Vicky Scott

Educator, Business Leader, Motivator, Leadership Coach, and Author

Vicki Scott is a co-author of “Out of the Box Thinking on Indigenous Leadership” and a co-founder and executive director of STARS, an educational organization designed to empower people in Shaping, Transforming And Realising Self.

In this role she coordinates coaching programs and delivers a program focused on the principles of project management mentoring. It’s a role for which she seemed destined after a long career orchestrating major national events.

Vicki began her career at the age of 18 as personal assistant to the Governor-General. Subsequently she became executive officer for Lowitja O’Donoghue at the time she was Chair of The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC).

When Lowitja retired Vicki moved to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and became the project manager for Corroboree 2000. She played a pivotal role organizing the events including the occasion when all of the nation’s political and indigenous leaders were on stage together at the Opera House and the following day’s Walk for Reconciliation over Sydney Harbour Bridge. More than 250,000 people crossed the bridge during the seven hours it was closed.

After that Vicki and her husband decided to return to her native Queensland and she took on the task for the Queensland Premier’s Department of coordinating the 2001 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) which would include more than 700 motorcades. September 11th then caused it to be delayed for six months and held at Coolum.

Based on the experiences organizing CHOGM Vicki went on to develop a Best Practice Framework For Major Events which is still the model for all state emergencies as well as a marketing tool to attract major events.

A series of personal and family illnesses led Vicki to reevaluate what she wanted to do with her life. After a fortuitous meeting with Wendy Watego Ittensohn at an Indigenous Women’s Conference they realized their common vision of empowering individuals—especially from the indigenous population—and together in 2008 formed STARS.

Vicki was born and grew up in Barcaldine, Queensland, one of seven children. After years of moving around the country with her husband, Richard, when he served in the Navy, they now live on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland. They have been married 37 years and have two adult children.