Bruce Davidson

Acting Chairman
August 2010 – current
(Acting Chairman from October 2017 to present, and October 2013 – March 2014)

Bruce holds degrees in Law and Commerce from the University of Queensland and was formerly a partner in a leading commercial law firm. He specialised in international business and conducted business development activities throughout Asia. Bruce has spent the last 20 years with Davidson Recruitment and in his current role as the Davidson Group CEO, he leads a talented team across Australia and New Zealand dedicated to enhancing workplace performance for clients. He has also been invited to consult to boards and senior executives, to act as a mentor, and speak on both formal and informal occasions.  Bruce has previously held the role of Regional Councillor for Finsia.

​“Yalari works. It definitively achieves the outcome in Indigenous Australia that matter most – truly empowering Indigenous people to make a difference. In itself, that is an extraordinary achievement.

The real magic in Yalari however, lies in its philosophy of inclusiveness. If you are fair dinkum, want to make a contribution of any kind and back that up with actions, you are welcome to become part of the Yalari family.  To quote Waverley,  ‘…whether you are black, white, green, blue, corrugated or brindle!’”

Waverley Stanley AM

Founding Director

April 2005 – current

As a Founding Director of Yalari, Waverley knows about the power of education and has worked tirelessly over the past 11 years to turn his dream of Yalari into a reality.  Waverley has worked extensively throughout Queensland as an Indigenous Support Officer for Education Queensland. More recently he has presented and facilitated leadership and education workshops and conferences for Indigenous people throughout Australia. Waverley is a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program for 2005-2006 and also the recipient of a prestigious Churchill Fellowship for 2013.

“I love it because I am part of something bigger than myself and it enriches my life and my country. 

I feel humbled that I’m fortunate enough to have created, worked in, and one day leave behind… the legacy of Yalari.”

Llew Mullins

Managing Director
February 2011 – August 2014
November 2014 – current

Llew has worked extensively throughout Australia with Indigenous people, coordinating business workshops and managing a mentoring program between corporate business people and Indigenous small business owners.

As a founding director of Yalari (and the current Managing Director), Llew’s experience in business, financial management and organisation, as well as many years working in the social welfare and counselling areas, has provided the necessary skills to bring Yalari from an idea to a reality.

“The simple idea of Yalari in 2005 is now a viable reality that makes sense and is relevant in 2016.

Today, contributing as the Managing Director of Yalari, my life is focused on education and empowerment. I picture an afternoon in the future where I’ll be sitting on a verandah with a cup of black tea in my hand, a hose in the other, watering the garden, and a contented feeling in my mind that there were many parts of my life that were good and right and real and honest;  and Yalari was one of them.”

Karen Spiller

June 2015 to present

Principal
John Paul College
MBA, MEdAdmin, BA, BEdSt, FACE, FAIM, FACEL, FAHRI, FAICD, FCEOI

Karen has had teaching and leadership experience in both girls’ and co-educational Anglican schools for over 30 years. She is the former Principal at St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School (17 years) and is current Principal at John Paul College.  Karen is the National Chair of the Association of Heads in Independent Schools Australia and has been a member of that Board for ten years and has also held the position of Treasurer. She is Vice President of Independent Schools Queensland, a member of the International Education and Training Advisory Group (IETAG) for the Queensland Government and a Past National President for the Alliance of Girls’ Schools, Australasia. Karen holds both a Masters in Educational Administration and an MBA.

​“Seeing the changes in the Yalari scholars’ confidence and belief in themselves is what drives me to be passionate about Yalari.

I hope that Yalari students will make our world and Australia a better place through their leadership and that in time, they too will give back to others and their communities.”

John Campbell

May 2018 to present

John has a wealth of investment management experience, having spent more than 24 years in a variety of roles within the industry. Prior to founding Avoca Investment Management, John spent six years at UBS where he was Managing Director / Portfolio Manager of the UBS Australian Small Companies Fund, which was awarded the Australian Fund Managers’ Best Small Cap Fund Manager of the Year in 2009. John joined UBS in 2004 from Credit Suisse First Boston where he was a Director of Equity Research Sales.

He has worked in a broad range of roles within the industry including equity analysis, trading and sales at various financial institutions including Maple-Brown Abbott, Bankers Trust Australia and JP Morgan Private.

Prior to working in financial markets, John was employed as an auditor with Price Waterhouse.

Edward (Eddie) Watkin

July 2018 to present

Founding Partner, LeadershipFIT

MA (Leadership), BEd, Churchill Fellow

Born and raised in Cairns, Eddie’s rich Indigenous Australian cultural heritage comes from Erub and Mabuiag Islands of the Torres Strait.

Eddie is one of Australia’s leading facilitators and highly respected leadership educators. He is a leadership entrepreneur, coach, mentor, strategist, presenter, author and speaker, and a lifelong learner of leadership.

Eddie’s passion is to build, strengthen and advance better leadership connections between everyday people. He has had the privilege of coming alongside youth to inspire them to achieve their leadership best. He has coached executives and senior executives in business leadership. He has mentored people who want to make a difference in their personal lives, and he has had the honour of facilitating events for people who want to transform nations.

He continues to positively inspire, instruct and influence the lives of all generations in living their best leadership life.

Eddie is honoured to serve on the Board of Directors of Yalari. He believes Yalari is ‘a game changer of positive innovation and disruption in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership space, our nation and the world ’.

Cameron Prout

August 2018 to present

Head of Fundraising and Philanthropy at UnitingCare.

BHMS, BA (Rec Mgt)

Cameron joined the Yalari Board to help create opportunities in perpetuity for future generations of Indigenous children to realise their dreams and have a lasting impact on all Australians.

Cameron is the Head of Fundraising and Philanthropy at UnitingCare, helping hundreds of thousands of people and families throughout Queensland live life in all its fullness. Cameron is responsible for fundraising and philanthropy across UnitingCare’s health, aged care and community services including Lifeline, Blue Care, The Wesley Hospital and St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital as well as UnitingCare’s vast range of community programs.

Previously the Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Heart Foundation for over 18 years, Cameron led the efforts to significantly increase the impact, profile and revenue of both organisations.