Indigenous

The Yarning Circle initiative fosters awareness and understanding of the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and traditions. Open to all EY Australia employees, it provides opportunities to participate in events celebrating First Nations heritage on a quarterly basis. In many First Nations cultures, a Yarning Circle is a sacred and traditional practice for active listening, reflection, and sharing knowledge. Through it, we build respectful relationships and honour traditions that have guided Indigenous communities for millennia.

The EY Australia First Nations Network is an informal and inclusive forum where First Nations staff and allies across EY Australia can connect each month to share experiences, learn from one another, and build relationships across the organisation.

The EY Australia First Nations Network is not a formal nor representative body but rather it is a professional community that encourages cultural exchange, mutual support, and the sharing of insights that strengthen our understanding and impacts across not only our Service Lines but also Closing the Gap.

Through conversation, education and collaboration, the First Nations Network also provides another mechanism for us all to contribute to any policies and procedures that relate specifically to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, to support and foster reconciliation and to shape a more culturally intelligent workplace.

The Office of First Nations Engagement is EY Australia’s Centre of Excellence for First Nations affairs and is central to our ambition to build a better working world – by undertaking meaningful and enduring actions to support reconciliation and contributing to Closing the Gap.​ In realising our ambition to build a better world, the Office of First Nations Engagement will be guided by the following key strategic documents and policies:​ 

• EY Australia Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) 2025 – 2027​
• National Agreement on Closing the Gap (Closing the Gap) 2020​
• EY Oceania Sustainability Strategy 2025​

Through an integrated framework, the Office of First Nations Engagement will provide support across all service lines at EY Australia, and ensure that it maintains its trusted position in the market and throughout Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities by:

• Providing a central point of contact for strategic advice and practical support on First Nations policy, communities and culture.
• Supporting the economic empowerment and inclusion of First Nations businesses. 
• Recruiting and retaining First Nations talent.
• Enhancing and maintaining our cultural intelligence.

Led by our Managing Partner, Norman Laing (Dunghutti Nation) and EY Australia’s first Indigenous partner, we have a unique service offering that combines cultural knowledge, community and lived experience and over 25 years working across the Indigenous affairs portfolio.

The Office of First Nations Engagement team also have strong relationships with First Nations advisors and consultants, and with both Supply Nation and other Indigenous Chambers of Commerce across Australia – we have cultivated a panel of trusted advisors and consultants to support us in delivering for our clients whilst also improving the lives and life opportunities for First Nations people and their communities. 

Read more information on our Office of First Nations Engagement and our RAP here.

The EY Australia RAP WG is a dedicated team responsible for driving, measuring and reporting on EY Australia’s Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (launched June 2025).

The RAP WG works collaboratively thus ensuring the firm actively contributes to reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The Group is comprised of key people from across the organisation to lead the development, implementation, and monitoring of the RAP, fostering meaningful relationships, respect, and opportunities through culturally informed initiatives. Comprising Indigenous and non-Indigenous staff from across the business, the RAP WG ensures accountability, cultural integrity, and alignment with Reconciliation Australia’s framework, helping embed reconciliation into EY’s culture and operations.

The Group also has a standing invitation to the Managing Partner, Tahi Ltd (New Zealand) and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with EY Australia (subject to cultural and/or confidential restrictions as they arise from time to time).