What Legacy Means to Me as a Young Aboriginal Woman in Finance/Business

By 2025 Leah Armstrong Scholar, Hayley Shadforth

Legacy, to me, means more than what is left behind. It is about what we choose to build while we are here. As a young Aboriginal woman in finance and business, legacy means creating long-term change, not only for myself but for my people. It is about paving the way so that others can walk more freely, with more opportunities and fewer barriers than those before us had to face.

In many ways, I see legacy as something deeply cultural. Our people have always understood the importance of passing knowledge, values, and stories from one generation to the next. That same principle guides how I view my role in business. I want to build something meaningful that reflects who I am, where I come from, and the strength of those who came before me. Legacy is not just about success in the Western sense. It is about how that success can be used to empower the community, uphold culture, and create space for others to thrive.

Being in finance, I recognise how powerful knowledge is and how often that knowledge has been kept from our people. I want my legacy to challenge that, to help make financial systems more inclusive, more accessible, and more responsive to the needs of our communities. Whether it is through education, mentorship, or leading by example, I want to ensure our young mob see that they belong in these spaces too.

Legacy also means learning from those who came before me. When I reflect on the strength, resilience, and determination of my family, I see a powerful foundation that continues to guide me. Their legacy teaches me how to move through business and leadership with integrity, humility, and purpose. I carry their lessons with me in every decision I make, knowing that their values shape the way I lead. From them, I have learned that I do not have to choose between culture and career. I can honour both. I can walk confidently in professional spaces while staying connected to who I am and where I come from.

At its core, legacy means making sure that the next generation does not have to start from the same place I did. It is about laying foundations now so that others can rise higher, dream bigger, and lead stronger. That is the legacy I hope to create, one rooted in purpose, driven by culture, and carried forward with pride.

Gurminder Saro

Interim Chair

Associate Professor Rick Macourt is a proud, queer Gumbaynggirr man, lawyer, and economic specialist. He leads First Nations Economics as Managing Director of Strategy and Foundation and serves as Associate Dean of First Nations Strategy and Services at the University of Sydney.

With over 15 years of experience spanning government, corporate, and not-for-profit sectors, Rick is deeply committed to advancing the economic development of First Peoples. As the former Director of First Nations Expenditure and Outcomes at NSW Treasury, he spearheaded the state’s inaugural Indigenous expenditure reporting processes and established the groundbreaking First Nations budget process in 2021/22. Previously, Rick held an executive role at the Westpac Group, overseeing First Nations affairs, and has a rich history in government, monitoring, evaluation, and negotiation, with senior positions at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, City of Sydney, and Standards Australia.

Rick is a published author with Oxford University Press, a member of the First Nations Advisory Board of Siemens Australia, and a Non-Executive Director on the board of Barnardos Australia.