Former Woodside Energy executive Joe Proctor has been appointed to the Federal Government’s National Indigenous Council.
The NIC is designed to provide advice to government on issues affecting Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders and fills the void left by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, which was disbanded earlier this year.
The council’s membership has been appointed on the basis of their expertise and Mr Proctor, now working with Carnegie Wylie & Co Investment Bank in Sydney, has been chosen for his business acumen.
“The minister [Indigenous Affairs Minister Amanda Van-stone] appointed me to provide an insight into some of the business areas,” he said.
“I’m certainly not purporting to be an expert on a lot of the social issues affecting Aboriginal people but that’s why they’ve chosen people like Sue Gordon.”
Ms Gordon, a Western Australian magistrate, has been named chairwoman of the council.
Besides his role with Carnegie Wylie, Mr Proctor is also CEO of privately resourced scoping fund Indigenous Capital Limited, and a board member of Indigenous Business Australia.
When he first joined the IBA board in 2002 he was the youngest non-executive director ever appointed to the association. That two-year term was extended by another two years in 2004.
IBA is a Federal statutory authority that manages private equity investments related to Indigenous business ventures.
It has about $100 million under management spread over 23 companies around Australia with investment targets including mining, mining-related service provision, retail, tourism, property development, insurance and aquaculture.
Some investments of the two funds Mr Proctor is involved with include: Monkey Mia Resort; Kings Canyon Resort; Foxleigh Queensland Coal Mine; Ngarda Civil & Mining; Fitzroy Crossing Inn and Lodge; 50 Colin Street, West Perth; Queensland Bulk Haulage; and Carpentaria Shipping Service.
Mr Proctor is also understood to be the first Aboriginal person to complete a full Masters of Business Administration.
He studied his MBA at the University of WA where he made the Dean’s Distinction List and was awarded the Dux for Strategic Management, the Executive Leadership Award and represented the university in the Boston Consulting Group Strategy Competition.
Ms Gordon holds the distinction of being the first Aboriginal magistrate in WA and the first Aboriginal to head a government department in the State.
She was one of the first ATSIC commissioners.