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Women in Leadership, which is an evolution of the much-loved Women of Influence program, highlights the work and achievements of those women poised to enter the upper echelons of Australia’s corporate decision-makers

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Hilma’s Network founder Charlotte Mortlock.

Founder of network promoting Liberal women quits in protest

Charlotte Mortlock, the former staffer and founder of Liberal women’s network Hilma, has announced she is quitting the network and the party due to “recent events”.

Sussan Ley leaves press conference after announcing intention to resign from parliament

‘Don’t dwell on disappointment’: Ley quits politics after leadership loss

At just 276 days, Sussan Ley’s stint as Liberal leader is the second-shortest in the party’s history. No wonder she left suggesting she wasn’t given a fair go.

A muted smile from Sussan Ley after her defeat.

A Liberal Party that can’t win women can’t win Australia

We may not want to cry for Ley – or even for the Liberal party itself. But we should pause for what it says about diversity of representation in our democracy.

Some of the Australia Day honours recipients for 2026. Clockwise from top left: Maile Carnegie, Graham Bradley, Andrew Bell, Mathias Cormann, Kristina Keneally, Annastacia Palaszczuk.

Australia Day honours has a woman problem

When we nominate men at twice the rate we nominate women, we cannot credibly express shock when the honours reflect that imbalance.

The winners of the Women in Leadership Awards: GHD ANZ managing director Stephanie Leathers, KPMG managing partner people and inclusion Dorothy Hisgrove, South32 chief operating officer Vanessa Torres, Coaxial CEO Philippa Watson, T2 Tea managing director Christelle Young, WiseTech Global product portfolio leader international logistics Angela Gadaev.

If politics can deliver gender equality, why can’t corporate Australia?

In corporate Australia, the accountability mechanisms driving every other form of business performance somehow don’t apply to gender targets.

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June 2025

It’s hard, mistakes happen, the dishwasher still needs unpacking

Leadership is possible even when your partner doesn’t help with chores, Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson tells the Financial Review Women in Leadership Award winners.

This team boss is always ready to throw out her playbook

Being adaptable is a key skill, says ING Australia’s head of daily banking Dina Kotsopoulos a finalist in the Financial Review Women in Leadership Awards.

Meet the winners of the Financial Review Women in Leadership Awards

The awards highlight the work and achievements of women poised to enter the upper echelons of Australia’s corporate decision makers.

Justine Cain, Group CEO of Diabetes.

‘You don’t have to hit every ball’: Women leaders share key lessons

Winners of the Financial Review Women in Leadership Awards discuss important things they’ve learnt during their varied careers.

‘You’re too nice’: How this chief executive proved her sceptics wrong

Telstra Health’s Elizabeth Koff, winner of the Financial Review Women in Leadership Awards Health category, says she was never ambitious growing up but had the courage to speak up.

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How a passion for tech led Angela Gadaev to the far side of the world

WiseTech’s Angela Gadaev, winner of the Financial Review Women in Leadership Award’s Tech and telco category, arrived from Belarus with hardly any English but is now in charge of 14 teams in 13 countries.

What quitting taught this young CEO about leadership

Stephanie Leathers, named Young Leader in the Financial Review Women in Leadership Awards, learnt from some of Australia’s most successful fashion entrepreneurs.

One of 11 kids, KPMG executive says she ‘learnt to negotiate’

Dorothy Hisgrove, managing partner for people and inclusion, is the winner of the Professional services category of the Women in Leadership Awards.

Forget 16-hour days. This CEO’s secret is self-regulation

The former CEO of UBank was selected as the overall winner of the Financial Review Women in Leadership Awards for her transformation of a key financial institution. 

BHP’s innovation chief reimagines future of mining

BHP’s Jessica Farrell is shaping the future of mining and is a finalist in the Financial Review Women in Leadership Awards Resources, industrials and utilities category.

Nerves of steel helped this leader deal with cyclone destruction

The winner of the Women in Leadership Awards Resources, industrials and utilities category led the rebuild of GEMCO’s manganese operation after Tropical Cyclone Megan.

How this leader turned around a suffering retail brand

T2 Tea’s Christelle Young, winner of the Financial Review Women in Leadership Award in the Retail, hospitality and property category, has leaned into transparency to effect change.

Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz, president of Chief Executive Women.

A showcase of talent – and signal for the future

Gender equality is not just a women’s issue. Research consistently shows that when women fully participate in the workforce, everyone benefits.

‘We’re moving to India’: Tourism boss’ childhood sparked wanderlust

Government, education and not-for-profit category winner Phillipa Harrison says growing up in different countries gave her the empathy to be a better leader.

July 2024

Anna Wiley, BHP’s asset president of copper South Australia; Siobhan Toohill, Westpac’s chief sustainability officer; Tammy Medard, managing director of ANZ’s Institutional in Australia and PNG.

‘I shot Bambi’: Women leaders on their toughest decisions

Often the toughest decisions are those that affect other people. Here winners of the Women in Leadership awards share their hardest calls.

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June 2024

Productivity Commission chairwoman Danielle Wood.

‘You smile too much’: the early career advice Danielle Wood ignored

Be brave and have fun, is what Australia’s leading women would say to their younger selves.

Tammy Medard, Managing Director, Institutional Australia & PNG at ANZ, Danielle Wood, Chair of the Productivity Commission, and Jessica Vanderlelie, Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic and Professor La Trobe University and Bronwyn Le Grice
CEO and Managing Director of AND Health.

The winners of the Women in Leadership Awards

Meet the winners of the 2024 Women in Leadership Awards, in eight key economic categories.

Jaki Virtue was drafted in as Soul Patts’ first chief operating officer across its 120-year-plus history in 2023.

Versatile risk-taker who shines when the going gets tough

Washington H Soul Pattinson’s Jaki Virtue swears by the power of ‘unknown sponsorships’, as she takes out the Financial Services - Non-banking category.

Anna Wiley has been handed one of the biggest jobs at BHP as asset president for copper in South Australia,

BHP entrusts rising star with its copper mines

Anna Wiley, a leader in the Resources category, has barely put a foot wrong in a diverse career in mining that has led her to the top job in the group’s copper operations in South Australia.

Rio Tinto chief executive of minerals Sinead Kaufman is no stranger to making tough decisions.

Rio Tinto leader never shies away from hard talks and tough calls

Sinead Kaufman, the winner of the Resources category, also shows great care and sensitivity for families and communities across her career in mining.