RA Media Release

Reconciliation Australia today announced the appointment of Ms Leah Armstrong as its new Chief Executive Officer. Leah, a Torres Strait Islander of Boigu Island, was born in Mackay Queensland and has lived for the past 20 years in Newcastle, New South Wales.

Since 2009 Leah has worked with Social Ventures Australia advising on social enterprise development partnerships. From 1992-2009 Leah was the Executive Director, Yarnteen Ltd (formerly Yarnteen Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Corporation) based in Newcastle.

With Yarnteen, Leah managed staff across five enterprises, including Yarnteen’s major commercial businesses, and grew the company from a start-up government funded organisation to a self sufficient organisation with substantial assets and diverse and reliable income streams.

As a Director of Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) for the last nine years, Leah has seen the organisation through a period of unprecedented investment growth of net assets from $67 million to around $1 billion, and an investment asset base at approximately $300 million.

Reconciliation Australia Co-Chair Mark Leibler said Ms Armstrong’s demonstrated track record in achieving results through community capacity building and her strong background in working closely with governments and the private sector to maximise partnerships made her an ideal appointment.

“Leah has more than 20 years experience working with Aboriginal communities to create economic independence,” Mr Leibler said.

“As an Indigenous Governance Awards judge, Leah has a clear understanding of effective governance and brings considerable skills in building and maintaining respectful relationships—key building blocks for reconciliation and essential qualities to lead our organisation into the future.”

As well as her directorship with IBA, Leah is a Director with the Australian Indigenous Minority Supplier Council (AIMSC), Board member of the Jobs Australia Foundation and the Hunter Regional Sports Authority, and a member of the National Policy Commission on Indigenous Housing.

“I have long admired Reconciliation Australia and their achievements towards building respectful relationships. Although I have been involved with the reconciliation movement for more than 18 years, I am very excited about leading Reconciliation Australia in the ongoing challenge of reconciliation between mainstream Australia and our Indigenous people,” Ms Armstrong said.

Ms Armstrong will commence with Reconciliation Australia at the end of August.