“I am very proud of Leonard to be able to share with us his insights, his feelings, his concerns in relation to building up a society that turns blind eye to the reality of the situation. Well done and more power to him! Also to the young kids with him on the presentation, congratulations on their chosen path to redeem themselves and hope that they continue to do the right thing. Well done to them! ”
— Isabel, Reconciliations & Control - Domestic Cash & Securities
“Leonard was great. Raw, genuine and inspiring. He has clearly been through a lot and come out of it with a clearer insight into himself. I could have stayed and listened to him speak for ages. ”
— Zoe, Talent & Capability
“It was a great experience for me although I was a bit embarrassed to use so much tissue and sitting on the front row. You are doing a wonderful job. You are one of those fortunate ones who can touch many people and make a difference. I feel like I am in the wrong job. Since coming out of that presentation, I have been praying to God to give me the opportunity to help people and show them the light of hope. May be some day it will happen.”
— Nasrin, Wholesale
“Thought Leonard’s presentation was great. Very engaging and gave us a lot of things to think about. I think at times you forget what is really happening with others, and Leonard really brought back the reality with us. ”
— Amelia, Knowledge Management Project
“What an amazing session! Having the opportunity to hear stories from people who have gone through such adversity and were able to give themselves a better life was so fascinating. Leonard was quite extraordinary. He was incredibly engaging, passionate, funny and most of all honest. I was moved to tears during many moments and thought the session was so powerful. I feel I was able to have more of an understanding around people in our jail system and we should do to help educate, empower and assist them with being the best person they can be. Myself and my colleague really could not talk more highly of the whole event, thank you again.”
— Mona, MLC
“I was genuinely moved by Leonard’s ability to articulate his experiences and feelings in such a profoundly eloquent and self-aware manner. He has clearly reflected deeply on the biography of his life and has brought to light so much insight and wisdom for others (from all walks of life) to learn from. It is people like Leonard with their ability to work with the human condition that should be sitting in our politicians chairs, but alas the short-comings of our political system is so tragically ineffective at resolving our communities’ issues. I wish Leonard all the best for continuing his great work with the ‘Little Leonards’ despite the systemic challenges, I salute his commitment, courage and authenticity for taking this path. ”
— Francesca, Corporate Responsibility
“Refreshingly honest.
Your comments on how we integrate released prisoners into communities that are low socio economic ones was interesting. As a community we do need to do better than lumping all ex prisoners together, otherwise how can we expect them to integrate with the community and develop. Well done and keep up the good work. ”