Think HQ has appointed Noongar man, Professor Shane Hearn, to its leadership team in the role of Head, First Nations Engagement and Communication. He will build and lead a team to provide insight into First Nations audiences and ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are included in all agency communications and campaigns.

Professor Hearn has significant experience in the health and higher education sectors, having held roles at University of Sydney, Macquarie University and, most recently, as pro-Vice Chancellor (Indigenous Engagement) at University of Adelaide. He has also driven notable Indigenous health programs at CultureLink and Cox Inall Ridgeway, where he designed and led the Federal Department of Health's Live Longer campaign.

Think HQ Founder and Managing Director, Jen Sharpe, said: "We are so excited to welcome Shane to the Think HQ team. His credentials in the space of First Nations engagement are second to none and he has made tangible, positive improvements in people’s lives."

Professor Hearn said he felt Think HQ was providing a platform for meaningful engagement across many areas: "The agency is doing powerful work in the equity and inclusive communications space and the clear alignment in our shared values will allow us to expand our work to a First Nation’s audience.

“During Reconciliation Week, I’m reflecting on the need to drive action, not just rhetoric. Think HQ is living up to that ideal, and I’m confident we will achieve a lot together.”