Jeremy Abbott- Director of Formula RBA discusses how Formula RBA came to be, what inspired it, and where Formula RBA is headed in the future.
Tell us about you and your Mob
JA: I am the Director and majority owner of Supply Nation certified commercial construction and fitout business, Formula RBA. I am a proud Aboriginal man of the Pini people in Western Australia. I was born in Perth and raised in the Southwestern town of Australind, before moving back to Perth. For the last 13 years I have lived in Melbourne with my wife and two young children. My Grandfather, Robert Bruce Ashwin (RBA) was a stolen generations child taken at the age of 2 to Moore River Native Settlement and then onto Sister Kate’s Children’s home in Perth.
Tell us how Formula RBA came about
JA: Formula RBA came about through my relationships and family connections with Formula Interiors. My father-in-law, John Fisher, is one of the founding directors of InteriorCo Pty Ltd, the parent company of Formula Interiors. Hence, I have been connected with the business for many years. After 16 years in Corporate Australia, it was time for me to branch out and start my own business putting into practice all that I have learned across sales, relationship management, marketing, growth, business management and strategy. This combined with an opportunity to build a purposeful business and a legacy in honour of my Grandfather to support Indigenous Australians. This has been the basis for Formula RBA’s journey to date.
Polly Farmer Foundation
Tell us what Formula RBA does and what are Formula RBA’s goals and objectives
JA: We are a national commercial construction and fitout business dedicated to providing world-class construction services to the commercial market. In partnership with Formula Interiors, we want to be known as the leaders in curating the modern workspace to allow people to feel inspired and motivated in their work environments. We aim to form partnerships with Government and Corporate Organisations to support us is achieving our business outcomes.
Clontarf Foundation
What is the mission of Formula RBA?
JA: Formula RBA aims to support Indigenous Australian’s through all that we do. Our mission is to make a difference across community, employment and awareness outcomes with a particular focus on the next generation of leaders and supporting other Indigenous businesses.
Melbourne Indigenous Transition School
How is RBA achieving outcomes and contributing to supporting indigenous Australians?
JA: We reinvest profits annually to support Indigenous Education programs such as the Polly Farmer Foundation, Clontarf Foundation and Melbourne Indigenous Transition School. I believe Education is vital for our future Indigenous leaders, and through my own struggles at school wish to see more support and outcomes in this space. We also aim to drive employment outcomes both internally and through our relationships with other Indigenous businesses.
Find out more about Formula RBA
