Michael McLeod

Chairman of iDiC, Co-Chair of Career Trackers, and CEO and founding Director of Message Stick, established in 2004, Michael’s career is inspiring — a road less travelled by others.

Michael is a member of Australia’s Stolen Generations and a Ngarrindjeri Monaro man from Southern NSW. Michael grew up on his own in state ward homes and foster homes. He first met his mother at his father’s funeral. By his mid-twenties, he was a chronic alcoholic and heroin addict, and by his early thirties he was homeless and living on the streets of Sydney. A successful rehabilitation program has seen Michael remain clean and sober for over twenty years.

A man of many talents, Michael is an accomplished artist and has participated in a number of exhibitions at the Art Gallery of NSW, the National Art Gallery in Canberra, as well as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Exhibition in Darwin.

Michael’s future is focused on advocating for Australian society, particularly the private sector and our governments, to embrace and support the challenges Indigenous people face as his people begin the journey towards economic independence.

With a thought-provoking and powerful ethos, Michael firmly believes that ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses achieving financial independence can break the back of poverty amongst Indigenous Australians.’

iDiC and Message Stick Communications are a big part of Michael’s life, and they demonstrate that Indigenous and non-Indigenous people can work together to achieve economic results while still fully supporting and participating in community growth.

Michael lives with his five cats, is an avid movie buff and loves playing video games.