Valerie Pratt, AM
Visiting Professor
Macquarie Graduate School of Management
Valerie Pratt is Visiting Professor with the Macquarie Graduate School of Management and a Fellow of the Labour-Management Studies Foundation. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and Diploma of Social Studies from Sydney University following the award of a mature age scholarship by the Canteens Trust Fund.
From 1986 to 1994 Professor Pratt was Founding Director of the Commonwealth Government's Affirmative Action Agency, responsible for implementation of the Affirmative Action Act 1986. Prior to this position she was Divisional Personnel Manager for CSR Ltd, and held various roles involved in social planning, personnel policy and research. Her international experience included representing Australia at the ILO Conference in Equal Opportunty and Restrictive Legistation in 1989 and co-hosting the Conference on Equal Opportunity in the South East Asian Region in 1990.
Professor Pratt has served on a number of Boards: the Defence Housing Authority (1989-1994): Civil Aviation Authority (1994-1995): Employee Assistance Program ACT (1989-1994) and the NSW Breast Cancer Institute (1996-2000). She was a Fellow of Senate of the University of Sydney from 1995-2004 and is the Chair of the Australian Bravery Decorations Council (Australian Honours System)
Professor Pratt has acted as consultant to a number of public and private sector organizations and universities, including the Department of Defence, University of South Australia, Macquarie University and University of Sydney. She was a member of the Committee of Inquiry into Sex Discrimination in Overaward Payments by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission, and Member of the Department of Defence
Advisory Forum on Discrimination. She has focused particularly on organisational culture and structures, resolution of grievances, executive recruitment and issues related to fairness and equity.
Her honours include appointment as Member of the Order of Australia (1990) Honourary Fellow of Macquarie University (1993) and Doctor of Letters honoris causa Macquarie University (2000).
