Want to be involved in the next Women in Leadership?
Sign up to our mailing list to be the first to hear when entries open for 2026.
Latest
Voters back Liberal gender quotas, but it’s not a vote swinger
In a new poll, only 8 per cent said increasing the number of female candidates was a top-three issue that could sway their vote to the Liberals.
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.
‘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.
Partners
Sponsored
June
‘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.
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.
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
‘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.
June 2024
‘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.
The winners of the Women in Leadership Awards
Meet the winners of the 2024 Women in Leadership Awards, in eight key economic categories.
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.
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 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.
What’s your best career tip? Award winners share theirs
Lead with compassion, don’t assume you know all the answers, and play to your strengths: winners in the Women in Leadership Awards share advice that has helped them.
‘We need to be champions of other women’
By the time Danielle Handley arrived at health insurer BUPA, the executive who hired her had left. She had to lead a company transformation without a boss.
‘Inclusion, resilience, empathy’: How modern leadership is changing
Modern leadership is about more than successfully deploying skills and industry expertise – it strongly encompasses the people side, writes Patricia McKenzie.
‘Non-conforming bid’ that took dynamic duo to the top
The winners of the Professional Services category are two Arup engineers who proposed a unique joint arrangement to enable them to balance leadership and family commitments.