Future Women Leadership Series

Trigger warning: domestic and family violence.  1 in 4 women and 1 in 14 men have experienced violence from an intimate partner. This is a whole of society issue - including workplaces. That's why we wanted to share our latest series, There's No Place Like Home: After she leaves. This is episode tthree. Conor Pall never wanted to live with a man he calls ‘The Shadow’. But he was f...

Dr Luci Ellis is one of the most high-profile and respected economists in the country. She rose through the ranks to become Assistant Governor at the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). Today, she works as Group Chief Economist at Westpac. In this episode, she talks with FW's Helen McCabe about leading as a technical specialist and why she still jokingly calls herself a ‘silver medallist’...

Trigger warning: domestic and family violence.  1 in 4 women and 1 in 14 men have experienced violence from an intimate partner. This is a whole of society issue - including workplaces. That's why we wanted to share our latest series, There's No Place Like Home: After she leaves. This is episode two.  After two women in Miranda’s* mothers group began to suspect she was being a...

Is executive presence innate? Or, is it something we can work on and develop as we grow as leaders?  Kathryn McMullan is one of the country’s most senior national security leaders. She's also someone who knows how to command a room. As Director of Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation, she has learned how to hold her own in the most intimidating of environments.  In...

Trigger warning: domestic and family violence and homicide.  1 in 4 women and 1 in 14 men have experienced violence from an intimate partner. This is a whole of society issue - including workplaces. That's why we wanted to share our latest series, There's No Place Like Home: After she leaves.  In the first episode, we meet Dr Ann O’Neill. Dr O'Neill thought her estranged husband wa...

How can leaders best spot and put a stop to passive-aggressive behaviours in teams?  CEO of Private Healthcare Australia, Dr Rachel David, is someone who has given leadership a lot of thought. She cut her teeth as a leader in her early twenties when she was thrown in the deep end as a trainee doctor in hospital emergency rooms.  In this episode, she talks with FW's Helen McCabe about how...

How can leaders bring the best out of team members? And what should they do when someone isn't pulling their weight?  In the second part of a two-episode interview special, former NSW Premier Mike Baird speaks with FW's Helen McCabe about the times when his motivations as a leader have been misunderstood, or deliberately misconstrued. In it, the duo discuss managing underperformers and how to...

At first glance, former NSW Premier Mike Baird’s career could almost seem pre-determined. He followed his father into politics and quickly established himself as a big name in the Liberal Party. After becoming Premier, he went on to a high-powered role in the banking sector.  But, since then, Baird has made surprising career calls. Ones that do not line up with the ‘typical’...

How can we best lead across genders? And how leaders should be thinking about bridging the gender divide? In this panel discussion recorded live at the FW Leadership Summit, join journalist Leila McKinnon as she examines how to lead across genders alongside Wayside Chapel CEO Rev Jon Owen, Workplace Gender Equality Agency CEO Mary Wooldridge and FW’s Head of Policy and Program Impact Ruby Le...

As a young mum, Bernadette Black had one of her most profound leadership realisations. Looking at her newborn son, she realised she would have to "override" fear and seek help.  Bernadette's conviction that society could be better for families and young parents spurred her to set up the influential not-for-profit Brave Foundation. Today, she’s started an exciting new venture as the Foun...

Star Matilda's midfielder Katrina Gorry might be one of the most beloved athletes in the country. But for a long time she never saw herself as a leader... Gorry speaks with FW Founder Helen McCabe ahead of the global release of her self-titled memoir. In this interview, she reflects on how difficult periods have shaped her leadership style and reveals the trait that most annoys her.  Join the...

Is it possible for you to be entirely unaware of what is holding you back as a leader?  Dr Kirstin Ferguson is an internationally-recognised executive coach, author and company director. She appeared on the podcast ahead of the global release of her new book  Blindspotting .  ‘Blindspotting’ as a leadership technique is all about the importance of leaders recognising whe...

Why do different leadership styles go in and out of fashion? And is one version of leadership better than the rest?  In this panel discussion recorded live at the FW Leadership Summit, join Helen McCabe as she examines different leadership styles. With Private Healthcare Australia CEO Dr Rachel David, Director of the Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation Kathryn McMullan, SG Fl...

Could this be the last generation of CEOs? As the Senior Vice President of Innovation, AI and Customer Advisory ANZ at Salesforce, Rowena Westphalen is on the cutting edge of the AI revolution. In this interview, she talks with FW Founder Helen McCabe about what the future of leadership will look like as we start to manage half-human, half-digital teams.  Join the movement to fast-t...

How can leaders tap into Gen Z talent?  In this intergenerational panel recorded live at the FW Leadership Summit, join Helen McCabe as she questions the best ways to support and learn from a generation that's grown up with the rise of digital technologies. With digital-audio executive Jennifer Goggin, head paralegal Gabi Stricker-Phelps, Adore Beauty chair Marina Go and project engineer Brit...

What does the widespread backlash to D&I signify? And how should leaders navigate it?  Dr Katie Spearritt is a diversity and leadership expert in Australia. She's the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Diversity Partners, a specialist D&I consultancy firm. In this interview, she talks with Helen McCabe about how leaders could be framing D&I initiatives, why the business case i...

How can leaders best support talent?  Deanne Stewart is one of the most in-demand executives in the country. As CEO of AwareSuper, she's in charge of one of Australia's largest superannuation funds. She was also the CEO of MetLife, and has held senior roles at BT, Westpac and McKinsey & Co. In this episode she shares why she does not schedule any meetings before 8:30am, how she became a l...

"On paper things looked great … [but] I was a mess. And after 18 months, I sort of fell apart pretty catastrophically." Georgie Dent is the CEO of The Parenthood, a not-for-profit that advocates to make Australia the best place in the world to raise a child. She's also a writer, journalist and, in her words, "reformed lawyer". Her company recently partnered with FW to produce the podcast se...

Join Georgie Dent in our third and final bonus episode as we unpack the costs of the childcare crisis to gender equality and the economy Plus: experts share five key solutions that could help make childcare truly accessible and affordable for all – which would be transformative for our country, and especially women. Liked this episode? Follow At What Cost Become an FW member to join the move...

Peggy O'Neal is best known for being the first woman in AFL history to serve as a club’s President. As President at Richmond, she helped steer the club through a period of outstanding success. But this didn’t come without its share of challenges and it wasn't the only time in her leadership career where she has had to navigate being 'the first'.  Join the movement to fast-track yo...

When is a choice not a choice? Almost a quarter of Australia’s population is now living in a ‘childcare desert’ - and this scarcity means that many families’ financial and work schedules hinge on being offered a childcare spot in the first place.  Liked this episode? Follow At What Cost Become an FW member to join the movement and fast-track your professional developme...

As a leader, how should you best step away from a role you've loved? Jayne Hrdlicka has had a high-profile and high-powered career as CEO of Virgin Australia. She was also CEO of Jetstar, held senior roles at Qantas and was CEO of The a2 Milk Company. In her first interview since stepping down from Virgin, she opened up about what leadership looks like from the top and what she wishes sh...

How did struggling to access affordable childcare become the norm? The sky-high costs directly impact women’s economic security, career progression and happiness – and fuel the gender pay gap and gender super gap, as well as homelessness later in life. Georgie Dent speaks with parents and experts to examine the true cost of childcare in this country … and learns why –...

How should leaders be thinking about building brands - now and into the future?  Tahnee Sharp's business was born out of frustration, disappointment and anger with the marketing industry. Flash forward and she's now CEO of The Marketing Room, an independent marketing powerhouse that’s expanded across the globe.   In this episode, she discusses everything from Roxy Jacenko and...

What role does tenacity play in leadership?  Rhian Allen is a wildly successful entrepreneur. She walked away from a high-powered role as a sales director to launch The Healthy Mummy. After a turbulent period saw her need to walk away from the business she loved, Rhian struck once again and is now the CEO and founder of Zing Wellbeing.  In this episode, Rhian shares what she has learned...