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An interview by our CareerTrackers intern Zenae Powell.
Meet Eric Kalolo, Communications Associate.
Where are you from?
My heritage hales from the Pacific Island nation of Samoa, but I was born in New Zealand and moved to Australia when I was eight years of age. I am currently living in Brisbane, home to the Turrbal and Yuggera people. 
What is your role at IBA?
I am the newly appointed Communications Associate for Public and Government Relations as of November and it’s kind of like a dream come true. At the moment I’m currently in the process of taking over the IBA internal news, producing media releases, working on communications briefs and strategising for 2023.
Prior to this role I was part of the Loan Management Team in Housing. There I assisted customers with payment arrangements to rectify arrears, provided hardship to customers experiencing financial difficulty, managed a portfolio of customers from early-stage arrears through to back-end recoveries, assisted with workshop administration, operations and facilitation, and assisted with ad hoc management tasks.
I always wanted to work in communications and I’m extremely excited to be a part of the team as the new Communications Associate.
What was your journey before IBA?
Prior to IBA I was employed by Macquarie Bank and Bank of Queensland. During this time, I also started my fashion label. Under the business I was a freelance fashion stylist, tour promoter and creative director. The business has allowed me the opportunity to work with many talented creatives, TV personalities, musicians, and public figures but most importantly it allowed me the opportunity to express myself creatively and give me the skills to bring to my communications role. In 2019 a friend told me about an opening at IBA within the homes team. Knowing that (the role) was working with Indigenous people, I felt that I had a lot to offer, so I applied and was successful. The experience so far with IBA has been amazing, I’m excited to be in my current role.
Why is working at IBA, important to you?
Working at IBA has opened my eyes to the work that is needed in closing the gap. I want to be a part of the process, I want to help educate our customers on ways they can build generational wealth and financial stability. I believe it is important to share the successes of our customers, so it encourages other First Nations people to start thinking about generational wealth, financial stability and to build a brighter future for the younger generation.
What is one thing you can’t live without?
Sadly, I can’t live without Uber Eats. Although my doctor has advised me otherwise, who doesn’t like takeaway delivered to their door?!
