DAVID SAYS

“ON A business trip to Cambodia five years ago, I had contact with an organisation that rescues young girls trafficked into sexual slavery. As I studied more about modern slavery, I realised it would also be rife in the manufacturing industry.

Our parent company had already signed a human rights charter but here in Australia we buy uniforms and office furniture, we have cleaning contracts, logistics and warehousing providers. A lot of our electronics componentry comes from third-party suppliers. The next step was to investigate downstream factories.

I arranged a meeting with the Walk Free Foundation, an organisation set up by [Fortescue Metals Group chairman] Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest to end slavery. At the time, Laura was with Walk Free’s business engagement team and she immediately struck me as bright, articulate and knowledgeable.

Early in life, Laura decided to channel all of her energy, intelligence and creativity into eliminating human rights abuses – a very laudable vision for a young person. Now, in her late 20s, she is a human rights expert; I would argue one of the foremost in Australia. When she relocated to Sydney, I hired her on the spot.

Laura produced an ethical-sourcing road map and a code of conduct then we met with our main suppliers. We asked them to investigate all their manufacturing sources and told them we wouldn’t spend a dollar with a company whose products or services are made at the expense of a person’s human rights.

Laura and I are very different but also complementary. I’m impatient; I want everything to happen right now. She tempers my natural let’s-get-the-resultstoday side.

I think Laura will eventually outgrow Konica Minolta. The experience is great for her. But in a couple of years she will put her NGO and corporate experience together and have a far greater impact on the world. The end game is about ending slavery.”