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- First Nations people are increasingly stepping into governance pathways aimed at building capability and visibility at board level.
- Two leaders highlight structural barriers to access and the need for more deliberate, sustained inclusion in corporate decision-making.
- Both emphasise the importance of visibility, capability-building and recognising First Nations leaders beyond cultural advisory roles.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders are steadily building a stronger presence in Australian boardrooms, supported by targeted governance programs and growing pathways into directorship.
Two leaders contributing to this shift are Annette Stevenson, a Murri woman of the Iman Nation (Central Western Queensland), and Kurt Schulte-Schrepping, a Palawa man from Lutruwita (Tasmania). Both are recipients of the AICD First Nations Director Scholarship Program 2025, designed to strengthen First Nations participation in governance.
Stevenson, Quality and Risk Manager at St Vincent’s Private Hospital Brisbane, also serves as a board director for the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives. Schulte-Schrepping is Executive Director First Nations Strategy, Venue Security and Emergency Management at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, and chairs the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Foundation board.
Stevenson says the scholarship was significant because it created a structured entry point and gave her both a framework and a peer cohort she would not otherwise have had. “It was a deliberate response to a real gap in how governance pipelines are built,” she says.
“The most direct barrier to stepping into governance was access. Governance pathways are not always visible from a clinical and operational background.”
For Schulte-Schrepping, visibility remains a key issue. “You can’t be what you can’t see,” he says. But, beyond representation, he believes economic barriers continue to prevent many First Nations people from pursuing board and executive roles.
“Being financially successful is not an indicator of whether you are going to excel at governance,” he says. “Many Indigenous people serve the community for a modest reimbursement and, because of that, it’s not easy to participate at board level.”
A path to directorship
Stevenson’s path into governance came through health, not through traditional board pipelines.
“My background is in hospital-based health care, with a strong focus on quality, risk and clinical governance,” she says. “I saw how board decisions directly affect safety, culture and outcomes, particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
“It became clear that many of the issues we try to address at an operational level are shaped much higher up and I wanted to be part of those discussions where strategy, accountability and long-term decisions are made.”
Schulte-Schrepping previously served as the Director of Indigenous Strategy with Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia, where he led the pastoral care program at the National Indigenous Training Academy and oversaw the Indigenous Engagement Team. He also worked in the community safety and night patrol in Mutitjulu.
He says he wanted to better distinguish between operational and strategic leadership skills and deepen his understanding of directors’ responsibilities, having previously run his own security company and sat on boards without formal AICD training.
“The financial learnings in the course were especially helpful, as were structural learnings around running meetings, setting goals, prioritising issues and delegating to other board members.”
Cultural considerations
Raised with a strong awareness that the effect of decisions often extends beyond the immediate situation, Stevenson says she naturally takes a longer view and considers who benefits, who carries risk and where the impacts may fall over time.
“For me, stepping into governance is about influence with responsibility and ensuring decisions are informed by lived experience, cultural understanding and respect for people and communities.”
She believes First Nations perspectives contribute a broader understanding of systems, risk and accountability. “Many of us have navigated institutions that were not designed with us in mind, which sharpens awareness of unintended consequences and structural gaps.
“In governance settings, this often translates into asking questions about trust, cultural safety, reputational risk and long-term impact. These perspectives are culturally informed and add real value to effective governance.”
Schulte-Schrepping says all directors, regardless of culture, bring unique strengths to governance roles, but believes First Nations leaders may sometimes be less inclined to put forward strong arguments unless invited to contribute.
“Often, they have quieter voices, but leaders don’t have to be the ones standing in front of everyone. Sometimes the leader is a person you go to for advice,” he says.
“It’s important, to get the full set of perspectives in any situation, to learn what leadership looks like across an organisation. That’s something I’ve learned, and I try to apply – that it’s my job to champion the people around me.”
He says with more companies focusing on sustainability concerns, including First Nations voices in that space presents a real opportunity for broad representation.
However, both Schulte-Schrepping and Stevenson agree Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders are too often viewed primarily through an advisory or cultural lens, rather than recognised for their broader strategic and governance capability.
Says Schulte-Schrepping: “It’s my expertise in so many other aspects of my life that should be appreciated, as opposed to just my culture.”
What meaningful representation requires at board level
Stevenson says sustainable governance pipelines require organisations to move beyond intent and take deliberate action to identify, develop and appoint First Nations leaders across sectors.
“Meaningful representation is about depth, diversity and influence. It means First Nations leaders holding roles across boards, committees and executive positions, not just positions linked to Indigenous portfolios,’ she says.
“It also means being able to lead as ourselves, without being expected to speak for all First Nations people or leave culture at the door. When representation is meaningful, governance and decision making are stronger across the organisation.”
Schulte-Schrepping says creating more opportunities for First Nations leaders is essential to improving representation at board level.
“It’s important that we push for these opportunities for First Nations people, because they're not always given, and these scholarships are going to have a cascading effect, where you start to see more board directors who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.”
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