On 7 October 2025, Ashurst and the AJBCC co-hosted a Special Event on the topic of ‘Building Prosperity with First Nations People’ during the 62nd Annual Australia-Japan Joint Business Conference.
The event featured keynote speakers: Mr Trent Wallace, Head of First Nations Strategy at Ashurst; and Ms Leah Armstrong, Strategic Advisor at First Nations Economic Empowerment Alliance, who offered practical insights and strategies for building genuine partnerships, moving beyond compliance to support responsible and successful business.
Evident during the discussion was the vital role that cultural safety, competence and respect in the workplace has in shifting the narrative from basic compliance to a culture in which identity is genuinely valued and individuals feel safe, respected and empowered.
Critical to this shift is the necessity of building authentic, long-term relationships, honouring cultural traditions, and adopting inclusive frameworks to address psychosocial risks in the workplace. The consistent thread was one of building momentum in First Nations economic empowerment and shared value in project development.
Click on the link below to download a high-level summary of the key takeaways from the discussion.