Jason Ardler is an Yuin man from the NSW South Coast.

Jason is the co-founder of Thirriwirri, a 100% Aboriginal owned and operated consultancy with the purpose of supporting Aboriginal communities and others to work differently, confidently and effectively together to achieve the social, cultural and economic aspirations of Aboriginal peoples.

For more than 20 years, Jason held senior executive roles in both the public and university sectors in NSW.  Most recently, Jason held the role of Associate Professor and Associate Dean, Indigenous Strategy and Services at the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Medicine and Health.  Jason’s previous roles include, Head of Aboriginal Affairs NSW, leading Government strategy and reform in Aboriginal economic participation, community governance, land rights, culture and heritage, community safety, environmental health and service accountability; and Executive Director Culture and Heritage in the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change.

Jason has been a member of numerous national and state level councils, executive committees and working groups on Aboriginal affairs, state and economic development, public land management, and social policy reform.  He is currently Chair of the National Indigenous Australians Agency’s Indigenous Evaluation Committee. Jason is also an experienced executive coach, and co-creator and facilitator of First Peoples Leading – a suite of programs designed to build the leadership capabilities and confidence of Indigenous people.

In 2018, Jason received the Public Service Medal (PSM) for outstanding public service. He is a Fellow of the Australian New Zealand School of Government and in 2019, was awarded the Sir James Wolfensohn Scholarship to undertake an executive leadership program at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge. Jason holds a Bachelor of Economics from the University of NSW and is a Global Alumni of the Commonwealth Study Conference.