2026 Winner: First Peoples Alumnus Award, AEL
Bachelor of Arts (Australian Studies), 2003
Adam Carter Lees has built a distinguished career in consulting while championing First Peoples leadership and representation. As Director of New Moon (Aketi Meb) Consulting, Adam's work supports organisations and communities to create meaningful and lasting impact through culturally informed leadership and engagement.
Is there a standout experience from your time at Griffith that helped you to get where you are now?
Moving from Mount Isa to Brisbane to study at Griffith was probably the most significant turning point in my life. It was the first time I left the comfort of family and the community where I grew up, and it opened my eyes to a much bigger world. Griffith became my pathway to higher education, but it also gave me independence, confidence and a belief that opportunities existed well beyond what I had imagined. Looking back, that move was about far more than earning a degree; it changed how I saw myself and what I believed was possible.
Tell us something that might surprise others to learn about you.
People are often surprised to learn that I'm an avid photographer. One of my landscape photographs was licensed by an international jigsaw puzzle company and sold through Walmart stores across the United States. Outside of work, photography has been a creative outlet that's taken me to some remarkable places. My career has also been equally adventurous, with roles that have seen me live and work across Australia, Samoa and several African countries, including Angola, Zambia, Gabon, Ethiopia and Tanzania.
What challenges or obstacles shaped who you are?
What impact are you most proud of having?
I'm proud to have been part of the first generation of Indigenous professionals who helped shape the mining and resources industry's approach to Indigenous employment, partnerships and community engagement. When I joined Mount Isa Mines in 2000, I became the company's first Indigenous its 76-year history. Later, I was also the first Indigenous General Manager and senior leader at Woodside Energy.
It wasn't always an easy path. These roles emerged at a time when relationships between industry and many Indigenous communities were often marked by conflict and mistrust, and some questioned whether people in roles like mine were on the right side of the table. We weren't simply taking a seat at the table; we were often helping to build it. Today, the mining and resources industry is one of Australia's largest employers of Indigenous Australians, with Indigenous professionals and leaders contributing across every part of the business. Knowing I played a part in that evolution is something I'm incredibly proud of.
Can you share a valuable lesson you learned from a setback or failure in your career?
I've learned that our biggest career lessons don't always come from failure. Sometimes they come from staying true to who we are. My final corporate role taught me that I'd rather ask difficult questions and challenge ideas than simply go along because it's easier. It would have been comfortable to stay, but not authentic. Walking away was one of the hardest decisions I've made, but staying would have meant becoming someone I wasn't.
Why does your work matter?
The conversations we have today often shape decisions that last for generations. If I can help people better understand one another and leave a relationship stronger than they found it, then I've done something worthwhile.
How do you spend your downtime?
Running my own consulting business doesn't leave much spare time, but when I switch off, I enjoy travelling, cooking, and settling into my new home. I'm also writing my second book for Magabala Books, telling the story of my great-grandfather, a Torres Strait Islander soldier who served in the Second World War. Researching his life has been one of the most rewarding projects I've undertaken.
What’s a book you would read again and why?
I'll bend the rules and choose a magazine rather than a book. It would be the October 1983 edition of National Geographic ( Vol . 164, No . 4), featuring Carol Beckwith's article and photographs of the Wodaabe people of Niger. I discovered it in my school library when I was 11, and it sparked a lifelong curiosity about Africa, travel and different cultures. Many years later, I travelled to Niger and attended the Wodaabe Gerewol ceremony because of that article. I still have that original edition in my collection, and Carol Beckwith's book African Ark has pride of place on my coffee table.
What’s your favourite Griffith story to tell friends, family or colleagues?
My favourite Griffith stories have very little to do with lectures or assignments. They come from living on campus at the Bellenden Ker (BK) residence at Nathan and the harmless shenanigans we got up to during Orientation Week. There were practical jokes, a few memorable pizza-related incidents that are probably best left in the early 1990s, and plenty of laughter. I still remember one fellow First Nations student telling me, "Adam, you're so immature." A week later she was happily joining in. Those friendships and memories have stayed with me for more than 30 years.
Is there anything else that you want to mention?
If there's one thing I've learned, it's that careers don't have to follow a script. Mine certainly didn't. Looking back, saying yes to the unexpected has taken me further than any career plan ever could.
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