The legacy paved by her elders past and present has given Indigenous Development Manager Llewellyn Williams a sense of responsibility to engage in the opportunities afforded to her. She says the desire to make her family proud and be of service to the Indigenous communities is what drives her in her role at Ventia.

Llewellyn's impact

Since she joined Ventia (at the time, Broadspectrum), over seven years ago, Llewellyn has supported our business by developing greater cultural understanding within the business, and by building stronger relationships with local Indigenous communities where we work. 

In a recent radio interview on 4ZZZ's Melanin, which explores and celebrates first nations peoples' achievements and music, Llewellyn discussed her journey as a proud Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander woman. Her traditional Aboriginal country is Wakka Wakka and Wulli Wulli in the North Burnett and Dawson River region of Queensland, while her cultural connection to the Torres Strait Islands is Ugar (Stephen Island). Llewellyn says all she does has been shaped by the guidance of her elders.   

Generating change through research

Llewellyn is currently completing her PHD at the University of Queensland. 

"My research topic sparked from a strategic challenge I participated in as part of the Emerging Indigenous Executive Leaders Program (EIELP)," Llewellyn says. The EIELP program was co-designed by RAP organisations of which Ventia is a member.

"I was involved in weekly discussions with my fellow researchers within the Faculty (school) of Education, and we explored the Indigenous experience through literature and our personal journeys." 

Llewellyn says she has since evolved her research question to explore how Indigenous women conceptualise flourishing and what success and leadership means to them.  

In the radio interview she describes the importance of this topic to her as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander woman. From examining her own journey, overcoming intergenerational traumas and continuing to flourish through personal successes, she is committed to exploring this topic in depth to help break limiting thought patterns and behaviours that hold Indigenous women back. 

Through my research, I hope to contribute to the knowledge about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in literature,' Llewellyn explains.

'My goal is to help others with interest in this area and increase the academic knowledge in this presently under-researched area."

With her role as a leader in a corporation that has an elevate RAP program and a strong relationship with Reconciliation Australia, Llewellyn's research can also be used to inform policy and bring about positive change to raise cultural understanding and implement policies and practices for continuous improvement. 

We are grateful to have people like Llewellyn at Ventia to help us move forward in our commitments to increasing opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation and engagement within our organisation.