I am a Saltwater woman and a descendant of Matora (Awabakal) and Bungaree (Garigal/Darug), with family ties through Diana Mudgee to the Wiradyuri Nation. I am an Associate Professor in the UQ Business School and Director of the Indigenous Business Hub, and serve as Associate PRME Director – Indigenous Engagement for the UQ Business School.
I have more than 40 years of experience across academia, government, industry and community, with professional and academic work spanning Indigenous employment, Indigenous business, equity and inclusion, organisational change, industrial relations and Indigenous economic participation. My work brings together academic research, professional practice, community relationships and policy engagement, with a focus on creating practical and sustainable pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, organisations and businesses.
My research centres on Indigenous employment, Indigenous business, Indigenous leadership and organisational transformation. My scholarship examines how colonial structures, institutional practices and workplace systems shape the experiences and opportunities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Drawing on Indigenous standpoint theory, Indigenous methodologies, Indigenous feminist perspectives and decolonial approaches, my research develops relational and culturally grounded approaches to employment, leadership, business and organisational change.
My research program spans industrial relations, human resource management, business education, leadership, Indigenous governance and economic participation. A consistent feature of my work is the connection between research, policy and practice. My research has informed policy processes and has been cited in Ministerial papers and Bills introduced into Parliament. I have also contributed to national policy and advisory processes concerning Indigenous employment, higher education, Indigenous entrepreneurship, workforce participation and organisational change.
As Director of the Indigenous Business Hub, I connect research, education, industry and community. The Hub supports research and engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses, organisations, governments and communities, and provides pathways for Indigenous knowledge, business expertise and community priorities to inform business education and research at UQ.
I established the International Journal of Indigenous Business through the Indigenous Business Hub and serve as Editor-in-Chief. The journal provides an international scholarly platform for Indigenous business research and centres Indigenous voices, Indigenous knowledges and priorities across business, enterprise, governance, policy, education and leadership.
I completed my Doctor of Philosophy (Business) at the University of Newcastle in 2016. My doctoral thesis, Private-sector employment programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples: Comparative case studies, examined approaches to Indigenous employment in the private sector. I was the first Aboriginal person to be awarded a PhD in Business from the University of Newcastle.
I completed my Honours thesis in 2006, examining mentoring as a human resource strategy to address labour market disadvantage for Indigenous Australians through a qualitative study of mentoring outcomes for Indigenous trainees at the University of Newcastle.
My work is grounded in reciprocity, relational accountability and Indigenous self-determination. Across academic, community, industry and policy settings, I seek to create opportunities through which knowledge, relationships and resources can move in both directions — strengthening UQ while contributing to outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, businesses, organisations and students.
Emma Olssen is a Koori Aboriginal woman from the Wiradjuri Nation of New South Wales through her mother and grandparents, and a Middle-Eastern Australian through her father's lineage. Born in Muloobinba (Newcastle, NSW), she grew up in Winnam (Wynnum) on Quandamooka Country (Moreton Bay).
Emma has an extensive professional background in leadership, executive management, organisational change, and Indigenous engagement across diverse sectors. As an Indigenous researcher, her work is grounded in Indigenous methodologies and explores the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees across identified and non-identified roles.
Her research examines how organisational structures, workplace cultures, and employment practices shape Indigenous employees' experiences of inclusion, wellbeing, leadership, and career progression. Through qualitative yarning, her work challenges assumptions that representation alone leads to meaningful inclusion and highlights the organisational conditions that enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to thrive in the workplace. Her research contributes to contemporary discussions on Indigenous employment, equity, and organisational transformation.
