Asha Bhat OAM has been working in indigenous affairs, both paid and voluntary, for over 14 years.
She has been with the Southern Aboriginal Corporation since 2008, initially as a finance and HR manager before becoming chief executive in 2013. The Southern Aboriginal Corporation provides services and programs that address the needs and aspirations of the Noongar people in the Great Southern, South West, Wheatbelt and Perth regions of Western Australia.
Ms Bhat has an MBA from Kaplan Business School, as well as Master and Bachelor degrees in Mathematics and Business and Professional Accounting. She is an associate member of CPA, and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Ms Bhat was a recipient of numerous awards including a 2017 Albany Citizen of the Year Award, a finalist in the 2020 Telstra WA Business Women’s Awards, Woman of the Year in the Not-for-Profit category at the 2020 Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the 2022 Impact 25 Winner by Pro Bono Australia. In 2022, she was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for services to the Indigenous community of Western Australia.
In 2023 Ms Bhat was inducted into the WA Women’s Hall of Fame under the business category, in recognition of her contribution to business in the state.
