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Rachelle Towart, OAM
About Rachelle:
Rachelle Towart is a proud Wonnarura woman, born in Blacktown in Sydney, NSW.
As an Indigenous woman with a powerful personal story of the effectiveness of leadership development, Rachelle has elevated awareness of the importance of Indigenous leadership and governance capacity to the national stage. After building friendships and experience in a range of public service roles, Rachelle uncovered her natural capabilities for leadership and development through the support of mentors and a strong network of extended family.
Moving to the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre in 2004, Rachelle was appointed CEO in 2007 and transformed the organisation, tripling revenue and more than doubling enrolments while putting Indigenous leadership firmly on the national agenda. As the CEO, Rachelle trained thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders and was recognised with a wide range of awards. This included the prestigious Westpac Community CEO of the Year (2014), as well as being named one of Australian Financial Review's Australian Women of Influence (2014).
Rachelle is extremely passionate about supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to reach their leadership potential. In 2016, Rachelle formed Pipeline Talent to build support for emerging Indigenous leaders after recognising the need for an improved range of tailored support programs for Indigenous executives. With Rachelle at its helm, Pipeline Talent has cemented itself as a highly regarded and respected Indigenous recruitment company. Rachelle’s vision for the company was, and still is, to be recognised nationally and internationally as a catalyst for unlocking the talent and career potential of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
As the Managing Director, Rachelle Towart OAM is recognised nationally in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership, governance, and education. In 2018, she was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in recognition of her service in nurturing Indigenous leadership across the nation.
Few people have had a greater impact on developing the capabilities and aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders than Rachelle Towart.