Our Ambassadors
About this page
The VYMA is pleased to acknowledge and work in conjunction with our Ambassadors to promote our services and raise awareness of youth mentoring.
LAUNA INMAN, Managing Director,Target
ANDREW MACLEOD, CEO, Committee for Melbourne
LAUNA INMAN, Managing Director, Target
Launa Inman was appointed Managing Director of Target in 2005, with leadership of 25,000 employees and more than 290 Target and Target Country stores across Australia.
Prior to this appointment Launa was Managing Director of Officeworks, and has previously held senior leadership roles in Australia's Big W and with large South African-based retail companies, Pages and Edgars. Launa holds a Bachelor of Commerce with Honours and a Masters of Commerce in Strategy and Economics, in addition to having completed the Advanced Management Program at Wharton.
Launa was awarded 2003 Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year and winner of the Commonwealth Government Private and Corporate Sector Award. She is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Chief Executive Women Inc and Australian Institute of Management.
Launa is on the Boards of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, The Alannah & Madeline Foundation, L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival and the World Retail Congress Advisory Board.
Why mentoring is so important?
Launa has been very fortunate to have a number of different mentors throughout her career, men and women, from diverse backgrounds and industries.
“Mentors can be extremely valuable in opening up new networking opportunities and they also provide a great sounding board. Often you know the choice or decision you need to make but just talking it through with someone makes you more confident in going for it. I think it’s important for businesses to cultivate and hone the passion of team members to help them gain exposure to a range of different experiences.”
What can you gain from mentoring others?
For Launa, being a mentor has been an incredibly rewarding experience. “I mentor men and women who are not only from retailing but also other industries. I find that I get as much from mentoring these people as they do from me.”
Why is mentoring young people so important?
“It’s important as people become more senior in their career to give something back to others who are starting out. A key thing for me is to give young people the self confidence that they can achieve anything they set their mind to and that they do have choices.”
Why support the VYMA and youth mentoring programs?
“In my experience mentoring has many positive benefits and I believe it’s vital for young people to have access to mentoring programs to help them develop to their full potential. VYMA provides an extremely valuable service by supporting the growth of youth mentoring programs.”
ANDREW MACLEOD, Committee for Melbourne, CEO
Andrew MacLeod worked as a Marine Litigation Attorney in Melbourne, Sydney and London before being recruited by the International Committee of the Red Cross to deal with military factions in Yugoslavia and Rwanda.
He was previously a Senior Adviser on Disaster Management for the United Nations and international Committee of the Red Cross. He ran high level humanitarian teams under great pressure to deliver results in the most arduous of circumstances, crossing cultures, borders and front lines of battle.
In these roles Andrew served in several conflict zones and natural disaster settings, including Bosnia, Kosovo, Serbia, East Timor, Pakistan, Philippines, and Sri Lanka.
Previously as the head of Humanitarian Investment and Political Risk Analysis at Responsible Investment, Andrew advised major companies on their community investments, corporate responsibility, community improvement programs and political risks in emerging economy investments.
Andrew was born and raised in Melbourne. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Law from Tasmania University, and a Master of Law (Shipping and Human Rights) from the University of Southampton and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
As CEO of the Committee for Melbourne, Andrew works to progress and enhance Melbourne economically, socially and environmentally.
Why mentoring is so important?
Being able share lessons and experiences is always important – both for the mentor and the young person. Giving a sense of understanding and a sense of assisting people through difficulty and congratulating their success is very important.
What can you gain from mentoring others?
I get enormous fulfilment from watching others grow and avoiding mistakes that I have made.
Why is mentoring young people so important?
It keeps the mentor’s soul fresh and hopeful. It gives the mentee an additional support to lean on.
Why you think it’s important for businesses to support the VYMA and youth mentoring programs?
Business is part of the community and mentoring is vital for community cohesion.
