As a people business, it’s critical that we invest in our people to help them grow and develop successful careers with Ventia.  

One cohort we’re investing even further in is our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees.

Group Executive Derek Osborn, who has been part of our reconciliation journey since the beginning back in 2007, was proud to announce the launch of the Eddie Fry Education Fund.

The Fund has been named in honour of former Ventia Indigenous Advisory Board (IAB) Chair Eddie Fry, who stepped down from the role at the end of 2024.

“Eddie’s leadership has been pivotal in advancing our reconciliation journey, employment diversity, procurement with Indigenous businesses, and company culture transformation,” Derek says.

Eddie’s journey with Ventia

Eddie's journey with us began in 2007 when he was appointed as Chair and attended the first IAB meeting at Santos House in South Australia. His early vision and commitment laid the foundation for our reconciliation efforts.

His guidance and leadership served the organisation well through the launch of the first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in 2009, which made Ventia (then Transfield Services) the first services organisation in Australia to have a registered RAP.

Through the following four RAPs, Eddie and the IAB were focused on providing strong governance around the organisation’s objectives and ensuring we embed it as a way of doing business, not an add-on.

Eddie says his time with Ventia has been very rewarding, partly through all the things the organisation has achieved throughout our RAP journey both for Ventia and for the communities in which we operate.

From increasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment from 2.2% to 3.48% to growing our procurement spend with Indigenous businesses to $122 million with 190 businesses in 2024, the impact is large and measurable.

“If what we do in the Indigenous space as organisations is good for the organisation, it’ll be good for community too,” he says.

The Eddie Fry Education Fund

The education fund supports an education program that is more than just a collection of courses; it is a holistic approach to professional development, offering a diverse range of opportunities tailored to individual needs and aspirations. From foundational skills to advanced leadership training, the program caters to all levels of experience.

The Education Fund supports internal and external training opportunities, aligned with employees’ career goals.

Each year, a panel will review each application, with successful applicants awarded funding to cover the costs of tuition, travel, and accommodation. Eddie sees the fund as an investment in people, which will also benefit Ventia into the future.

“I hope that Ventia finds people that have a similar approach to life to me, which is to say people that don’t seek the limelight or glory, but want to do good things for others,” he says. “People that show up early, dressed to kill and ready to do a great job. People that think of others first and want to do good things.”

“I hope that the recipient of the fund will really embrace the opportunity, putting their best foot forward.”

Eddie believes that those who are successful know people.

He might be stepping down from his role on Ventia’s IAB, but Eddie is a long way from done yet. He will continue working for impact with communities across Australia to help them utilise their assets, on their land, for their people and their success.

“I continue to strive for purpose – which is to keep doing the very best I can to help Indigenous Australians and communities.”