Kerry Bodle

Professor Kerry Bodle is passionate about empowering young Indigenous people to embrace business as a potential career, indigenising the traditional business education curriculum and using community-led research to break down barriers to ensure success for Indigenous people, businesses and communities. Her mother was born in Cherbourg, Queensland – Wakka Wakka Nation – and was removed as part of the ‘Stolen Generation’.

While studying accounting she witnessed the lack of Indigenous content in any of the business courses. After completing her PhD (2013), Kerry provided leadership in transforming the business curriculum using storytelling and co-design approaches to create a pioneering standalone course bringing about greater understanding of Indigenous history, knowledge and culture across all aspects of Australian business and society. She demonstrates strong strategic, organisational and change management skills and works with and leads a range of academic and professional staff in a demanding and changing environment.

Kerry have an extensive leadership record including being noted as an “accomplished First Nations staff who received the 2019 Outstanding Indigenous Alumnus Award” (Strategic Plan 2020-2025). These achievements have resulted in being awarded the inaugural position of GBS Academic Director (Indigenous). I share and apply my Indigenous knowledge in transforming the Bachelor of Business (BBUS) and MBA courses, leading to improved learning outcomes for all students and increasingly positively influencing professionals, policymakers and educators nationally and internationally, progressing efforts toward ‘Closing the Gap’.

Kerry is a Fellow of CPA, and have featured in an article for July 2021 issue of the InTheBlack magazine as well as having two CPA “rooms” named after her in the newly furbished Melbourne and Brisbane offices. These acknowledgments substantiate the impact of her contributions to promoting engagement that drives economic, social, environmental, cultural and health benefits for our communities. She has established notable partnerships with external parties including national and international universities, professional accounting bodies, industry, local and federal government bodies, Indigenous businesses, philanthropic and community organisations.