Sam joined Aurora in 2018 as Director for Corporate Partnerships, and has chaired the Board since 2019.
Sam Turner is an influential global people, inclusion and cultural reform leader with 25+ years’ experience across the financial services, technology, higher education, arts, community, and natural resources sectors. Sam is known as an innovator, a strategic thinker, and someone who is passionate about community and the power of positive change.
Sam is the Chief People Officer at Allens Linklaters, a leading Australian law firm. She was most recently the Chief of Staff for Microsoft Asia, and previously served as the Head of Inclusion & Diversity for the Westpac Group. Sam has held senior commercial roles at Microsoft, Westpac, NAB, BHP, and Deloitte.
Sam has extensive experience as an independent consultant alongside Elizabeth Broderick, and the Australian Human Rights Commission in their highly respected and public reviews of workplace culture. Sam’s focus is specifically on gender and race equality, LGBTIQ+ inclusion, and cultural transformation. She recently co-led the Australian Music Review into sexual harm and harassment.
Sam was the winner of the 2016 Women of Influence Awards and was named one of Australia’s Outstanding 50 LGBTIQ leaders in the Deloitte/Google 2018 list and is a Churchill Fellow. She is the Chair of The Aurora Group, one of Australia’s largest not for profit LGBTIQ+ Foundations.
Sam holds an Honours degree in Commerce, and a Postgraduate Diploma of Psychology.