Dr Werner Vogels

Werner blends leadership development, data, strategy and design to strengthen social impact across rural, regional and remote communities, always asking deeper questions to understand what drives change, and the values underpinning it. With a PhD in Psychology and an academic foundation in human behaviour, he brings a sharp, curious mind to the work of systems change.

At the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation, Werner leads impact strategy, designing tools and systems that centre community voices and measure what matters. He has contributed to initiatives ranging from impact evaluation, sense-making, program facilitation, community resilience, First Nations partnerships and participatory governance.

Grounded in principles of transformational leadership and adaptive thinking, Werner’s work champions changemaking that is collaborative, values-led and community-driven. He believes leadership is most powerful when it enables others, especially in the face of complexity and inequality.

Werner serves on the RDA Hume Committee and is a Board Director at Merriwa Industries in Wangaratta, a social enterprise that creates meaningful employment for people with a disability. His approach is anchored in place, guided by purpose, and fuelled by curiosity. He draws strength from the power of nature, spending time hiking, exploring Country, travel, and being with his family.