Chief Executive, Kai Rho Contracting
Rowena Leslie is a proud Mirning, Wongutha, and Wajarri Yamatji woman with more than 20 years of experience working at the intersection of Aboriginal business and the mining industry. She’s the co-founder of Kai Rho Contracting, an Aboriginal-owned and managed civil and mining services company she runs alongside her sister. Based in the Goldfields, Kai Rho focuses on delivering reliable project outcomes while creating genuine opportunities for Aboriginal employment, training, and business development.
Rowena also leads the Goldfields Aboriginal Business Chamber as its founding chair, where she works to break down barriers and open up real opportunities for Aboriginal businesses in mining and resource projects. She’s a straight talker who brings lived experience to the table, someone who understands both the commercial and cultural sides of doing business in the regions. Her work is about more than just contracts; it's about building long-term capability, shifting outdated approaches, and making sure Aboriginal people have a strong voice and a seat at the table in the industries that impact their country.
