INTHEBLACK July 2025 - Magazine - Page 15
For Tracy Thelander CPA,
a professional career as an
athlete gave way to a passion
to give back to her community
and improve financial literacy.
Being able to provide
operational support to deliver
impact for First Nations
communities is a motivating
force for Thelander.
NAIDOC Week: The Next
Generation, Strength, Vision
& Legacy is a positive message
that builds on the change that
has already come.
LEADERS AND INNOVATORS
Inspiring
action
Tracy Thelander CPA wants to see more Indigenous people choose
accounting as a profession and is working to bring change for better
outcomes in communities across Australia.
Words Megan Breen
Photography Luke Marsden
GROWING UP, TRACY THELANDER
had two goals. The first was to become
a full-time competitive swimmer and
the second was working out how to use her
maths skills to help her community thrive.
“I really wanted to be a full-time athlete
and my parents supported that, but they
also sat me down and encouraged me
to have a back-up plan in case it didn’t work
out,” she says.
It was good advice, she reflects. While
swimming remains a passion, she is now
more focused on improving outcomes for
Indigenous communities.
Thelander is a proud descendant of
the Neli Nidgiri (Brown/Close) family
line and recognised apical ancestors of the
Quandamooka People from Minjerribah,
North Stradbroke Island. As senior finance
and operations manager at
yamagigu Consulting, Australia’s largest
Indigenous-owned and operated consultancy,
she also provides support to help the firm’s
client-facing work. This often involves
travelling to remote communities
to understand issues like food security
and child welfare.
“I was really good at maths and I’ve
always wanted to provide some form
of support, whether it’s financial literacy
training or volunteering my skill set
with the businesses on the island where
I’m from. So the back-up plan was studying
accounting,” she says.
It was the first step in a career that
has seen her work as an investigator
with the Australian Competition and
Consumer Commission and then as an
assistant accountant with the Queensland
Aboriginal and Islander Health Council.
The latter is the state’s peak body, whose
primary purpose is to represent and support
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