We’re thrilled to officially announce the appointment of
Rebecca McGuinness as the new CEO of Murawin.
Rebecca knows the business inside out having not only worked within Murawin for years in multiple crucial roles but also being the child of Murawin’s Co-founders and previous CEO Carol Vale.
It has always been vitally important for Murawin to be a family led business that serves not only as an economic opportunity for the family but more broadly as an example of Indigenous economic empowerment and intergenerational success.
“The first time Carol and Greg mentioned the succession plan was actually on my first day working full time for Murawin. Which was really intimidating. But as I became more and more involved in the Indigenous Business Sector the concept became really exciting because mob has not had that opportunity to create sustainable, strong economic businesses until now.” – Rebecca McGuinness
The succession story of Murawin has been a long journey that has been in the pipeline for many years but was accelerated rapidly with the sudden and tragic passing of Murawin’s Co-founder Greg McKenzie in 2023.
“I ended up spending a couple of years working really closely, in particular with Greg, to learn the back end of the business, and really got a sense for what they (Carol and Greg) hoped to achieve for the business long term. Unfortunately, that succession planning that was meant to happen over several year’s time got brought forward quite rapidly when we lost Greg.” – Rebecca McGuinness
Rebecca’s appointment represents not only a significant milestone for Murawin, but also an important moment for the Indigenous Business Sector more broadly, as more First Nations–led enterprises begin to plan for leadership transitions across generations.
“Succession planning has existed in many industries for thousands of years,” Rebecca said. “But we’re only now starting to see it emerge in the Indigenous Business Sector in Australia. That is because historically, even though the passing down of intergenerational knowledge has been happening for 60,000+ years, mob haven’t always had the opportunities in today’s society, to build strong, sustainable economic businesses that can last across generations.”
Murawin’s succession journey reflects this broader shift. The business was built through the entrepreneurial drive and determination of its Co-founders, Carol and Greg, who laid the foundations through years of long hours, personal sacrifice and deep commitment to creating a strong and sustainable Indigenous enterprise.
Rebecca said watching the business grow offered a rare insight into what it takes to establish and maintain a family-led organisation.
“I had the opportunity to see how Carol and Greg built Murawin. The late nights, the weekend work, and doing whatever it took to make the business strong,” she said. “Now their generation is at a point where they can hand over the reins to their adult children, like myself, who are stepping into the leadership roles and continuing to build on the legacy for the next generation.”
She said the transition was particularly exciting as similar stories are beginning to emerge across the Indigenous Business Sector.
“It’s exciting not just for me, but because I’m seeing it happen in other Indigenous businesses as well,”
“I will always be a part of Murawin.” – Carol Vale
Carol will continue to play an integral role at Murawin as the Co-founder and ambassador of the business and key cultural and strategic advisor to Rebecca and the wider leadership team.
Clients and community can expect to see Carol out and about at community events, conferences and industry trade shows, showcasing Murawin’s important work and highlighting the vital importance of the Indigenous Business Sector to Australia’s economic future and society.
“Murawin’s clients and stakeholders can continue to expect to receive the same quality of service, knowledge and cultural wisdom from Murawin that they’ve been experiencing for the past decade.” – Rebecca McGuinness
Under Rebecca’s stewardship Murawin will continue to deliver our core services of research, evaluation, community engagement and place strategy across the nation. But a key goal moving forward is to share what we know and uncover in ways that spark interest, connect with people, and brings our work to life. Whether it’s through stories, reports, visuals, conversations, or other ways of communicating, we want what we create to move people. To make them feel the importance of the recommendations shaped by Murawin and by community. When people are inspired to act, we create the strongest outcomes for our clients, for communities, and for mob.
“Increased illustrations, First Nations design, video production, animation and more. Knowledge and education are everything. And the more we share these stories in the most effective ways possible, the greater impact we can have in this space.” – Rebecca McGuinness
As a part of the Murawin succession story, our resident designer and digital artist Wallula Bethell created Nyinhambu Ngundakang – Our Tomorrow as a powerful visual expression of Rebecca’s story and her transition to CEO. This process isn’t just about recording the family and company story in ways that go beyond words, it also shows the depth, creativity, and strength of what we at Murawin can produce in‑house. It reflects the kind of meaningful, beautiful work we want to share with our clients, our communities, and our mob.
“This is about the family. But also, it’s about contributing to the broader landscape of the Indigenous Business Sector. I get so excited when I think about second generation Indigenous business owners. And Rebecca in a special group of people there. I’m immensely proud of her and I am so looking forward to seeing where she’s going to take Murawin.” – Carol Vale
This year is an exciting one as Rebecca officially takes the helm and guides Murawin into the future backed by a team of cultural, technical and creative experts committed to upholding Murawin’s legacy and building upon it to create a better, fairer and more just future for all.
“I no longer feel that same level of intimidation that I did the first time that Carol and Greg mentioned succession to me. Instead, I feel excitement about it, especially because I’m seeing it happening in other First Nations businesses around the country as well. It is an absolute privilege of mine to be able to take that over, see Carol and Greg’s legacy upheld and hopefully elevated even further into the future.” – Rebecca McGuinness
