Future Women Leadership Series

From styling hair to fighting crime, Detective Senior Sergeant Leemara Fairgrieve made quite the switch when she left hairdressing to join Victoria Police. These days, she’s busting major drug syndicates and rising through the ranks. But while she’s tough on crime, Leemara admits she can be tough on herself, and at times, ‘too accommodating’. In this episode, Leemara joins...

You shortcut to this season's top leadership advice...  Over the summer, we're playing a special series containing season five's most interesting and practical leadership advice. Each episode revolves around a single question. This week it's: Imagine you are the Prime Minister, what is the one thing you would change?  You'll hear from Director of the Australian-Geospatial Intelligen...

Carla Zampatti’s daughter, self-confessed nerd Allegra Spender, never saw herself as a natural fit to lead her late mother’s fashion empire. But that’s where she ended up, before a runway-worthy career-pivot which saw her ride the Teal wave into federal politics. In this episode, Allegra joins Briana Blackett to discuss how being “too nerdy” helped her break the mould...

This week, we're revisiting our interview with newly minted Australian of the Year Katherine Bennell-Pegg.  Bennell-Pegg is Director of Space Technology at the Australian Space Agency, and the first person to train as an astronaut under the Australian flag. Back in 2024. she spoke with Helen McCabe about her remarkable career, imposter syndrome and whether grit is more important than talent....

You shortcut to this season's top leadership advice...  Over the summer, we're playing a special series containing season five's most interesting and practical leadership advice. Each episode revolves around a single question. This week it's: tell me about your biggest leadership failure and what you learned from it?  You'll hear from Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley , former Virgin Aust...

You shortcut to this season's top leadership advice...  Over the summer, we're playing a special series containing season five's most interesting and practical leadership advice. Each episode revolves around a single question. First up: What's the best piece of career feedback you've received?  You'll hear from CBRE's Natalie Slessor , Senator Jane Hume , CEO of the Group of Eight U...

How often have you thought about your leadership values? Well, what if you flipped that and started thinking in terms of anti-values?  Georgie Holt is the CEO of media start-up Flight Story - the powerhouse behind the Diary of a CEO podcast. She's also spoken a lot recently about AI and her efforts to see if she, as CEO, can remove large parts of her role.  In this episode, she speaks ab...

What can the corporate world learn about leadership from elite sports teams?  All AFL fans will recognise the name Paul Roos. He was a legendary coach and player who is perhaps best known for ending the Sydney Swan's 72 year premiership drought. But his leadership insights extend well beyond the pinnacles of elite sport. Today Paul heads a company called Performance by Design, dedicated to im...

This week, we're revisiting one of our favourite FW Leadership Series episodes.  Do you ever feel shackled by the expectation to be 'polite'? Wendy McCarthy is one of Australia’s leading feminists, businesswomen, activists, and a best-selling author. In this discussion with Helen McCabe, Wendy shares the many lessons she's learned about life, love and leadership. Join the movement to fa...

Does there come a point where you stop worrying about being likeable?  Phoebe Saintilan-Stocks is the founder of media start-up Missing Perspectives. She is also the author of a new book called The Right Hand . In it, she speaks to chiefs of staff to some of the world’s most consequential leaders, from Jacinda Ardern to Nelson Mandela.  In this episode, Phoebe shares what she'...

Is there a trick to pushing through tough times? Justine Cain is the Group CEO of Diabetes Australia. In this episode, she speaks about resilience and how a great loss shaped her leadership philosophy. She also discusses her day-to-day approach to leading - from one-on-ones to org charts and skip meetings. Join the movement to fast-track your professional development.  Become an FW Diamond me...

Van Tang is engineering giant GHD’s CEO for the Asia Pacific region. She leads a team of over 5600 people, spanning numerous countries and time zones. And yet, despite being incredibly hardworking, she holds onto a “lazy” leadership philosophy. In this episode, Van unpacks what she means by this and also shares why she can’t stand managing up and calls herself a 'bridging l...

What sort of career moves should you be making if you want to join a board?  Mark Rigotti was the Global CEO at law firm Herbert Smith Freehills, and today, he is the CEO of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD). In this episode, he talks Helen McCabe about complex power dynamics in the workplace and the sort of skills you need to be good at right now to end up on a board....

What should leaders think about when designing org charts? And what are the secrets to creating ones that fuel, rather than hinder, collaboration?  Erica Nelson is the Chief Leadership Development Officer at the Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation. She’s got a background in psychology and - among many things - works one-on-one with executives to help them sort through leadership...

How do we change as leaders over time?  As CEO of the Group of Eight Universities, Vicki Thomson is one of the most important figures in Australia's education sector. In a former life she was also Chief of Staff to ex-South Australian Premier John Olsen. In this episode, she reflects on her leadership evolution from being a tough boss who "didn't suffer fools" to becoming an expert at "herdin...

What is the best way to overcome a public leadership failure? Kellie Hush is one of the most influential players in the Australian fashion landscape. The former Editor-in-Chief of Harper's Bazaar Australia, today she is the Co-Founder of The Volte and CEO of Australian Fashion Week. In this episode, she talks about career pivots and what to do when it all goes terribly wrong... and, yes, she also...

How should you approach leadership if you're an outside hire?  Sydney University's Vice Chancellor Mark Scott is one of the country's most accomplished leaders. Throughout his career, Mark has been appointed from the outside of organisations with a mandate to drive large-scale change. In this episode, he shares what he's learned from being the 'outsider' and how he has approached leading much...

What is the difference between a good and a gifted communicator? Dr Kate Mason is a leading communications expert. Her new book,  Powerfully Likeable , is a roadmap for female leaders looking to communicate in a way that's both powerful and likeable.  In this episode, she gives practical, actionable tips for how to avoid the constricting binaries and become a gifted communicator at work....

What should you do when you're feeling stuck in your career? And how can you best transform a plateau into new opportunities.  In this panel discussion recorded live at the FW Leadership Summit, join journalist Leila McKinnon as she probes the best ways to reframe the problem and embrace a growth mindset. With Co-Founder of Arise Foundation Tasnia Hannan, academic Fran Grant, Zing Wellbeing F...

What should you do when strong convictions create conflict at work?  Senator Jane Hume became a politician because of her strong convictions and beliefs. But these convictions aren't shared by all. Some love her for her beliefs and others... well, not so much.  In this episode, she gives tips how leaders should navigate the thorny issue of ‘likeability’ at work and shares why...

What should you do when your integrity as a leader is called into question?  Rebekah Giles is one of the most high-profile lawyers in Australia. She's the Principal of Giles George, a law firm that specialises in reputational risk. In this episode, she speaks about how she has managed her own reputation as her public profile has grown as well as her insights into leadership, integrity an...

Can being criticised as a leader also be a sign of success?  The answer, according to Fiona David, is yes. A lawyer and anthropologist by training, Fiona helped lead the development of the Global Slavery Index. Today she is the CEO and Founder of Fair Futures. In this episode, she share her strategies for turning criticism and tough feedback into positives as a leader.   Join the mo...

What are the key traits leaders should look for when hiring? CEO of Tennis Australia Craig Tiley has one of the most high-pressure and high-profile sports leadership roles. Each year he is reasonable for leading the team that makes the Australian Open a reality - a single mistake can quite literally be broadcast across the globe. In this episode, he shares what he looks for when hiring a team as w...

What is the most effective way to make your ambitions a reality? The answer - according to Natalie Slessor - could be to start thinking of your career as like a bingo card. In this episode of the Leadership Series, CBRE's Executive Managing Director of Property Management talks to Helen McCabe about moving sideways and how best to show ambition.  Join the movement to fast-track your professio...

How can leaders build cultures of respect in our increasingly polarised times?   The answer, according to former Premier Jay Weatherill, might just start with creating spaces for respectful disagreement. In this interview, he speaks with FW Founder Helen McCabe about how he has stayed above the fray since leaving politics, as well as how he navigates hot-button issues and polarisation as...