Heath Nelson

Manager – Community Development, FMG

Heath graduated from The University of Western Australia with a Bachelor of Economics Degree and a Bachelor of Science Degree (major Computer Science) in 1993.

Heath joined Fortescue Metals Group (Fortescue) in 2011 to increase the engagement and participation of Aboriginal businesses. Heath pioneered the Billion Opportunities program which has awarded over $2.2 billion in contracts to over 110 Aboriginal businesses in the past seven years.

In 2015 Heath was awarded the Supply Nation Supplier Diversity Award and in the 2017 the Supply Nation Outstanding Impact Award for his work in Aboriginal procurement. Fortescue has won numerous awards over recent years including Supply Nation Corporate Member of the Year in 2015, 2017 and 2018.

The Billion Opportunities program was the blue print for the Forrest Review’s Government Indigenous procurement recommendation which led to the release of the Commonwealth Government’s Indigenous Procurement Policy (IPP) in July 2015. The IPP has resulted in over $1 billion in Commonwealth contracts awarded to Aboriginal businesses over the past few years. Several State Governments have now implemented their own Indigenous procurement policies on similar terms.

Having experienced the impact of procurement targets with Fortescue and the success within the Government space, Heath initiated a similar strategy with the Business Council of Australia (BCA) in 2017. The BCA is developing the ‘Raising the Bar’ project which includes corporate members implementing an Indigenous procurement framework.

Heath also championed the change in payment terms for Aboriginal businesses to 14 days from invoice and the establishment of the Guarantee Leasing Facility with ANZ Bank which gives Aboriginal businesses access to finance, without providing security, to purchase assets associated with Fortescue contracts.