QUT Alumnus Kyle Leong is the Senior Manager for Indigenous Engagement within Retail Banking Services and works to increase inclusive and accessible banking for Indigenous customers at Commonwealth Bank.
Kyle Leong is a proud Koko-Bera man from the Kowanyama in Queensland but grew up in Brisbane and Cairns. After completing his Bachelor of Business, majoring in Finance and Management in 2014 Kyle started as a graduate with the Commonwealth Bank. Five years on, he now works to drive inclusive access for all Indigenous customers.
“I have a deep passion and commitment to improving financial wellbeing for Indigenous peoples and communities. I want to drive self-determination through economic development and financial independence.”
In his role as Senior Manager for Retail Banking Services (RBS) Indigenous Engagement, Kyle is responsible for working across RBS and with the Group Customer Advocate team to implement strategies that make banking more inclusive and accessible for First Nations customers.
Prior to this role Kyle was the Indigenous Career Acquisition Partner, responsible for delivering the Commonwealth Bank’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Careers Programs that included everything from school-based traineeships to university internships. Delivering these programs in partnership with CareerTrackers and playing a key role in achieving Commonwealth Bank’s Reconciliation Action Plan, Kyle has dedicated his professional career to improving Indigenous representation in corporate Australia.
Regarding his professional achievements, Kyle says, “I’ve been most proud of my achievements in the Indigenous careers tertiary portfolio consistently converting above our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) targets. This has been recognised by our community partner CareerTrackers. Two years ago CommBank was awarded the Corporate Plus Award in recognition of having the strongest employment outcomes for any corporate partner; and this year I was awarded the CareersTrackers Business Coordinator of the Year Award. This award recognises efforts above and beyond to support Interns and provide guidance and mentoring to improve outcomes within communities.”
Kyle’s deep passion and commitment to improving financial wellbeing for Indigenous people reflects his hopes for the future and how he intends to shape it, “I hope to improve the financial wellbeing of First Nations peoples through homeownership and provide opportunities to build generational wealth through financial literacy,” he said.
His best piece of advice, “Persistence and continued learning is vital. I have grown professionally so much since I joined the Graduate Program and that has been largely because I’ve evolved as a communicator. I’m now able to strategically influence people and communicate why there’s value in what I’m proposing. I am also a big believer in being passionate about your work because it shines through you in your commitment. And on the days where things are a little tough you want to push through because you believe in what you’re doing.”
Reflecting on this year’s theme for NAIDOC week, Heal Country, heal our nation, Kyle says, “Heal Country calls for Australians to continue to seek greater protections for our lands, our waters, our sacred sites and our cultural heritage from exploitation, desecration and destruction. This theme affects all Australians as we as a community need to start putting others ahead of our own self-interests.”
NAIDOC Week 2021 acknowledges and celebrates that our nation’s story didn’t begin with documented European contact. Healing Country means embracing First Nation’s cultural knowledge and understanding of Country as part of Australia's national heritage. That the culture and values of Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders are respected equally to and the cultures and values of all Australians. Healing Country is more than changing a word in our national anthem – it is about the historical, political, and administrative landscapes adapting to successfully empower and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, nations, and heritage.