Indigenous Australian who confronted King Charles III says she won't be 'shut down'

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — An Indigenous senator has intensified her criticism of King Charles III, again accusing the British monarch of complicity in the “genocide” against Australia’s First Nations peoples and declaring on Wednesday she will not be “shut down.”

Sen. Lidia Thorpe’s comments followed an encounter with the monarch at a parliamentary reception Monday where she was escorted out after shouting at him for British colonizers taking Indigenous land and bones.

Despite facing political and public backlash, Thorpe was resolute in a television interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and said she would continue to press for justice.

“The colonial system is all about shutting black women down in this country,” Thorpe said from Melbourne. “For those that don’t agree with what I have said and what I have done, I can tell you now there are elders, there are grassroots Aboriginal people across this country and Torres Strait Islander people who are just so proud.”

“I have decided to be a Black sovereign woman and continue our fight against the colony and for justice for our people,” she added.

Thorpe particularly highlighted the ongoing harm to Australia's First Nations peoples, including holding on to the remains of Indigenous ancestors.

“I’m sorry, Charlie, but you can’t come here and think you can say a few nice words about our people while you still have stolen goods. You are in receipt of stolen goods, which makes you complicit in theft,” she said.

Thorpe also pressed on the endemic social disadvantage that Indigenous Australians continue to experience and that it was being papered over by platitudes that fail to address the systemic issues.

At the parliamentary reception, Charles spoke quietly with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese while security officials stopped Thorpe from approaching and ushered her from the hall.

Charles concluded his visit to Australia and traveled Wednesday to Samoa, where he will open the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

In this image made from video, Australian Indigenous Senator Lidia Thorpe speaks in a television interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024.(Australian Broadcasting Corporation via AP)

Australian Senator Lidia Thorpe disrupts proceedings as Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla attend a Parliamentary reception hosted by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and partner Jodie Jaydon at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (Lukas Coch/Pool Photo via AP)

Australian Senator Lidia Thorpe, left, disrupts proceedings as Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla attend a Parliamentary reception hosted by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and partner Jodie Jaydon at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (Lukas Coch/Pool Photo via AP)

Australian Senator Lidia Thorpe, center, disrupts proceedings as Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla attend a Parliamentary reception hosted by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and partner Jodie Jaydon at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (Lukas Coch/Pool Photo via AP)

Australian Senator Lidia Thorpe, center, disrupts proceedings as Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla attend a Parliamentary reception hosted by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and partner Jodie Jaydon at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (Lukas Coch/Pool Photo via AP)

Australian Senator Lidia Thorpe, center, disrupts proceedings as Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla attend a Parliamentary reception hosted by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and partner Jodie Jaydon at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (Lukas Coch/Pool Photo via AP)

Australian Senator Lidia Thorpe, centre, is ushered away as she disrupts proceedings while Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla attend a Parliamentary reception hosted by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and partner Jodie Haydon at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (Lukas Coch/Pool Photo via AP)

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 16, 2026--

K2 Partnering Solutions, a global leader in consultative technology and talent solutions, today announced the appointment of Srinivas Rao as Chief Executive Officer.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260216572423/en/

Srinivas is a seasoned global executive with more than 28 years of experience driving value creation, scalable growth, and operational transformation across digital, consulting, IT services, and business services. He brings deep expertise in leading complex, multi-market organisations and has successfully scaled $800M+ P&Ls, working closely with boards, sponsors, and executive leadership teams across the USA, UK, Europe, the Middle East, and APAC.

Most recently, Srinivas served as Chief Business Officer and a member of the Executive Council at LTIMindtree, where he was accountable for growth acceleration, market expansion, strategic customer relationships, and operating performance across a highly complex regional footprint. During his tenure, he played a pivotal role in strengthening go-to-market execution, driving margin discipline, and scaling enterprise client partnerships.

Across prior leadership roles at Sutherland, Conduent, Capgemini, and Infosys, Srinivas has consistently delivered organic and inorganic growth, operating model transformation, and execution at scale. Often in fast-paced, performance-driven environments aligned with investor expectations.

K2 Partnering Solutions is entering a new phase of growth, focused on strengthening its global operating model, expanding strategic client relationships, and accelerating value creation across its Technology and Consulting offerings. Srinivas’s appointment reflects the company’s commitment to disciplined execution, scalable growth, and strong leadership as it continues to evolve its platform and capabilities.

Commenting on his appointment, Srinivas said:

“I’m excited to join K2 Partnering Solutions at such a pivotal time in its journey. K2 has a strong foundation, a differentiated market position, and deep client relationships globally. I look forward to working with the Board and leadership team to build on this momentum, strengthening execution, scaling the platform, and delivering sustainable growth and value for our clients, partners, and people.”

Ashok Vemuri, Chairman, added:

“Srini brings a rare combination of global leadership experience, operational rigour, and growth mindset. His track record of scaling complex organisations and driving performance makes him exceptionally well suited to lead K2 into its next chapter.”

Srinivas Rao, CEO of K2 Partnering Solutions