Dr Kate George

Managing Director of Bugardi Pty Ltd

Dr Kate George is a Putejurra woman from the Murchison-Gascoyne region in Western Australia. She was born on the 494 mile peg of the rabbit proof fence and belongs to the Putejurra people who are part of the Martu of the Western Desert. She spent 14 years in a Perth institution from the age of 3. She was the first Aboriginal student to graduate in law from the Australian National University, the first Aboriginal woman admitted to practice law in WA, and one of the first Aboriginal women to chair an ASX-listed company when she joined Ten Sixty-Four in November 2022.

Her experience ranges from a long association of over 40 years with Aboriginal organizations and communities across Australia, writing the first employment and training strategies for major contractors to the resources industry, Ministerial advisor at a national parliament level and state level in Victoria. She has had extensive Board experience and is a GAICD.

Dr George is a distinguished legal, resources industry and Indigenous business leader with a unique background of experience in the public, corporate and community sectors. Her areas of specialty include law, governance, community development and planning in key areas including international law, health, economic development, employment and training.

Dr George has held senior public service positions, including as a ministerial advisor at both the State and Federal levels, and as a consultant in the resources sector. She was a managing director of PwC’s Indigenous Consulting and acting chief executive of the Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service in the East Pilbara. Dr George is an inaugural inductee into the WA Women’s Hall of Fame and was involved in the development of the UN Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People.

She is currently a member of the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) board.

She was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws from Edith Cowan University in 2019.

Dr George led the WA office for PwC's Indigenous Consulting for just over 5 years until December 2022.

She was one of the first Aboriginal Women to chair an ASX listed company.

She continues to run her consulting company Claypan Services Pty Ltd and is also a Director of Warlparringu Pty Ltd (t/a WPL)- a Supply Nation registered Drone Technology Solutions company and recently commenced as MD of Bugardi Pty Ltd a Supply Nation certified construction company based in Perth.

Kate is also Co-Lead of the First Nations Clean Energy and Emissions Reduction Advisory Committee.