A forum for business owners and leaders, finance professionals, researchers and policymakers.

Deakin Business School (DBS) is pleased to announce its second Indigenous Accounting and Business Conference to be held on 26 and 27 October 2016 at the beautiful Geelong Waterfront in Victoria, Australia.

This year’s aim is to continue raising the consciousness around what role business and finance can play; and do so in a positive, interesting and culturally safe manner.

This vision is underpinned by last year’s success, which has resulted in attendants submitting feedback stating that as a result of interactions at the conference, and as Indigenous accountants, they now feel valued and supported on the journey they have taken to become a member of the accounting profession.

The 2016 conference will include keynote speakers Mick Gooda, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner; Laura Berry, Chief Executive Officer of Supply Nation; Professor Mark Rose, Chair/Chancellor of Batchelor Indigenous Institute of Tertiary Education Darwin and Executive Director of the Office of Indigenous Strategy and education, La Trobe University; and Amanda Young, Chief Executive Officer, First Nations Foundation.

Continuing from Deakin Business School’s inaugural Indigenous Accounting and Business Conference in 2015, and encompassing Russell Taylor’s (2015 keynote speaker) statement that ‘Cultural competence is just as important as professional competence!’ this year’s theme will be ‘Cultural inclusion in business’. The conference will deliver a range of sessions including:

• Indigenous businesses – national and international
• Government initiatives and outcomes
• Other professions: embedding of cultural knowledge
• Embedding culture in business
• The perspectives of an Indigenous business student
• Indigenous not-for-profit organisations
• The role of financial literacy in Indigenous communities
• Supporting Indigenous employment in the field of business.

This year, academic research papers will also be presented and participants will get an opportunity to tour Deakin University’s Institute of Koorie Education, which is located at the Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus.

We hope you can join us for this two-day event, to take advantage of an excellent knowledge-sharing and networking opportunity, featuring a quality program with renowned speakers and interactive break-out sessions.