Jan Ferguson

Background

About Jan Ferguson

I am experienced Company Director and am currently actively working as a Strategist with some amazing people and organisations. My expertise in innovation, research and community development is combined with a passion for people, teamwork, and social justice especially for rural and remote Australia. I have a flair for developing strategy that assists in building large, effective partnerships across industry, government, academia and the community to understand and solve complex challenges. I have lead partnerships that have attracted in excess of $150 million in investment, including a new Cooperative Research Centre. In addition I have established several successful spin off companies to commercialise innovations. I pride myself on the very high standards of governance I am able to achieve and am highly skilled across all aspects of Board performance, including the operation of Foundations. For nine years I was Managing Director Ninti One Limited, a national not-for-profit that delivered notable results for people, industries and communities in remote Australia through research, innovation, community and enterprise development. Its research findings have helped raise the issues of this vast region along with those of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, in the national awareness, engendering a new respect and richer dialogue about progress, participation and prosperity. My style is open, consultative, team-driven and relationship-focused. I am proactive in forging durable connections with people and organisations across a wide range of interests and helping them to work together for common goals and values. I am a skilled negotiator, a good listener and an experienced communicator of ideas with the capacity to communicate across cultural groups.