Engaging multicultural communities

COVID-19 has demonstrated just how challenging it is to reach a community as diverse as Victoria’s. For communications professionals, the pandemic has forced a shift in how we plan and execute our communications to effectively reach everyone in our community. So, what have we learned?

Playing a significant role in managing communications to multicultural communities throughout COVID-19 outbreaks. Our speakers - Vivienne Nguyen AM, Chairperson, Victorian Multicultural Commission and Mandy Griffiths Director, Priority Cohorts, COVID Communications and Engagement and the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing - will discuss their experiences in engaging multicultural communities.

Viv and Mandy will share examples from their recent professional experience that will help you improve your approach to large-scale and tailored community-facing communications now and into the future.

About Vivienne Nguyen AM

For over 25 years Viv has worked as a business executive and a community leader in corporate, community and government settings agencies applying her business knowledge, leadership and technical expertise to help organisations with funding, governance, risk management, stakeholder relationships and to advance their social objectives. Viv has held roles at the AustChoice Financial Services, AMP Asset Management and ANZ Banking Group where she led the global organisation’s diversity strategy. Along with her corporate career, Viv’s community activities span across many different cultures to provide input into public policy on asylum seekers, civic engagement, participation, anti-racism and human rights.

Viv served on the council of the Vietnamese Community in Australia – Victorian Chapter. Viv’s significant contribution was recognised and as a result she was recorded on the Victorian Honour Roll in 2002 for advocating for women in leadership and work with Vietnamese young people. In 2003 she was awarded the Australian Centenary Medal.

About Mandy Griffiths

Mandy is the Director, Priority Cohorts, COVID Communications and Engagement and the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing.

With a background in strategic communication, social media, content creation and issues management within a PR agency environment, Mandy joined Multicultural Affairs at the Department of Premier and Cabinet (now Department of Families, Fairness and Housing) in 2018. When the pandemic began in March 2020, Mandy was a founding member of the DPC COVID Communications team, before leading the communications response for multicultural communities when the CALD Communities Taskforce was formed in August 2020. In that time, the CALD communications team has created new channels of communication and new ways of working to improve access to information for all Victorians.