Registration and Welcome Coffee
Chairperson’s Opening Address
ADVANCING WOMEN LEADERS IN AUSTRALIA
Opening Keynote: Empowering women to orchestrate change
- Developing an appetite for change – shifting prevailing mind-sets, attitudes and behaviours to foster a gender-inclusive workplace
- Championing gender initiatives and key qualities of an inclusive leader
- Beyond climbing the ladder of success – practical steps women can take to redefine success
- The reality of the ‘glass ceiling’: What will the future of women’s leadership look like?
Keynote: Charting the trajectory to leadership
- Becoming one of Australia’s most influential women
- Taking care vs taking charge – Recognising roadblocks that detour and how women can move past traditional roles
- Women leaders as the status quo rather than a novelty – key attributes of high achieving leaders
- Positioning yourself within the power domain and owning your power, influence and authority
Speakers
Dr Kate Auty,
Commissioner for Sustainability and Environment, Australian Capital Territory; Ambassador – Future Melbourne 2026
City of Melbourne
This interactive session will provide attendees with an opportunity to share their experiences in the field and interact with numerous peers in an informal setting. The session will see attendees rotate in short intervals where they will have a chance to exchange personal stories, knowledge and insights on current policies and initiatives in a non-intimidating environment.
CHANGING THE FACE OF GENDER DIVERSITY
- The journey to 2017 and launching an elite national competition
- Shifting perceptions and creating new role models
- Building the pathway for women in sport
Speakers
Jemma Wong,
Head of Audience
AFL
Josh Vanderloo,
Head of Female Football
AFL
Leaders Panel: Busting the myth of “merit” – does true meritocracy exist?
- Reflecting on the concept of “merit”: who defines and who decides? Does an objective principle of merit exist? Can we truly apply the principle without bias?
- Exposing the unconscious bias that impacts decision making
- Evaluating the worth of “merit” – if not “merit”, what else?
Speakers
Richard Wormald,
Division President Australasia
MasterCard
Sean O'Donnell,
Global Markets Executive
IBM
Sophie Mitchell,
Head Government Relations
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Stella Choe,
Managing Director, Head of Corporate Banking Australia and New Zealand,
Citi
Transforming your organisation: LBTIQ Women's Inclusion and Leadership
- Reframing the conversation of gender inclusion and equity as a critical business issue
- Integrating LBTIQ inclusion as part of the organisation's DNA - where do we start?
- Understanding the relationship between inclusion, organisational performance and talent retention
Speakers
Ro Allen,
Commissioner for Gender and Sexuality
Victorian Government
WOMEN LEADERS ADVANCING INDUSTRIES
Women thinking differently: Hustling your way to the top
- Breaking down start-up stereotypes and empowering the next generation of change makers
- Fostering an entrepreneurial spirit and insights for entrepreneurial success
- Levelling the playing field for female entrepreneurs
- Creating your own entrepreneurial story: challenges faced, lessons learnt and where to from here
Speakers
Jacqueline Savage,
CEO & Founder, 2016 Telstra Victorian Business Woman's Entrepreneur of the Year
MedCorp Technologies
Industry Panel: Rebalancing the gender divide in male-dominated sectors
- Why do so few women have real power in male-dominated industries? How can women challenge the status quo?
- Key issues in male-dominated industries and practical strategies to move past traditional assumptions and biases
- Overcoming institutional gender barriers and growing the profile of women within the industry
- Best practices and strategies in attracting and retaining millennial talent
Speakers
Anna Thomas,
COO, Brand Ambassador for Empowered Women in Real Estate; 2016 Telstra Victorian Corporate and Private Award Finalist
Stockdale & Leggo
Meg Bonighton,
General Manager, Home Lending
NAB
Nicole Stoddart,
Managing Director Construction Services ANZ
AECOM
Samantha Johnson,
Executive General Manager HSEQ
McConnell Dowell
How it works:
There will be 4 roundtable sessions, each 20 minutes in length and focusing on a different topic. Delegates will be split into 4 groups and each session typically begins with a 5 minutes introduction by the moderator followed by 15 minutes of discussion and feedback. The 4 sessions will be run by 4 different moderators who will rotate among the 4 groups so that at the end of the entire session, all delegates would have the chance to discuss the 4 different topics.
Roundtable A
Developing a road map for your career
- How to plan for and continuously develop your leadership path
- Challenges faced, career highlights and lessons learnt
- Setting strategies for effective career advancement, goals and targets
- Practical advice for accelerated career progression – how to plan your career forward in the organisation… starting today
Karen Milward, Chairperson, Kinaway Chamber of Commerce Victoria
Roundtable B
Managing conflict with authenticity, courage and transparency
- Sharing real issues and how to face them
- How to communicate with influence and develop relationships and networks
- Developing key practical skills to lead through conflict – persuasion, influence, negotiation, resilience
Kath Sutherland, Head of Talent, Capability & Learning, BP
Roundtable C
Becoming an influential leader: Living and leading with courage and conviction
- Knowing who you are, where you come from and what you stand for
- Identifying your fears, limiting beliefs and challenges
- Reframing your limiting beliefs into empowering ones
- Making an impact: Strategies to expand your influence
Dr Dong Yang Wu, Chief of Aerospace Division, Defence Science & Technology Group
Roundtable D
Striving for the right work-life integration to achieve career goals
- Personal anecdotes: Underlining small changes that could make big differences
- Practical tips for pursuing both career objectives and personal fulfilment
- Designing programs that support female leadership and work family culture
Venetia Blackman,
Assistant Commissioner - Digital Communication & Identity Services,
Australian Taxation Office
Speakers
Dr Dong Yang Wu,
Chief of Aerospace Division
Defence Science & Technology Group
Karen Milward,
Chairperson
Kinaway Chamber of Commerce Victoria
Kath Sutherland,
Head of Talent, Capability & Learning
BP
Venetia Blackman,
Assistant Commissioner - Digital Communication & Identity Services
Australian Taxation Office
Chairperson’s Closing Address and Networking Drinks
Chairperson’s Opening Address
Speakers
Joanne Love,
Director
Elite Performance Management
LEADING CHANGE IN GENDER EQUITY
Keynote: A conversation about parity – equity vs equality vs parity
- Setting the stage: Where we are at, what more can be done and how we can do it
- Developing an appetite for change – shifting prevailing mind-sets, attitudes and behaviours
- “How can we get there?” - Reflections on leadership and advice for leaders of tomorrow
Speakers
Anne Bellavance,
National President
Women's Federation for World Peace Australia
Male Champions of Change: Walking the talk – making gender diversity personal
- Making it personal – how storytelling and role models go a long way in generating diversity of thought and encouraging an inclusive culture
- CEOs as voices of leadership – why attitudes of CEOs matter and how employees adopt the CEO’s mind-set and behaviour
- What it means to be a change leader and challenges in imparting the tools required to effect change
Speakers
Andrew Clark,
Managing Partner for Australia and New Zealand, Male Champion of Change
The Boston Consulting Group
INSPIRING STORIES FROM AUSTRALIA’S MOST INFLUENTIAL LEADERS
Panel: Women who have travelled “the road less travelled”
- Choosing your own adventure – Key insights from taking the less traditional path
- Embarking on a fulfilling career and making a difference wherever you are
- How to successfully wear the many hats of role model, leader, and teacher
- Making the most of your capabilities and maintaining resilience
Speakers
Kate Palmer,
Chief Executive
Australian Sports Commission
Keran Howe,
Executive Director
Women with Disabilities Victoria
Maree McCabe,
CEO
Alzheimer’s Australia
Sarah Loh,
CEO
South Metro Junior Football League
30% Club: Advancing women representation in the board room
- Achieving gender-balanced boards – why diversity in the boardroom is essential for corporate performance
- Making a difference in the boardroom - How do women change the dynamics of a board and its governance?
- Key insights and experiences in the pathway to directorship for women
- Practical advice for aspiring women leaders in getting “board ready” – and how to master boardroom dynamics
Speakers
Susan Oliver,
Chairman, Scale Investors; Steering Committee
30% Club
UNRAVELLING AND CHALLENGING UNCONSCIOUS BIAS IN THE WORKPLACE
Panel: The mentor challenge – What male mentors need to know about mentoring female mentees and vice versa
- How do women and men's experiences in mentoring relationships tend to differ?
- Recognising and overcoming unconscious bias for an effective relationship
- Developing cross-gender mentoring skills and tips for successfully mentoring a protégé of the opposite sex
- Making cross-gender mentoring the norm in your organisation
Speakers
Ben Crowe,
Co-Founder, Board Member of Richmond Football Club and AFL Coaches Association
Unscripted
Brigadier David Westphalen,
Commander, Headquarters 4th Brigade
Australian Army
Melissa Verner Green,
Head of Melbourne Agency + Government
Facebook
Panel: Demolishing gender barriers by normalizing workplace flexibility
- Reflecting on the importance of work-life integration for both men and women
- Understanding that work-life integration is about people and family – not just women
- Designing programs to support leadership aspirations and work family culture
Speakers
Andrea Douglas,
VP, R&D Strategy & External Affairs
CSL
Sarah Jones,
Global SHES Counsel
Orica
WOMEN LEADERS OF TOMORROW
Women excelling in disruption
- A nuanced approach to disruption – Understanding the role of women in shaping the digital disruption landscape
- Embedding innovation into the fabric of the organisation and why women are at the centre of it
- Key initiatives in enhancing participation, retention and success of women in today’s smart economy
Speakers
Jo-Anne Ruhl,
Vice President Application Sales ANZ
Oracle
Celebrating emerging female leaders – navigating your journey from here
- Critical skills for taking the next step and making the mark
- Identifying and maximising opportunities throughout your career
- Advice for young leaders looking to advance their career
Speakers
Dr. Jennifer Fitzgerald,
CEO, 2016 Telstra Victorian Business Woman of the Year
Scope
Chairperson’s Closing Address and End of Conference