Carla McGrath

Carla McGrath is a proud Torres Strait Islander woman and a passionate speaker, advocate and MC. Born and raised on the Australian mainland, she now lives in Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island). Carla is an expert in community engagement and consultation, transformational organisational cultural change, organisational strategy and sustainability, program design and development, and facilitation.

Carla is Board Chair at GetUp and Native Foodways, Board Director at Blakdance, a member of the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research reference group: Thiitu Tharrmay (Australian National University) and member of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait IslanderAdvisory Group for Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC).

Carla has a track record of cultivating and maintaining effective networks, alliances and relationships with a broad range of stakeholders including corporate, philanthropic and for purpose partners, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, communities and organisations.

Carla brings over a decade of experience in the establishment, leadership and governance of for-purpose organisations and businesses, using this experience to assist organisations, institutions and communities to seed, grow, change and sustain themselves.

Carla’s previous roles include Program Director for the Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity, Head of Sustainability at the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence (NCIE) and Relationship Manager at AIME (Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience).

Her previous board and governance roles include Co-Chair of the Management Committee of the NSW Reconciliation Council, Vice Chair of AYAC (Australian Youth Affairs Coalition), Board Director of Shared Path Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation, Flashpoint Labs and the George Hicks Foundation, Delegate to the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples, Member of the AIME Corporation, Member of The Smith Family Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Panel, and Public Member of the Australian Press Council.