Neil Willmett (Australian businessman)

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Neil Michael Willmett (born 24 March 1972) is an influential Aboriginal businessman, author and philanthropist who resides in Brisbane, Australia.

Willmett has been responsible for managing a number of significant projects and reviews in Queensland on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers, training and education and employment practices which have influenced changes to State and Commonwealth government policies.

In recent years, Willmett has shifted his focus to building the Aboriginal business sector in Australia and to promoting the importance of Aboriginal people pursuing tertiary qualifications.^[1]. In 2008 he published his first book "How to Start a Successful Aboriginal Business in Australia" [1].

[edit] Life and Work

[edit] Family and Schooling

Neil Willmett December 2007 (Courtesy FaHCSIA Website)

Willmett grew up in Innisfail, North Queensland and is the youngest son of an Aboriginal mother, Marjorie Willmett (nee Miller) and a Caucasian father, Lance Willmett. He has four siblings Ian, Robert, Barbara and a fraternal twin brother called Colin.

His maternal Aboriginal grandparents were Cissie Miller (nee Sibley), a Kuku Yalanji woman and Mick Miller senior, a Waanyi man (both deceased). Both maternal grandparents were sent to Palm Island Aboriginal Mission in the late 1920's where they were later married in a joint wedding ceremony with Willie Thaiday (author of 'Under the Act'[1981]) and his wife.

His paternal great grandfather was Thankful Willmett, a well known North Queensland businessman and a man that was also active in local and regional politics. Thankful Willmett was a long term Mayor of Townsville in the 1880's and was also a prominent member of the North Queensland Separationist movement that fought to see Queensland became a separate state from New South Wales in 1859.[2].

Willmett attended Marist Brothers Primary School and Good Counsel College (formerly Marist Brothers College) in Innisfail until Year 10. He completed Year 11 at Innisfail State High School before dropping out of school. In 1996, Willmett graduated from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Applied Health Science degree.

[edit] Early life

Willmett has publicly stated that his life has been influenced by a number of Aboriginal role models, including his mother, an Aboriginal housing co-operative manager and his uncle Mick Miller (deceased), an Aboriginal Land Rights Activist and educator. Mick Miller and Phil Stewart were the first two Aboiginal school teachers in Queensland, graduating from Kelvin Grove Teachers College (now Queensland University of Technology) in the early 1960's. In 1985, Miller chaired the National Review of Aboriginal Employment and Training Programs. This committee report (also known as the Miller Report) led to the Commonwealth Government developing a National Indigenous Education Policy.^[2] .

[edit] 1990s

In the early part of his career, Willmett worked as an Aboriginal Health Worker. He was later employed by the Queensland Government [3] as a Senior Policy Officer and advisor where he was responsible working on human resources and industrial relations legislation, education and training policy and Aboriginal employment and health initiatives.

In 1996, Willmett graduated from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Applied Health Science degree (in Indigenous Primary Health Care)[4] with the skills and experience to manage health care services.

The following year (1997), he enrolled in a Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery degree at the University of Newcastle and was one of a number of Indigenous medical students and doctors that attended a historic conference at Salamander Bay, NSW that resulted in the established the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association (AIDA)[5]. In 1998, he was awarded the prestigious National Australian Medical Association Indigenous Peoples’ Medical Scholarship [6] by the then Governor General of Australia, Sir William Deane at Government House, Canberra.

During his time as a medical student, Willmett began a textile and clothing company that sold artwork and clothing to support him whilst at university.

Willmett withdrew from this medical degree program in 1999 and returned to Queensland to work for Queensland Health [7] as a Principal Policy Officer where he advised staff on policies that related to Indigenous workforce issues and the implementation of the Queensland Health Indigenous Employment Strategy. At the time, Willmett was one of the youngest senior managers working for the Queensland Government. In this year he was enrolled in the Queensland Health Executive Leadership Development Program[8] which was developed for senior (non-clinical) managers.

[edit] 2000s

In 2000, Willmett was appointed to the Queensland Government, Queensland Training and Employment Board (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee), by the then Queensland Government Minister for Education and Training, Mr Matt Foley.

Later that year he was accepted into the Graduate Medical Course (GMC) at the University of Queensland and left his senior role in the Queensland Government. That same year he was awarded the Dr Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarship for Medicine[9]. Willmett withdrew from this medical degree program in 2002 and was employed by the Queensland Aboriginal & Islander Health Council (QAIHC) [10], the state peak body representing the Community Controlled Health Sector in Queensland at both state and national level.

As the Workforce Manager for QAIHC, he was responsible for providing human resource advice to Community Controlled Health Services in Queensland. Whilst in this position he was appointed to the National Steering Committee to advise the technical writers who were responsible for writing the new National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health Worker Competency Standards. He left this position in 2004 as his personal business interests grew.

Willmett established the Brisbane based business "Willmett and Associates - Workforce Consultants" (now called Willmett Consultants) [11] in January 2004. This business provides business advice, project management services and human resource advice. Two significant projects that have been managed by this business on behalf of government agencies include the "Queensland Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health Worker Scope of Practice Project" ^[3]and the "Queensland CDEP Supervisors Training Project" [12]. The growth of this business has been rapid.

Neil Willmett & Cyclone Larry Taskforce Leader, General Peter Cosgrove (Courtesy Innisfail Advocate April 2006)

In March 2006, Willmetts charity work was illustrated when Cyclone Larry struck Innisfail. Willmett organised the Cyclone Larry 'Can for a Cause' Appeal in Brisbane to collect tinned food for the cyclone victims. Within two weeks, the appeal had raised over a tonne of tinned food and school stationary for the Innisfail Community which he delivered in person to the Johnstone Shire Council chambers. His charity efforts were applauded by the then Mayor of Innisfail Cr Neil Clarke, Leader of Cyclone Larry Taskforce General Peter Cosgrove and Willmetts local Brisbane MP, the Australian Labour Party Member for Griffith, Kevin Rudd.

In 2007, Willmett was selected to participate in the inaugural 'Commonwealth Government Indigenous Community Men's Leadership Program'[13] which was implemented to build the capacity of future Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders. During this program, Willmett strongly promoted his vision of seeing more Aboriginal businesses in Australia, but cautioned that Aboriginal people must gain the core business skills if they are to be successful.

Willmett published his first paperback called "How to Start a Successful Aboriginal Business in Australia" in early 2008. This was the first time in Australian history that a book on establishing a business had been written by an Aboriginal businessman and author.

Willmett has been vocal on the importance of Aboriginal people gaining tertiary qualifications. On 14 February 2008, a story written by the Business Editor (Mr Peter Switzer) of The Australian newspaper titled "Aboriginal Small Business Aid May Be The Next Step" [14] discussed the significance of saying sorry to Aboriginal people for past injustices and the issue of compensation. When asked by Switzer about financial compensation for Aboriginal people, Willmett said "to me the best compensation would be free access to a tertiary education. Living costs and fees to attend university, together with distance from family, all create barriers to people attending and completing university". Switzer said that Willmett was someone who "is straight to the point and lateral in his thinking" and went on to describe Willmett as a person who "thinks-outside-the-square".

In March 2008, Willmett was listed as one of the 1000 participants invited to take part in the Australia 2020 Summit [15]. The Summit was convened by the Prime Minister of Australia Kevin Rudd at Parliament House on 19 and 20 April 2008. The aim of the of the Summit is to help shape a long term strategy for the nation’s future. According to the 2020 Summit website [16] "the Summit will bring together some of the best and brightest brains from across the country to tackle the long term challenges confronting Australia’s future – challenges which require long-term responses from the nation beyond the usual three year electoral cycle. To do this, the Government will bring together 1000 leading Australians to the national Parliament to debate and develop long-term options for the nation across 10 critica".

Willmett is currently an Executive Committee Member of the South East Queensland Indigenous Chamber of Commerce ^[4], a successful business owner, advisor and author^[5][6].

He is also the nephew of one of Australias first Aboriginal barristers, controversial New South Wales Magistrate Pat O'Shane. And an older cousin to 2000 Sydney Olympics 400m Gold Medallist and former Australian of the Year, Cathy Freeman and to the 2007 Queensland Young Australian of the Year and also Young Australian of the Year, Tania Major.

[edit] Appointments

2008, Selected Participant, Australian Government 2020 Summit, Canberra, ACT

2007, Selected Participant, (Inaugural) Commonwealth Government Indigenous Community Men's Leadership Program.

2004, Steering Committee to Advise Project & Technical Writers, National Development of A&TSI Health Worker Competency Standards Project, Community Services & Health Industry Skills Council, NSW

2004, National Cross-Industry Reference Group, National Development of A&TSI Health Worker Competency Standards Project, Community Services & Health Industry Skills Council, NSW

2000, Queensland Training and Employment Board (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee), Queensland Department of Employment & Training, QLD

1998, Justice of the Peace (JP), New South Wales Department of the Attorney General, NSW

[edit] References