Marrung barrang

(good morning)

As the year comes to a close, we at Murawin have a great deal to reflect on.  2023 has been the most challenging year we have had, both personally and professionally.  

The passing of my life partner, our co-founder and Chief Operations Officer, Greg McKenzie has had, and continues to have, a profound impact on the team at Murawin. I couldn’t be prouder of the team for the leadership, grace, and integrity they have shown in relation to managing Sorry Business in a corporate context, whilst continuing to meet the needs of our clients and communities that we work with.

I have said it many times internally, that what we have been through this year is one of the hardest things any company can go through and the strength, compassion, and empathy the team have shown to myself and my family, themselves and the community at large speaks volumes of the type of company Murawin is, and for that I am extremely grateful. 

I want to extend this gratitude to our clients for the understanding and empathy shown towards our company and staff. The wonderful messages and flowers we received filled our offices and homes with the aroma of Australian native flowers for months.

This was greatly appreciated, and it demonstrated the very notion of cultural respect and reciprocity that is at the heart of our work here at Murawin.

There are many of our clients and colleagues that we would like to thank – too many to call out here. However, I do want to make a particular shout out to the Indigenous business advocacy groups, Supply Nation, SEQICC and NSWICC, that have shown support to both myself, and our team throughout this very challenging year.

This year presented other challenges and in the wake of the devastating and disappointing results of the Voice to Parliament Referendum,

Murawin remains committed to reconciliation.

Our work continues to make impact and position the voices of Indigenous Australians front and centre on the key issues that impact their lives and their futures. I again want to thank and commend our staff for their resilience, hard work and empathy shown in the aftermath of the Referendum. Across the year we have worked in many areas including climate change, domestic violence and child safety, employment, education, and economic empowerment. At the heart of all this work, sits the key values of Murawin – create impact, innovative change, aim higher and diversity delivers.

In a year marked by change,  

we have said goodbye to members of the team, some who had been here for many years, and we want to wish them well in all their endeavours and thank them for their work at Murawin.

But alongside the goodbyes come a round of welcomes, as we continue to build the Murawin team with a diverse range of talented people with an exciting range of expertise, knowledge and skills to continue to deliver on our core values.

As well as growing the team, we have expanded our offices into Victoria and Regional NSW, and I am thrilled to announce we have opened an office in my home Country of Armidale, and in Melbourne City. I look forward to collaborating with the broader community of the New England region in improving outcomes for First Nations peoples. This coming to fruition in 2024 is particularly special, as Armidale is where Greg and I first launched Murawin, at the Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place in 2014.

We look forward to 2024, as there will be much to celebrate, with

Murawin turning 10 years old.

We’re looking forward to sharing the insights and learnings from our last decade of work, creating impact and driving social and economic change through our partnerships and collaborations with our clients and communities throughout Australia and internationally.

“Treat everyone and every moment like they’re important. Whether you’re sitting across from a CEO in a boardroom, or sitting at the craft table with your granddaughter, yarning about why pink is better than purple. Listen and show them respect and your full attention. It’s amazing the impact that this has on people and relationships.” – Greg McKenzie, Co-founder & COO of Murawin, Husband, Father, Pop & Friend

 

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year to you all!

Sincerely,

Carol Vale, co-founder and CEO, Murawin