Professor Margaret Sheil AO has served as Vice-Chancellor of Queensland University of Technology (QUT) since 2018. In addition to leading QUT, she is Chair of the Board of the Queensland Museum Network, the lead Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, Chair of the Research, Innovation and Commercialisation Committee for Universities Australia, a member of the University Foreign Interference Taskforce Steering Group and member of the Expert Council on University Governance.

Professor Sheil holds several other prominent roles, including Chair of the Reef 2050 Independent Expert Panel, Chair of the Queensland Vice-Chancellors’ Committee, and is Secretary Science Policy on the Australian Academy of Science Council.

She is a Fellow of both the Australian Academy of Science (AAS) and the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE). Her previous leadership roles include Provost at the University of Melbourne and CEO of the Australian Research Council. She holds a Bachelor of Science and a PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of New South Wales.

At the Women in Leadership Summit, Professor Sheil will share insights on leading with empathy, building high-performing teams, and supporting colleagues to succeed in complex leadership environments.