Kristy Masella is a risk taker, mother, leader and a fresh voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in business.

Kristy Masella is a Murri/South Sea Islander from Rockhampton, Dharumbal country in Central Queensland who has dedicated her life to empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. She has worked in Aboriginal Affairs for more than 30 years across many portfolios in both New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory. Prior to the AES Managing Director role, she was the head of Social Justice for Aboriginal Affairs New South Wales and led a major review of the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Rights Act.

Kristy has been named one of Australia’s Top 100 Most Influential Woman by the Australian Financial Review and Westpac. She also went on to be awarded one of the Top 10 Category winners as Diversity Winner.

Kristy studied Journalism at the University of Queensland and has been presented with a number of prestigious awards in her career such as the National Trust Print Media Commendation Award and the Australian Society of Archivists Mander Jones Award for her work as Co-author of Connecting Kin. Kristy holds a Masters in Human Rights Law and Policy at the University of New South Wales specialising in Indigenous Rights.

Kristy is the Chairperson of Tranby Aboriginal College. She has been an active member of the Tranby Board of Directors since 2009. Kristy is also the Deputy Chairperson of Wunanbiri Incorporated, one of the most successful independent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community preschools in New South Wales which she has been committed to supporting for 15 years. Kristy is a member of New South Wales Justice Reinvest which works to reduce the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in the criminal justice and prison system in New South Wales through the implementation of justice reinvestment by the New South Wales Government. She was invited on to the inaugural Committee of Sydney University’s National Centre of Cultural Competency to establish the Community Council; is a former Co-chair of the New South Wales Reconciliation Council, and was nominated for the New South Wales Justice Award in 2014.