Australian Investment and Trade Commission (Austrade)
Benson Saulo brings insight, passion and experience that he has develop throughout his working life from across corporate, not-for-profit and government sectors. In 2011, Benson was appointed the Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations in which he undertook a national engagement tour to gain a deeper understanding of issues impacting Australian youth. Benson then represented Australian youth at the 66th Session of the United Nations General Assembly as an accredited member of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Benson became the founding director of the National Indigenous Youth Leadership Academy (NIYLA), which engages young Indigenous Australians to develop and drive youth-led social action campaigns. NIYLA participants developed and launch ten social action campaigns focusing on suicide prevention, climate change, mental health and welcoming refugee and asylum seekers. Benson was selected to participate in the U.S. State Department’s International Leaders Program that enabled him to engage First Nation’s groups to explore leadership, economic development and cultural opportunities.
Benson was formally the Head of Partnerships-Investments at Australian Unity within their Wealth and Capital Markets business, which explore investing into Indigenous businesses to scale their impact through employment, financial empowerment and governance.
Benson’s work has been recognised as a finalist for Young Australian of the Year (VIC), Human Rights Medal and 2012NAIDOC Youth of the Year, and becoming a Sustainability Ambassador for City of Melbourne’s Knowledge Week. Benson is also a non-executive director of Innovation Unit ANZ and supports Impact Investing Australia’s Impact Ready Growth Grants and Sidney Myer Family Trust Poverty and Disadvantage Grants.
