Daily Telegraph Sydney Power 100: debutants Michele Bullock and Jodie Haydon make list
The biggest movers in the rankings are women as more females than ever before exert their influence on our city. Find out who they are.
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The women who are the top newbies in The Daily Telegraph’s 2024 Sydney Power 100 rankings have revealed why they want to inspire others.
The biggest move up the list is also by a woman and, overall, there are more females than ever before in the list of those who hold sway in this city.
Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Michele Bullock is the highest-ranked debutant at number 3.
In an exclusive interview with The Telegraph for the Power 100, Ms Bullock said that coming through school and university in Armidale, “it had never dawned on me that being a woman would be a disadvantage in any way.”
“And once it did start to dawn on me, I thought, Oh, well, okay, maybe I need to think more seriously about this, and I need to think about bringing women up with me.”
Ten years ago, about 30 per cent of leadership positions at the RBA were held by women. Now it’s 40 per cent. The bank is trying to lift that even further.
Australia’s ‘first lady’ Jodie Haydon is the second-highest ranked first-timer, at 23rd.
The Prime Minister’s partner told The Telegraph it was “important for women to share their talents and perspectives, to be visible in positions of power and to inspire other women to reach their potential.”
Ms Haydon said she felt “humbled” to be included in the Power 100 list, adding there were many women who were leaders in their field and more deserving.
She would not have known that more and more leaders were being added this year.
Incoming Woolworths chief executive Amanda Bardwell joins the rankings at 29, with scope to move further up if she can restore the supermarket giant’s standing in the community following the Australia Day merchandise debacle and multiples inquiries into price gouging.
The same applies to number 30, new Qantas boss Vanessa Hudson.
She has started well, admitting that the airline has let its customers down in “many ways.”
“We understand we need to earn your trust back, not with what we say but what we do and how we behave,” she said.
The biggest move up in this year’s list is by new Governor-General Sam Mostyn.
Ms Mostyn joined the rankings last year, due to her growing power in political and business circles. Little did we know she would be appointed as the King’s representative a matter of months later.
In her swearing-in speech last month, she noted that women were advancing “in all parts of our society. In leadership roles. In sport. In economics and our regulators. Even, slowly but importantly, in the trades and on building sites.
“While too much paid and unpaid care still falls to women, we are now focused on addressing that challenge, while also encouraging men to confidently take on care roles and responsibilities with pride,” Ms Mostyn said.
“That’s good not just for women and men, but for our economy and our entire Australian society.”