Marise is a seasoned insurance and financial services professional with over 25 years of experience spanning global institutions in Australia and New Zealand.

Originating from a remote rural town on New Zealand’s North Island, she journeyed through Perth before settling in Sydney.

Renowned for her dynamic presence as a conference MC, moderator, and public speaker, Marise injects humour and wit into every event.

As a passionate advocate for women’s contributions at both individual and corporate levels, she leads as the President of the Association for Women in Insurance (NSW). She serves as a Non-Executive Director at Club Willoughby.

Louise Adams is Aurecon’s Chief Operating Officer. As a member of the Group Executive Leadership Team, she reports directly to the Global CEO.

Louise is responsible for driving the financial, operational and people performance across all areas of the business to achieve the Group’s strategic business goals.

Prior to her current role, Louise was the Chief Executive for Australia and New Zealand, overseeing a workforce of approximately 4300 people involved in the delivery of infrastructure solutions in the transportation, water, defence, built environment, energy, resources, telecommunications and aviation sectors.

Louise became the first female Executive Director on Aurecon’s Global Board in 2013 and is its global spokesperson for Women in Leadership. She is passionate about organisational diversity and its role in innovation and advocates for female leadership and equality within STEM.

In 2018, Louise was awarded a Chief Executive Women (CEW) Scholarship to attend Wharton Business School and is a member of Australia’s CEW Group. Most recently, following the Second Australia-Vietnam Economic Partnership Meeting held in October 2021, Louise was appointed as one of three inaugural Business Champions to further two-way trade and investment opportunities between business communities in Vietnam and Australia.

Louise is also a member of the National Advisory Board of Infrastructure Partnerships Australia and is the Chair of Consult Australia’s Champions of Change and appears at many industry events. In November 2020, Louise was named the Australian CEO of the Year, part of The CEO Magazine’s Executive of the Year awards. In October 2021, Louise was named a Deakin University Alumni of the Year, and in November was elected to the Fellowship of the Australian Academy of Technology & Engineering (ATSE).

As a Chartered Civil Engineer, Louise has over 20 years of experience managing and designing civil and multidisciplinary projects in land development and technical advisory for project planning. With a background in stormwater management, flood risk assessment, and mitigation, Louise has undertaken work in the public and private sectors and participated in emergency relief efforts.

In previous roles, Louise has led major civil and multidisciplinary projects in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, Iran, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Singapore, Guyana, North America, Pakistan, Libya, Qatar, and the UAE.

Jo Dooley is an Executive General Manager for Microsoft Australia and New Zealand, leading the Commercial enterprise business. In 2020, she received a Bill Gates Platinum Founders Award for her outstanding customer focus and performance.

 Jo has over 25 years of experience in retail, electronics, and tech, having worked for Big W, Leo Burnett, IBM, and Seek in various leadership roles across Australia, New Zealand, and the Asia Pacific. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Western Sydney University, a CEW Scholarship from Wharton Business School, and is also a member of CEW.

 Jo is passionate about the career development of teams and leaders, especially in digital skilling and promoting women. She is an executive sponsor for the Military at Microsoft Employee Resource Group. Jo is also a member of the Monash Advisory Tech Council and the board of Gallipoli and a supporter of the REACH foundation. 

As Lion’s Chief Growth and Commercial Officer, Anubha Sahasrabuddhe leads our Growth function and co-leads the Lion Australia business. Anubha is a global business leader, having led some of the world’s most loved brands, from Coca-Cola and M&M’s to Australian icons like Tooheys and XXXX. Anubha has extensive experience cross-culturally in both emerging and developed markets with high rates of change and volatility.

After more than 20 years away from her native Australia, in 2021, Anubha joined Lion as Chief Marketing Officer, and in 2023, took on the role of Chief Growth Officer, bringing strategy, consumer brands, ventures, data, analytics and core technology together to drive growth.

Before joining Lion, Anubha held senior leadership roles at The Coca-Cola Company and Mars Wrigley across Asia Pacific and North America. Anubha’s passion is business transformation through a creative, cultural and technology lens, and she has a track record of leading turnaround businesses through a consumer-led growth agenda and building high-performing diverse teams

Cheryl has over 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, including 20 years in leadership roles at organisations such as Novartis and AbbVie. She is the Chief Executive Officer at Starpharma, an Australian biotechnology company focused on developing innovative therapies using dendrimer technology to improve patients’ lives with unmet medical needs, such as cancer.

Her expertise includes leading pharmaceutical innovation, marketing strategies, and business growth across Australia, Asia, and international markets. While at Novartis, Cheryl held several senior leadership positions, including Country Head and President of Novartis Philippines and the General Manager of Oncology, Australia and New Zealand (ANZ). She has led large and smaller organisations, as well as cross-functional teams across multiple geographies. 

Cheryl’s career journey embodies resilience, curiosity, and unwavering dedication to driving transformative change in healthcare and biotechnology leadership. She is a staunch advocate for helping others achieve their career goals through mentorship, leadership development programs and experiences, and is passionate about diversity and inclusion within the industry.

Transformation leader. Change ambassador. A passionate supporter of women in business. Lover of yoga and dance. Former army reservist. Mother of two. Metaphorical juggler.

Jenelle is EY Oceania’s Deputy CEO and Oceania Markets Leader, helping drive and support EY to be the growth leader in the market. She also helps deliver exceptional experiences for the clients. Jenelle works alongside clients across industries, helping solve their people-related challenges and drive sustainable change.

As a public speaker on gender diversity, she has worked actively to help organizations realise the benefits of greater workforce inclusion.

With over 20 years of consulting experience in transformational change, management, and HR, Jenelle previously led the Change and HR services for EY member firms across Asia-Pacific. She is passionate about driving cultural change and shifting mindsets about the realms of the possible.

Jenelle holds a BA in Economics from the University of Sydney and an honours degree in Psychology. She is also a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Chief Executive Women.

Chancellor Australian National University
38th Foreign Minister of Australia

The Hon Julie Bishop is Chancellor of the Australian National University, appointed in 2020.

On 5 April 2024 the Secretary General of the United Nations announced that he had appointed Julie as his Special Envoy on Myanmar, effective from 26 May 2024.

Ms Bishop served as Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2013 until 2018. She was the first female to hold the role as well as the first female Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party, serving for 11 years. She was the longest serving Member for Curtin in the House of Representatives, elected in 1998 until 2019.

As Foreign Minister, Ms Bishop was responsible for strengthening Australia’s key strategic and economic relationships and enhancing engagement with Pacific Island countries, including normalising relations with Fiji, leading international recovery and reconstruction efforts in Vanuatu and establishing a school of government in Papua New Guinea. With Ministerial responsibility for more than 5,000 departmental staff, 110 overseas missions, and several government agencies, including the Australian Secret Intelligence Service and the Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research.

She led the single largest expansion of Australia’s overseas diplomatic presence in 40 years, increasing to 110 diplomatic missions. Ms Bishop developed the 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper, providing a comprehensive policy framework for the next decade; and established the New Colombo Plan, enabling Australian undergraduates to live, study and work in the Indo-Pacific region. Within five years, more than 40,000 students have participated in the Plan.

Bringing her experience from the private sector, Ms Bishop established the innovationXchange within DFAT to develop bold and creative solutions to longstanding overseas development assistance challenges and overhaul Australia’s foreign aid focus.

Ms Bishop promoted Australia’s interests at the United Nations Security Council. In 2014, she led the international response to the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine and was awarded the Commander of the Order of Merit of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

For her contribution to the US-Australia alliance, in 2018, Ms Bishop received the inaugural Eleanor Roosevelt US Mission Award for Leadership Excellence.

She previously served as a Cabinet Minister in the Howard Government as Minister for Education, Science and Training and as the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women’s Issues. Prior to this, Minister Bishop was Minister for Ageing.

Before entering Parliament, Ms Bishop was a commercial litigation lawyer at Perth firm Clayton Utz, becoming a partner in 1985 and managing partner in 1994. Ms Bishop graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Adelaide in 1978 and attended Harvard Business School in Boston in 1996, completing the Advanced Management Program for Senior Managers.

In 2017, the University of Adelaide awarded Ms Bishop the Honorary Degree of Doctor of the University for her contribution to Australian parliamentary service, and in 2020 she was also awarded an honorary doctorate from ECU.

In 2020 Julie was awarded a Fisher Family Fellowship for the Future of Diplomacy Project at Harvard Kennedy School Belfer Centre for Science and International Affairs. In 2021 Julie was awarded the Kissinger Fellowship at the McCain Institute of International Leadership at Arizona State University.

In 2021, the UK Government appointed Julie to the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council (GEAC). She is also a member of the Trilateral Commission Capitalism Task Force.

Julie was chosen by Mattel Australia as the 2021 Aus Shero Official Role Model as part of the Barbie Dream Gap Project for her inspiring career and iconic contribution as Australia’s first female Foreign Minister.

In 2022 Ms Bishop was awarded the Sir Edward “Weary” Dunlop AsiaLink Medal for her contribution to Australian diplomacy, women’s empowerment and Australia’s integration with the Indo-Pacific. In 2023 Julie has joined David Jones as an official Friend of the brand.

Julie is Chair of the Board of The King’s Trust Australia, Trustee of King’s Trust Group Company and Member of the International Advisory Board of Council on Foreign Relations.

She is also the Patron of Shooting Stars (an education programme for young aboriginal girls) and was an ambassador for Football Australia’s Legacy ’23 program in the lead up to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.

She has also established a boutique consultancy, Julie Bishop and Partners, offering strategic advisory services.

Ms Bishop has previously served as Chair of the WA Town Planning Appeal Tribunal, Director of SBS Media, Director of the West Coast Eagles AFL Club and on the Murdoch University Senate

Laura Kane was appointed as EGM Football in August 2023, having acted in the role throughout the 2023 season. A graduate of Victoria University (Bachelor of Laws with Honours), with further study also at the Leo Cussen Centre for Law, Humboldt University (Germany) and Salzburg University (Austria), she initially worked as a solicitor, representing victims of child abuse and other serious crimes, including at Public Hearings of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. 

North Melbourne FC recruited her in 2016 to become Women’s Football and Talent Pathways Manager before roles as Head of Football Operations and then General Manager of Strategy and Football Operations at the club. During this period, she oversaw the introduction of the Kangaroos’ AFLW team and the redevelopment of the Arden Street facility.

She joined the AFL in November 2021 and was previously General Manager of Competition Management before being appointed to the AFL Executive team. 

A Life Member of the Melbourne University Women’s Football Club, Kane served as both a player and in off-field roles as director and President (five years).

She is Footy’s first female Executive General Manager in the game’s 166 history.

As the CEO at Flybuys, Anna leads the national growth and performance of Australia’s #1 loyalty program, where she inspires over 300 employees to make everyday spending simple, safe, and rewarding for over 9M Australians. Anna leads with integrity, intellect, and authenticity to develop a constructive, diverse and inclusive organisational culture that isn’t ‘business as usual’.

With over 25 years’ experience, Anna has managed broad remits including Operations, Finance, People & Culture, Legal, Risk & Compliance, IT and Office Management functions. Starting her journey with “Big 4” disciplines, she has since paved a successful career in high-growth corporate environments.

Anna is a multi-award-winning professional, recognised for her achievements in the fields of Tech and Accounting Excellence. She is a passionate advocate for inclusivity and women in business, actively engaging in brand ambassador roles and advisory councils. 

Sarah has over 25 years of experience in the mining and resources sector, with a proven track record of delivering major mining approvals, adequate safety and governance systems, and excellent HSEC performance.

She brings diverse greenfield, brownfield, and project development experience, having held senior positions across open-cut and underground operations in NSW and Queensland. Most recently, Sarah led the HSE function for BHP’s NSW Energy Coal and BMC division, and she has also held roles at Coal & Allied and Peabody.

Sarah started her career as an environmental specialist and has a Master’s in Engineering Science. She was the winner of the 2019 Exceptional Woman in NSW Mining award and a finalist in the 2019 Women in Resources National Award.