Future Women Leadership Series

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 “too disruptive”.

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This week, we're revisiting our interview with Carolyn Creswell, the founder of Carman's Fine Foods. 

At just 18, Carolyn bought the small muesli shop she worked at part-time for just $1000. Now, Carman's is a multi-million dollar business, with their products distributed to more than 35 countries around the world. In this discussion with Helen McCabe, Carolyn shares her top tips for managing a busy schedule, having difficult conversations, and letting go of staff members. 

 Check out our first Summit episode on AI here. 

In this third part of our Summit series on AI, you'll hear the opening keynote from Mel Lee, FW's former Director of Digital. In it, she’ll bring you up to speed on the rapidly evolving AI landscape and how it transforming your career. She’ll also break down what AI means for women who work, and women who want to work.

Check out our first Summit episode on AI here. 

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Chris Minns is the Premier of NSW. He was elected to parliament in 2015, and not long after, in 2021, became the leader of the Labor Party. 

In this episode, he speaks with FW Founder Helen McCabe about how he approaches leading - not just the state, but managing a party and large team of staff as well. The duo speak about everything from leading as an introvert and interest rate rises to the Bondi terror attacks and high-stakes negotiations. 

Kylie Bryant is one of FW Founder Helen McCabe's go-to calls for leadership advice. She has over 30 years' experience across the Australian Public Service and today runs her own consultancy business, offering executive mentoring and leadership workshops. 

In this episode, Kylie speaks about how an over-promotion led to a dramatic shift in the way she approached leadership roles. 

Plus, this season Helen McCabe is answering your leadership questions. Wait to the end of the episode to hear her take on clashing generations. If you have any leadership dilemmas, send them her way by emailing hello@fu...

Jiva Smith is a transformational coach for leaders. He became a coach after making it almost overnight in New York City. Jiva managed massive teams and budgets in a big, high-powered role. But the pressure of this role soon caught up with him. He felt lost, and in the process discovered a new way to lead. 

In this episode, he speaks with FW Founder Helen McCabe about emotional resilience, burnout and how to rebuild after a setback. 

Plus, this season Helen McCabe is answering your leadership questions. Wait to the end of the episode to he...

What are the green flags you should look for in an executive coach? 

Jessica Symes Toomey is the Founder and Principal of Symes Group, a boutique people development and dispute resolution consultancy. She’s an experienced executive coach and also an accredited mediator. In this episode, she explains what you should be thinking about when deciding whether executive coaching is right for you.

Plus, this season Helen McCabe is answering your leadership questions. Wait to the end of the episode to hear her take on AI slop. If you have any leadership dilemmas, send them her w...

Can determination be both a blessing and a curse for leaders? 

Annabelle Chauncy OAM is the founder of the not-for-profit organisation School For Life. Her life was changed as a 21-year-old university student when she visited a school in Uganda. Shocked by what she saw, Annabelle decided to make a difference...

In this episode, she speaks with FW Founder Helen McCabe about how determination can be a double-edged sword for leaders. She explains how she has learned to harness it without alienating her team.  

Plus, this season Helen McCabe is answering your leadership que...

In this second part of our Summit series on AI, you'll hear from Mel Lee, FW's former Director of Digital and cybersecurity expert Alastair MacGibbon. They answer live audience questions about AI and how it's changing work, parenting and leadership at lightning speed. 

Check out our first Summit episode on AI here. 

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Can leaders be both vulnerable and tough?

Anne-Louise Sarks holds one of the rarest leadership positions in Australian performing arts. She’s the sole Artistic Director and CEO of the Melbourne Theatre Company, responsible for both the creative vision and full operational running of the organisation. She’s also the first solo female Artistic Director in the company’s 73 year history. In this episode, she speaks with executive producer Odessa Blain about drive, toughness and how to lead with vulnerability. 

Plus, this season Helen McCabe is answering your leadership questions. Wait to the end of the epis...

What are the signs your ego is getting out of hand? Therese Frangie is the CEO of Oporto. She's climbed the FMCG ladder, working for big brands including KFC and Mad Mex. In this episode, she speaks with FW Founder Helen McCabe about leadership ego, Gen Z and seeking out feedback. 

Plus, this season Helen McCabe is answering your leadership questions. Wait to the end of the episode to hear her take on performance reviews. If you have any leadership dilemmas, send them her way by emailing [email protected]. 

Malini Raj is the executive director of the Australian Multicultural Women’s Alliance. She came to this position after holding senior leadership roles at the Commonwealth Bank. In this episode, she speaks with Helen McCabe about delegation, overcommitment and the thorny topic of so-called ‘diversity hires’. 

Plus, this season Helen McCabe is answering your leadership questions. Wait to the end of the episode to hear her take on performance reviews. If you have any leadership dilemmas, send them her way by emailing [email protected]. 

Ever wished you could hand off the daily question of "What’s for dinner?" to a custom AI agent?

In this live recording from the FW Leadership Summit, journalist Leila McKinnon leads a discussion on how AI is changing our daily lives - from the mental load to high-stakes executive decision-making.

You’ll hear from The Productivity Commissions' Dr Angela Jackson,  tech executive Rowena Westphalen, NSW Health Secretary Susan Pearce AM and more. 

This one is for all the perfectionists out there...

Astrid Edwards is a Senior Director of Business Development at FW. In a speech delivered to the FW Leadership Summit earlier this year, Astrid reflected on a near death experience, and how it forced her to finally start accepting that ‘near enough really is good enough’.

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You've probably heard of Dr Ginni Mansberg. She's a Sydney-based GP, bestselling author and leading voice in women’s health. Perhaps best known as the ‘Sunrise GP’ on Channel 7, Dr Ginni is also an entrepreneur and the founder of ESK Skincare.

She's also just released a new book, The Women’s Longevity Handbook. It’s a practical, science-based guide for midlife women. 

In this episode, Dr Ginni shared actionable health tips to help mid-career women maximise their leadership performance. She also talks about AI, managing Gen Z and her partnership with a Hollywood icon. 

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How can leaders drive structural systems change, particularly when tackling huge issues such as gender equality?

Dr Niki Vincent is Victoria's gender equality regulator. She is the state's first Public Sector Gender Equality Commissioner and leads the rollout of the Gender Equality Act. In this episode, she speaks to FW Deputy Managing Director Jamila Rizvi about gender equality, systems change and how she ended up dating a former Playboy editor. 

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What is a fast, effective way to make complex leadership decisions? Todd Greenberg is one of Australia's most accomplished sports executives. Today he is the CEO of Cricket Australia. He has also led the Australian Cricketers' Association and was CEO of the NRL. In this episode he speaks to FW Deputy Managing Director Jamila Rizvi. 

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What are the big challenges facing leaders with the rapid rise of AI?

Dr Sue Keay is an expert in AI, robotics and automation. In this episode, she speaks with FW Founder Helen McCabe about how she uses her expertise to advocate for change. The pair also discuss humanoid robots, the 80/10/10 rule and being a stickybeak. 

Plus, this season Helen McCabe is answering your leadership questions. Wait to the end of the episode to hear her take on firm feedback. If you have any leadership dilemmas, send them her way by emailing [email protected]. 

Shannan Dodson is the CEO of the Healing Foundation, a national organisation that supports Stolen Generations survivors, descendants and communities. In this episode, she speaks with FW Founder Helen McCabe about imposter syndrome, family legacy and leadership’s emotional toll. 

Plus, this season Helen McCabe is answering your leadership questions. Wait to the end of the episode to hear her take on leadership advice. If you have any leadership dilemmas, send them her way by emailing [email protected]. 

What are common mistakes people make when they want to seek out a mentor? 

Sophie McCarthy is the CEO of McCarthy Mentoring, a company that helps to match leaders with a network of coaches. In this episode, she speaks with FW Founder Helen McCabe about mentors, how to find one and her ‘glass half full’ approach to leading.

Plus, this season Helen McCabe is answering your leadership questions. Wait to the end of the episode to hear her take on sick day oversharing. If you have any leadership dilemmas, send them her way by emailing hello...

Nathalie McNeil is one of the most accomplished leaders in Australia’s healthcare sector. A pharmacist by training, today she is the VP and General Manager ANZ at Abbvie. In this episode, she speaks with FW Founder Helen McCabe about the shift from technical expert to people leader, and what it takes to lead with clarity, trust and self-regulation. 

Plus, this season Helen McCabe is answering your leadership questions. Wait until the end of the episode to hear her advice. If you have any leadership dilemmas, send them her way by emailing [email protected]. 

What if leadership is about all the little things you choose to overlook? 

Sarah Moran is the founder of Girl Geek Academy, an organisation that’s encouraging more women to stay in tech careers. In this episode, she speaks with FW Founder Helen McCabe about AI, hustlers and the importance of ignoring stuff as a leader. 

Plus, this season Helen McCabe is answering your leadership questions. Wait to the end of the episode to hear her take on managing older employees. If you have any leadership dilemmas, send them her way by emailing [email protected]. ...

What is the best and fairest way to find top talent? 

Dr Siri Chilazi is a senior researcher at the women and public policy program at Harvard Kennedy School. She looks at research-backed ways to boost fairness and gender equality in the workplace. In this episode, she speaks with series producer Odessa Blain about the most common hiring mistakes and leaders should set about fixing them. 

Plus, this season Helen McCabe is answering your leadership questions. Wait to the end of the episode to hear her take on managing older employees. If you have any lea...

What are some of the best ways to remain relevant in the age of AI? This panel discussion, recorded live at the FW Leadership Summit, will help you to identify the skills required to futureproof your career and avoid being left behind. With Jobs and Skills Australia's Cliff Bingham, CSIRO's Stefan Hajkowicz and Hudson's Kimberley Hubble. Moderated by journalist Leila McKinnon. 

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Why are organisations so often afraid of taking on a challenging, passionate employee? 

Jasmin Bedir is a powerhouse creative and CEO of advertising agency Innocean. In this episode, she speaks with Helen McCabe about innate influence, hiring and being a self-described "annoying" employee. 

Plus, this season Helen McCabe is answering your leadership questions. Wait to the end of the episode to hear her take on managing friends and lateness. If you have any leadership dilemmas, send them her way by emailing [email protected]. 

This panel discussion, recorded live at the FW Leadership Summit, examines how to recover from redundancy and complex workplace situations. With actor/author/podcaster Mary Coustas, The Lantern Group's managing director Victoria Buchan and FW’s learning design and content specialist Briana Blackett. Moderated by FW Founder Helen McCabe. 

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Kerri Hartland leads Australia’s most secret organisation. She oversees our network of spies and intelligence officers as the first-ever female Director-General of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS). But this highly-respected and accomplished leader has also had anything but a linear career path. In this episode, she speaks with FW's Helen McCabe about career pivots, keeping secrets and the three Cs that guide her leadership philosophy.

Plus, this season Helen McCabe is answering your leadership questions. Wait to the end of the episode to hear her take on public speaking. If you have any leadership dilemmas, se...

From passive aggressive emails to a 'not my job' mentality, there are corporate habits that might seem small but can creep up and create a toxic company culture. This panel discussion, recorded live at the FW Leadership Summit, will help you identify workplace culture killers and give you the tools to set about eliminating them. 

With The Mathpath's Aubrey Blanche, disability advocate Anja Christoffersen, FW’s Head of Business Expansion, Ruby Leahy Gatfield and Gippsland Critical Minerals CEO Michelle Wood. Moderated by journalist and presenter Leila McKinnon. 

For years, in every performance review, Melanie Silva was told she was “too excited”. Too passionate. Not serious enough. Then she joined Google and, suddenly, that enthusiasm was exactly what was wanted. In this episode, Briana Blackett speaks with Mel – now the Vice President and Managing Director of Google Australia and New Zealand – about taking pay cuts to chase opportunities and why she's grateful she didn't get her dream job the first time around. This is a conversation about pivoting sideways and, even, backward. Because sometimes the best way up is not straight ahead.

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What should you do if you are feeling stuck in your career? And what are the small, strategic steps you can make today to start moving forward? 

In this panel discussion, recorded live at the FW Leadership Summit, join FW’s Head of Business Expansion, Ruby Leahy Gatfield, as she talks about the small, strategic steps you can make today to reap long-term rewards in your career. With Chief Executive Women’s Sarah Rowley, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Amanda Rishworth, Wmn-Kind founder Ruby Riethmuller and communications coach Dr Kate Mason.

Over 25 years, Pamela Naidoo-Ameglio has moved from diamond mines in South Africa to copper operations in rural Australia, and then made a leap that she never saw coming: running a nuclear reactor, despite having zero nuclear experience. Along the way she’s been told she’s "too quiet", and not assertive enough. In this episode, Pamela shares with Briana Blackett why curiosity beats confidence, how to pivot when you have no idea what you're doing – and why quiet women might just be the leaders we need most.

How would intense public scrutiny impact your leadership style? 

Laura Kane is one of the most closely watched leaders in the nation. At just 33, she became the first woman to serve as the AFL's top football official. Today she continues to hold one of the most prestigious football operating roles, and will lead the AFLW competition into the 2026 season. In this episode, she speaks with FW Founder Helen McCabe about how she learned to navigate scrutiny as a leader. 

Please note: This episode was recorded the week before Laura Kane's new role at the AFLW was...

FW’s own deputy managing director Jamila Rizvi has spent her career as what she calls a “perennial number two” – from the Prime Minister’s office to media empires. She’s made bold pivots, survived life-altering health scares, and discovered that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is admit: I don’t want to do this alone. In this episode, Jamila chats with Briana Blackett about resignations feeling like break ups, fear masquerading as excitement, and how professional co-dependence has been key to her success.

What if your least favourite part of leading people is errr the people? 

Nicole Scurrah is an accomplished and widely-respected leader. She was Chief of Staff to Queensland Premier Anna Bligh, Telstra Health’s Chief Operating Officer and a partner at Sayers Group.Today, Nicole is founder and executive chair of Create Advisory. In this episode she talks to FW founder Helen McCabe about how to be a great leader when people are your least favourite part of the job.

Plus, this season Helen McCabe is answering YOUR leadership questions. Wait to the end of the e...

She was winning Olympic gold and World Championships. But at 23, Giaan Rooney was burned out. She retired from swimming, became a television presenter, then pivoted again – to a career you’d never expect. Giaan tells Briana Blackett how, at each turn, being “too invested” has seen her succeed. And how putting aside ego has given her the courage to change lanes – and have a crack at something new. 

Natalie Wilde is one of Queensland's top public servants. She has worked across the public sector for over 23 years and is the current Director-General of the Department of Women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships and Multiculturalism. In this episode, she talks with FW Founder Helen McCabe about owning ambition, the secret to managing stakeholders and why she describes 85% of her job as leading through ambiguity. 

Plus, this season Helen McCabe is answering YOUR leadership questions. Wait to the end of the episode to hear her take on job interviews. If you have any leadership dilemmas, conundrums a...

What does bravery mean in leadership? And are there secrets to being brave, even when you don't feel like it is possible?

Ruby Riethmuller is the founder and CEO of Womn-Kind, a youth-led mental health platform. She launched the platform in 2020, after struggling with anxiety as a teenager and coming to terms with her own identity as LGBTQ in a small country town. She’s also a regional health advocate and Deputy Commissioner at the NSW mental health commission. In this episode, she talks with FW Founder Helen McCabe about Gen Z work habits, imposter syndrome and ho...

Kate Reid is the founder of the world-famous Lune Croissanterie. But before creating her own formula for the perfect buttery, flaky croissant, she was a Formula One aerodynamicist, working on some of the fastest cars on the planet. And though she’s been labelled "too lucky", in this episode, she reveals the grit behind every seemingly effortless pivot, the years of hard work, and how a battle with an eating disorder led her to the top of a pastry empire.

What if courageous leadership isn't always about immediate action. But instead knowing how to wait and build influence to create maximum impact... 

Michael De’Ath started his career as a teacher and went on to become one of the country’s most accomplished public servants before starting his own leadership advisory and executive coaching business. In this episode, he speaks with FW's Helen McCabe about courageous leadership, decisiveness and why people too often think about succession planning all wrong. 

Plus, this season Helen McCabe will be answering YOUR leadership questions. We want to know your leader...

For almost two decades, Lana Jones was a principal dancer at the Australian Ballet, celebrated for lead roles in Swan Lake, Giselle, and The Sleeping Beauty. And still, she was told she was “too strong”. After an illustrious career, Jones stepped away from the spotlight to retrain as a midwife. In this episode, Lana joins Briana Blackett to discuss how being “too strong” has helped her soar – from the stage to the delivery room.