For more than 25 years, CS Energy's Principal Cultural Heritage Specialist Brendan Church’s career has been shaped by a passion for people, culture and creating meaningful change.
From working alongside First Nations communities and specialising in cultural heritage to developing an award-winning global leadership program, one thing has remained constant: his focus on building strong relationships and finding new ways to create value.
“What I’m most passionate about in cultural heritage work is building strong relationships and finding opportunities beyond the traditional scope of cultural heritage,” Brendan said.
“I enjoy working in the grey areas and thinking a little differently about how we can create value together.”
Pictured: The first cohort of the First Nations Global Leadership Program at Cooya Beach, the traditional lands of the Kuku Yalanji people.
Creating opportunities for First Nations leaders
That passion has taken Brendan’s work beyond what he could have imagined.
After seeing the underrepresentation of First Nations people in senior corporate leadership roles, Brendan helped turn an idea for change into a First Nations Global Leadership Program, developed through a partnership with the Australian Graduate School of Management at the University of New South Wales Business School.
The first-of-its-kind program brought together leadership education, cultural identity and Indigenous ways of knowing, helping participants build the skills and confidence to lead across corporate and cultural environments.
Between 2022 and 2025, more than 70 participants from around the world graduated from the program, building a global network of First Nations leaders along the way.
“Seeing First Nations and Indigenous leaders from different regions come together, learn from one another and build such a strong community was incredibly special,” he said.
“I’m proud of the connections that I was able to establish between First Nations leaders from across the world, and how they used their experience in the program as a stepping stone to their next chapter.”
The program’s impact has since gained international recognition, receiving a Gold Award at the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) conference in Dublin earlier this month.
Pictured: Brendan Church (far right) with fellow founders of the First Nations Global Leadership Program at the EFMD conference.
Brendan also presented at the conference, sharing the program’s story and achievements with a global audience.
While the award was a proud moment, Brendan said the greater opportunity was shining a light on the value of First Nations leadership and encouraging greater investment in Indigenous leaders.
“The EFMD conference was a terrific opportunity to highlight the value of First Nations leadership and the unique perspectives, experiences and strengths that Indigenous identity brings to the workplace,” he said.
“Through this program, we’ve seen how embracing culture and identity can strengthen leaders, build connections and create positive outcomes for both individuals and organisations.”
Protecting culture for generations to come
Brendan is now channelling that same people-focused approach into cultural heritage at CS Energy, helping strengthen relationships with Traditional Owners and build greater understanding of its importance across the business.
For him, the work starts with listening, having open and honest conversations and taking the time to build relationships that last.
“Cultural heritage plays a critical role in the energy industry,” he said.
“While projects are temporary in nature, cultural heritage remains long after those projects have ended.
“It’s not just about protecting heritage today, it’s about helping future generations maintain their connection to Country and culture.
“The more people understand the importance of cultural heritage, the more they recognise that it isn’t just the responsibility of a specialist team, it’s everyone’s responsibility.”
For anyone who isn’t sure where to start, Brendan’s advice is simple: be curious, listen and be open to learning.
“Taking the time to understand the importance of cultural heritage and listening to First Nations perspectives helps build greater awareness, respect and better outcomes for everyone.”