Guided by respect, driven by collaboration, and grounded in community, Florence Drummond brings purpose and vision to every sphere she leads.
Having forged a career in the mining industry, where she's still currently employed as an executive director at the Development Partner Institute, Drummond has launched her latest venture, Mitu Wines, making her the first Indigenous woman to own a wine label.
Over the past decade, her reputation has grown as a global expert in multi-stakeholder engagement, strategic partnerships, and sustainable development.
From high-powered boardrooms to outback mine sites, she has championed new narratives for inclusive growth and Indigenous leadership.
Moving to Margaret River two years ago to reset after corporate life burnout, Drummond has spent time with the Wadandi Elders, following cultural protocol before beginning her new business.
"Wine is a reflection of the abundance of Country, so it was important to me to connect with the Wadandi people to seek their permission and guidance to work on their Country, because the land connects us all," she says.
Mitu is starting with small batch supplies, producing just 1000 bottles of each wine while carefully crafting a sustainable business model that can adapt as it finds its path to growth.
Partnering with well-regarded wine makers in the Margaret River wine region, and after extensive consultation with the wine community and local Wadandi people, Drummond has already won a legion of supporters.
Drummond channels her 'mines to vines' journey into a compelling story of regeneration. Her entrepreneurial pivot reflects a deeper truth: leaders of great legacy are those who lead by example, with courage, humility, and long-term vision.
Growing up by the sea on Thursday Island, Drummond's Torres Strait Islander and Creole family are known as the saltwater people. Synchronicity at play, the Wadandi people in Western Australia's southwest are also known as the saltwater people.
In a metaphoric move, Drummond, a saltwater woman, found her way to the ocean on the opposite side of the continent where she creates delicious drops, a product that bridges worlds and brings people together.
As one of only four or five Indigenous wine businesses in Australia, she sees Mitu Wines as a conversation starter and a celebration of unique perspectives.
"I'm always curious about niche markets and business, and I love wine, so when I moved here, I soon recognised this was a space ripe for disruption," Drummond says.
"In my work in the mining industry, we activate local ecosystems, work with Traditional Owners and stakeholder and elevate opportunities for Indigenous people to become leaders, and I applied those same principals to Mitu before Mitu even had a name."
Mitu translates to 'me and you' in Torres Strait Islander Creole.
The name speaks to something larger, a gentle yet determined push to continue to diversify the wine industry across its entire value chain. It's an industry where Indigenous women have rarely been seen, yet Drummond's presence feels both radical and entirely natural.
Her approach to winemaking mirrors the lessons learned from her childhood by the sea, taking only what's needed, and respecting the land's bounty, what we call in modern terms, sustainability.
"I'm new to the wine industry so I'm taking a sustainable approach; I need to be strategic and economical in how I approach and test the market, taking an agile business format of collaborating with winemakers and local businesses where it feels right and makes sense."
Just as her family would gather to share the day's catch, each bottle of Mitu wine is meant to be shared mindfully, celebrating the moment and the company.
"It's not about being overindulgent, it's about connection and being grateful," she explains.
Drummond says she is mindful of the many different facets and responsibilities of an Indigenous business in the alcohol sector.
"The complex history of alcohol's introduction to Australia through colonisation and its effects on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities is well documented and continues to impact us, and I see this opportunity with Mitu Wines to proactively influence that narrative."
The plan is for Mitu wine bottles to carry mindful drinking messages and acknowledge the historical harms done to Indigenous populations. It's a bold and intelligent approach that demonstrates her commitment to responsible business practices while honouring her cultural responsibilities.
Florence's business acumen, global influence, and deep cultural grounding position her as a next-generation leader redefining success: one rooted in relationships, resilience, and results. Her impact reaches far beyond the wine and mining industries, it extends into the very heart of what ethical, future-forward leadership should look like.
Mitu is more than making history as the first wine label owned by an Indigenous woman, it's a symbol for bridging sectors and reshaping legacy industries.