Asha Bhat is a respected and accomplished business and community leader. As CEO of the Southern Aboriginal Corporation (SAC), Asha is passionate about empowering and building the capacity of this Aboriginal community organisation through improved governance, innovation and business and community development in the Great Southern region of WA. In recognition of Asha’s expertise and achievements, she was selected to participate in the Global Ambassadors Program (GAP) in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States.
She joined in 10 other women leaders from around the world who worked with a cohort of Global Ambassadors - established women executives from a range of sectors and organisations - on the challenges faced by leaders and their organisations. She was the only representative selected from Australia.
Source: Asha Bhat
The Global Ambassadors Program connects a cadre of women entrepreneurs and leaders of social enterprises to a unique mentorship and skills-building opportunity – pairing them with distinguished women executives from a range of sectors and organizations, including the Bank of America, to enhance their skills in key areas including leadership, financial management, business strategy and communications.
Asha lives in Albany, a small city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, about 418 kilometres south-east of Perth. The estimated population of Albany in 2015 was about 34,000 of which people of Indian birth were 0.3%, or just 102 people.
Asha Bhat has lived in Albany for nearly nine years and in Australia for 12 years. Her story is a typical migrant’s story with the same struggles all have for employment, skill development etc. However, she has shown that with hard work and dedication, we can reach extraordinary heights.
Source: Asha
Asha Bhat, who hails from Uttara Kannada in Karnataka, undertook a Master’s degree in mathematics and worked as a maths teacher in India before moving to Australia, with her husband Vivek and young son Vikas, in 2004. They first arrived in Sydney and then moved to Adelaide once Vivek found a job in his line of expertise. After a few months, Asha also found employment and then went on to work at a multinational company. They then moved to Albany for Vivek's work.
In Albany, Asha had to start afresh beginning a career as an accountant in a small firm. She then obtained a position as an accountant at SAC before going on to become its Management Accountant and Finance/HR Manager and then, Corporate Secretary. In 2013 she was appointed to the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Asha was awarded the Albany Citizen of the Year award in 2017 and also became a 2017 finalist in the Telstra WA Business Women's Awards.
