented Aboriginal people with cutting edge and forward thinking methodologies and theories that we can implement in our own workplaces,” Clark said.
“It’s also about providing a strong peer network of talented Indigenous people who can ultimately create major change in their fields of expertise but also in the broader corporate business world.”
Reconciliation Australia CEO Karen Mundine congratulated the inaugural participants.
“It is essential that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees are supported in their leadership and career journey’s, so they can move beyond middle management,” Mundine said.
“The Emerging Indigenous Executive Leadership Program has played an important step in this process, and I congratulate the participants, and also the Elevate RAP organisations who have driven this initiative.”
AGSM Executive Director Frank Kennedy said diversity should be a key element of all workplaces.
“It has been proven time and time again that diversity and inclusion, and in particular different perspectives within the C-suites and Boardrooms, improves the rigour of decision-making and ultimately performance of organisations,” Kennedy said.
“While gender diversity has received much focus in recent years, other aspects of diversity have not. This program aims to address that and tap a valuable talent pool that has to date been under-represented amongst the decision-makers in Australia.”
