Future Women Leadership Series

What is the best way for leaders to speak out and take a stand?  Tara Rae Moss is - among many things - a best-selling author, documentary host and chronic pain advocate. She's also the host of FW's award-winning podcast series  There’s No Place Like Home .  If there is one thread that connects Tara Rae's varied career, it's her fearless advocacy for causes she is passionate a...

Turia Pitt is one of Australia’s most inspirational women. She is a wearer of many hats - an author, speaker, business owner, ambassador. She is also a runner. Running changed her life forever when, while competing in an ultramarathon in remote Western Australia, she was caught in an out of control grassfire and sustained burns to 65 per cent of her body. In this episode, Pitt joins Helen Mc...

Can you project strength as a leader if you feel like a phony or a fraud? The answer — according to global imposter syndrome expert Alison Shamir — is complicated. Alison became obsessed with understanding imposter syndrome after she was overcome with it while at the peak of her high-powered corporate career. In this episode, she unpacks what leaders should do when they're filled with...

Catherine Livingstone is the Chancellor of the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). She’s also an extraordinarily accomplished businesswoman who has served as the President of the Business Council of Australia,  and has served as Chairman of Commonwealth Bank, Telstra and CSIRO. In this episode, Livingstone joins Helen McCabe to reflect on how she pushed past being labelled “too...

Can we view ourselves as products? And what leadership insights might be gained from doing so? Holly Masters is CEO of the McGrath Foundation. She joined the Foundation after a high-powered career in the commercial sector, including a lengthy stint at Estee Lauder. In this episode she shares how she markets her leadership potential and why she learned to view herself as a product of sorts.  J...

Is caring about too many things a legitimate risk to your professional success? Or does it speak to a drive that will keep you engaged throughout your career?  Dr Anne Summers is a celebrated author, journalist and feminist leader. She played a pivotal role in the women’s movement, co-founding Australia’s first women’s refuge, Elsie, in the 1970s. She’s advised two Pri...

What are the unique challenges that come with managing cross-disciplinary teams?  As Australia’s Privacy Commissioner, Carly Kind is a leading authority on the intersection of technology and human rights. She was also the director of the Ada Lovelace Institute, an organisation dedicated to ensuring data and AI are employed ethically. In this episode, Kind shares her insights into ''Sili...

What do you do when you're told you love your job too much?  Professor Georgina Long shot to national attention when she was named Australian of the Year. Her research on melanoma - known as Australia’s national cancer - has saved thousands of lives. In this episode, Professor Long joins Helen McCabe to reflect on the whirlwind that’s followed being named co-Australian of the Year...

As a leader, is there a point where you've learned all there is to learn? The answer - according to Susannah George - is no. The award-winning entrepreneur, producer, investor and director, who launched Urban List from her bedroom, shares how she accidentally launched one of Australia’s largest independent media brands, what it means to be a ‘wartime CEO’ and the l...

Are you the one who always says what everyone was thinking? Moana Kidd never imagined she’d be a Senior Constable with Victoria Police. As a woman of colour who’d been working in the arts, she was used to attending rallies - not patrolling them. But when an unexpected career shift led her to look for new work - she decided to become the change she wanted to see. In this week’s ep...

Over the summer, we’re revisiting some of our favourite FW Leadership Series.  How can adversity and struggle lead to growth and opportunity? According to Founder of EQ Minds, Chelsea Pottenger, the key to the answer lies in making the most of plan B when plan A gets taken from you. In this interview, host Helen McCabe asks Chelsea about how her mental health struggles led to a career c...

Have you ever felt like who you are was "too complex" for the field you work in?  Brooke Blurton is best known for being the first Black and bisexual woman on The Bachelorette. She’s also a youth worker, an author, a podcaster and a mental health advocate. In this episode, she joins Helen McCabe to reflect on how she's had a career dismissed by some as "too complex".  Liked this ep...

Over the summer, we’re revisiting some of our favourite FW Leadership Series.  Award-winning journalist and former Executive Producer of ABC's Four Corners Sally Neighbour has pushed past doubts and fears to shed light on important stories. In this interview, host Helen McCabe and Sally Neighbour unpack whether fearlessness is something you can learn, or if it's innate in your character...

Chanel Contos was just 21 years old when she launched an online petition that sparked a movement and propelled her into the global spotlight.  Teach Us Consent triggered a national conversation and led to mandatory consent education in all Australian schools. In this episode, Contos joins Helen McCabe to reflect on the personal price of radical change, and the power that can come with being &...

When are you at your most productive? Managing Director for Google Australia & New Zealand Melanie Silva doesn’t just fill her days up with meetings, she instead makes space in her schedule for ‘big thinking days’ and time to find her ‘flow’. In this interview, host Helen McCabe and Melanie Silva unpack how being productive and being busy are not the same thing, a...

Does cockiness make you better at your job? That's what former Matildas star Lydia Williams was told when she rose to the sport's top flight. In this episode of Too Much, Williams joins Helen McCabe to reflect on her journey as a Matilda and how she pushed past being labelled “too humble” at key points in her career.  Liked this episode? Follow Too Much to hear more  Become a...

Where does confidence come from? Author, activist, and Future Women's Deputy Managing Director Jamila Rizvi brings both her experiences, and the research behind confidence to discuss how to best build it in your life. Helen McCabe and Jamila share the most common struggles they hear women have with maintaining confidence, as well as practical tips you can implement into your communication and care...

What does your wardrobe reveal about you? Libby Allaway is an executive stylist, who's passion is empowering women through the transformative power of fashion. In this episode, Libby unpacks the psychology behind what we wear, reveals the secret to a well-curated wardrobe, and explains how to unlock the power of using clothing as a tool for confidence.  The FW Leadership Series is hosted by H...

How present do leaders need to be? Rear Admiral Lee Goddard CSC served over 34 years in the Navy, commanding warships and joint taskforces at every senior rank, and continues to serve as a member of the active reserve. He's also the inaugural CEO and Executive Director of the Australian Missile Corporation, a Non-Executive Director of AUSTAL and the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation, an Advi...

Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness CSC is Australia’s National Cyber Security Coordinator. She came to this role with over 30 years of experience in the Australian Defence Force. Today, she plays a pivotal role in driving Australia’s cyber security and coordinates the Government’s response to major cyber security incidents.  In this episode, uncover what threats to cyber security can teach us...

Jo McConnell recently started an exciting new role as Chief People Officer at Herbert Smith Freehills. Prior to this, she was CEO of Transformation at Accenture, and Vice President of Human Resources at BHP Billiton. In this discussion, Jo shares her advice on building trust and navigating office politics when taking on a new leadership role, managing with radical candor, and the role of men in pr...

Anna Bligh AC was the first woman to become the Queensland Premier and the first woman to lead the Labor party. Anna shares with host Helen McCabe the importance finding your own identity and purpose as a leader, what it was like to hold her own in the houses of parliament (with the weight of an entire gender on her back) and why she has learned to relish difficult problems and roles. See omnystud...

Starting a new leadership position?  Liz Cosson AM spent over 3 decades in the Australian Army, before moving into the highest ranks of the Public Service. In this episode, Liz reveals the essential steps for new leaders in the first 100 days -  including how to curb gossip, foster genuine transparency, and drive meaningful cultural change. The FW Leadership Series is hosted by Helen McCabe. See o...

Kyah Bell is a Wulugurukaba, Juru, and Bindal woman, co-founder of the Black Excellence Fund, and Director at First Australians Capital. In this episode, Kyah reveals why she's committed to "doing what’s hard," how she navigates the demands of work-life balance, and how she learned to lean into empathy without compromising her high standards. The FW Leadership Series is hosted by FW Founder and Ma...

What role does kindness play in new-age leadership? In this conversation with Helen McCabe, Anna Jepson, CFO of Institutional Banking & Markets at Commonwealth Bank, reveals why kindness is more than just a virtue in successful leadership. Anna also shares the power of understanding your personal brand and how she reclaimed her career after facing redundancy. See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...