The pilot First Nations Trade and Investment Advisory Group (pilot Advisory Group) was established as part of the Government’s 2023-24 budget allocation for the Office for First Nations International Engagement in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The pilot Advisory Group was formed following an Expression of Interest process, and first met in February 2025.
The Terms of Reference cover the purpose, structure and governance of the pilot Advisory Group.
Media release
Boosting First Nations trade and investment
Pilot Advisory Group membership
Ms Leah Armstrong
Indigenous Peoples Economic and Trade Cooperation Arrangement representative
Ms Leah Armstrong is a Torres Strait Islander woman and a senior professional with over 30 years of business and not-for-profit experience. Leah is currently Managing Director of a consultancy firm, Core Insights Advisory Services.
She has a strong track record in achieving organisational results through the creation and maintenance of networks and stakeholder relationships and by working collaboratively with governments, community and the private sector. She was recently appointed as Interim Director of the Australian National University's Centre for Indigenous Economic Transformation. Leah is a member of the First Nations Economic Empowerment Alliance, which is working to drive Indigenous economic empowerment in Australia.
Leah is an Australian co-representative of the Indigenous Peoples Economic Trade Co-operation Agreement (IPETCA) Partnership Council, which she represents on the Australian Government's pilot First Nations Trade and Investment Advisory Group.
She is also a Creative Australia Impact Investment Advisory Committee member and a member of the Paul Ramsay Foundation First Nations Advisory Committee.
Mr Brian Bero
First Nations Clean Energy Network representative
Mr Brian Bero is a Principal Lawyer and Co-founder of Jaramer Legal. He is one of Australia’s most senior and respected First Nations corporate and commercial legal advisors with extensive experience advising Commonwealth and State government agencies as well as major corporations and community lead organisations. Brian's legal career includes working at the Federal Court of Australia, Victorian Supreme Court, Victorian Government Solicitors Office, Gilbert + Tobin, Maurice Blackburn and large corporations such as Qantas, Telstra and Oracle.
Brian is a committee member of the First Nations Clean Energy Network, member of the First Nations Trade and Investment Advisory Group, advisor to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, and advisor to the Centre for Commercial Law and Regulatory Studies at Monash University.
He is also a Director on the Boards of Indigenous Business Australia, Ilbijerri Theatre Company, Original Power and Aboriginal Community Housing Ltd. Brian was awarded Senior First Nations Lawyer of the Year at the 2024 National Indigenous Legal Conference, and in 2025 was awarded QUT's Outstanding Indigenous Australian Alumnus.
Ms Sharon Brindley
First Nations Bushfoods and Botanicals Alliance Australia representative
Ms Sharon Brindley is a proud Yamatji/Noongar woman based in Naarm/Melbourne and a leading First Nations business and trade figure in Australia. She is the Founding Director of Jala Jala, Australia's largest 100% First Nations female-owned food manufacturer, and Co-Owner of Timberscope Feral Management.
An award-winning entrepreneur and global public speaker, Sharon brings extensive experience across business leadership, governance, and international engagement. Her work is grounded in culturally informed, commercially sustainable enterprise, with a strong focus on scaling First Nations-led businesses into domestic and global markets.
In recognition of her leadership in export and trade, Sharon was awarded the inaugural First Nations Exporter Award at the 2025 Governor of Victoria Export Awards, marking a significant milestone for First Nations representation within Australia's export economy.
Sharon is the Victorian Director for the First Nations Bushfoods and Botanicals Alliance Australia (FNBBAA), which she represents on the Australian Government's pilot First Nations Trade and Investment Advisory Group.
She is also the Chair of the Yannabil First Peoples Tourism Council, where she works to strengthen culturally led tourism, advance economic opportunities for First Peoples operators, and promote sustainable, on-Country tourism experiences grounded in cultural integrity and community benefit.
A wife, mother and grandmother, Sharon's leadership is deeply informed by family, community responsibility, and intergenerational impact—values that underpin her commitment to creating lasting economic pathways for future generations of First Nations entrepreneurs.
Mr Cameron Costello
Costello Consulting
Mr Cameron Costello is a Quandamooka man from Moreton Bay, Brisbane, in Southeast Queensland, with connections to the Githabul People in NSW. Cameron is on the UQ Law Advisory Board and Tourism Advisory Board.
Cameron is the current Chair of the Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation (QYAC), the Native Title Body for North Stradbroke Island/Minjerribah and Moreton Island/Mulgumpin. Cameron is on the Board of the Queensland Tourism Industry Council, where he assisted in industry outcomes like the Queensland First Nations Tourism Plan, Destination IQ, the Year of Indigenous Tourism, and the establishment of the Queensland First Nations Tourism Council of which he is the current Interim Chair. He has been advising the Queensland Government on its Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games Legacy Committee and the Queensland Workforce Roundtable. He has been part of international Austrade and Trade and Investment Queensland (TIQ) delegations, advocating for First Nations economic advancement, and capacity building work with PNG first nations with DFAT.
Mr Les Delaforce
DreamSpark
Mr Les Delaforce is a proud Gumbaynggirr/Dunghutti man based in Perth/Noongar Boodjar, with a career defined by leadership, innovation, and strategic partnerships. As a venture-backed founder, he scaled a startup across Australia, Canada, and Israel, securing clients from ASX-listed companies to government bodies before transitioning into equity investments as General Partner of Melt Ventures. Les has forged strategic partnerships with the United Nations, U.S. State Department, Consulate, and Australian and state governments, demonstrating his commitment to First Nations entrepreneurship and investment.
Dr Michelle Deshong
Deshong Consulting
Dr Michelle Deshong is a Kuku Yalanji woman and lives in Townsville/Gurambilbarra. Michelle is Managing Director of Deshong Consulting and is a member of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) Council. She has previously served as the Co-Chair of the Indigenous Business Sector Group for the Australia, New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF), and a member of the Ministerial Trade 2040 Taskforce.
Michelle is well known for her work in leadership and governance. She was the CEO of the Australian Indigenous Governance Institute and Interim CEO of Supply Nation. She has worked across the Indigenous business sector, supporting intergenerational prosperity and creating pathways for economic development and trade opportunities. Michelle has led several international business trade delegations and negotiated MOUs with international colleagues.
Mr Michael Dickerson
Gambarra Global
Mr Michael Dickerson is based in Perth/Boorloo, is a proud Wajarri-Nanda man from Yamatji Country, known as "Desert meets Sea", and has over 25 years of experience in the technology industry. He is deeply committed to addressing the wealth and employment disparities affecting Indigenous people across Australia, blending his technical expertise with opportunity creation in underserved communities. Michael is the CEO of Gambarra Global, providing infrastructure solutions for governments and multinational organisations. He is an advocate for the support of Indigenous groups globally, promoting equitable distribution of the benefits from development initiatives. Michael is the CEO of Gambarra, an Indigenous data centre operator implementing sovereign-owned technology infrastructure.
Mr Joshua Gilbert
Gilbert Consulting
Mr Joshua Gilbert is a socially and commercially focused Worimi man with over a decade of experience in the agricultural sector, specialising in Indigenous agriculture, work in sustainability and Indigenous employment. Josh works across government, corporate and social organisational levels to develop and lead change through sharing the narration of Indigenous identity through agricultural and environmental truth-telling in modern contexts. Josh is a strategic thinker, managing business change effectively across a variety of sectors. He is passionate about creating change through education, effective investment, and societal understanding. Josh has a keen interest in international affairs and the potential of export for First Nations businesses.
Mr Bevan Mailman
Desert Springs Group
Mr Bevan Mailman is Managing Principal and Director of Jaramer Legal, with a background in commercial transactions, corporate advisory, corporate structuring, and strategy in the energy and agriculture sectors. Bevan is the Chairman of the Desert Springs Group of companies supporting national economic growth through First Nations business partnerships and investment strategies that incentivise the market to work closely with representative groups.
Bevan works extensively with remote and regional Indigenous communities, developing local, national and international strategies and frameworks to improve community governance, independence, economic sustainability and growth.
Bevan is also a Board member of Aboriginal Housing Victoria, a member of RMIT's College of Business and Law Industry Advisory Board, and is a former Director of Agency Projects, an organisation which promotes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, culture and people on a local, national and international scale.
Ms Shannon McGuire
Kirrikin Foundation
Ms Shannon McGuire is a leader in the Australian fashion and creative industries, as the CEO of the Kirrikin Foundation and the Director and Co-founder of Miss NAIDOC Perth. She began her career in 2005 as the 2nd runner-up on Fox 8's Australia's Next Top Model, becoming the first Indigenous model to feature on the series.
Under her leadership, the Kirrikin Foundation has forged global partnerships, and she has led high-profile delegations in collaboration with DFAT to numerous countries across Europe and the Middle East. With internationally spanning connections within the fashion industry, Shannon is an advocate for Indigenous representation and economic empowerment.
Ms Jenny Wardrop
Supply Nation Representative
Ms Jenny Wardrop is a Wiradjuri woman from Central West NSW. Jenny joined Supply Nation in October 2013, which she represents on the Australian Government's pilot First Nations Trade and Investment Advisory Group. She has extensive Commonwealth Government experience, having worked at the Commonwealth Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) and the Department of Human Services (DHS). She worked for the Darkinjung Aboriginal Land Council for approximately 12 years, during which time she served on the Council Board, and was elected as Chairperson.
Jenny is passionate about creating genuine opportunities for Aboriginal people, and is aware of the barriers Aboriginal people face on a day-to-day basis.
Meeting summaries
- Pilot First Nations Trade and Investment Advisory Group Fourth Meeting, 26 November 2025 Summary
- Pilot First Nations Trade and Investment Advisory Group Third Meeting, 4 September 2025 Summary
- Pilot First Nations Trade and Investment Advisory Group Second Meeting, 12 June 2025 Summary
- Pilot First Nations Trade and Investment Advisory Group Inaugural Meeting, 12 February 2025 Summary