Dr. Ashley McGrath
Pronoun
Chief Executive Officer
CEOs for Gender Equity
Dr Ashley McGrath is a gender equity trailblazer on a mission to bridge the gap between awareness, intention and action. Ashley leads CEOs for Gender Equity, a for-purpose organisation which seeks to accelerate gender equity by inspiring and supporting CEOs to take action. Ashley received a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) for her research which aims to increase the inclusion and diversity of women in the mining industry.
SESSIONS
Day 1
3:25
Mini Leadership Labs
Lab A: Resilience in High-Pressure Environments
How do you keep people motivated when the pace is relentless? This session helps you sharpen the ability to make clear decisions in uncertain conditions, sustain your team’s energy, and remain composed when pressure builds.
Skills Learned: Decisive decision-making, stress management, sustaining team motivation, and role-modelling resilience.
Jaki Virtue, Chief Operating Officer, Soul Patts
Lab B: Building Authentic Executive Presence and Self-Belief
Executive presence is critical for leaders who want to influence decisions and advance their careers. This lab will help you strengthen self-belief, communicate with confidence and authority, and position yourself effectively for progression opportunities while staying authentic to your leadership style.
Skills Learned: Strengthening executive presence, communicating with authority, building self-belief, and strategic self-advocacy.
Penny George, Director of Corporate Affairs, AstraZeneca
Lab C: Leading Inclusion with Impact
Inclusive leadership requires confidence, capability and the courage to challenge bias. This lab will show you how to build equity into everyday decision-making, create belonging across diverse teams, and set the tone for a culture where everyone can contribute and thrive.
Skills Learned: Building inclusive cultures, addressing bias, fostering equity, and empowering diverse teams.
Dr. Ashley McGrath, Chief Executive Officer, CEOs for Gender Equity
Lab D: Leading High-Performing Teams
What separates good teams from great ones? This lab explores the leadership practices that create accountability, trust and sustained performance. You will learn how to lead effectively through conflict, address underperformance and bring out the best in diverse teams.
Skills Learned: Building trust, fostering accountability, and resolving conflict to sustain performance.
Anne Cavalieros, General Manager, Performance, Reward and People Technology, nbn Australia
Day 2
9:40
CEO Panel: Stronger Together – Building Trust, Influence and Impact
Who gets heard, backed, and seen – and how leaders are shifting that power dynamic
What it really takes to build trust across teams with diverse backgrounds and lived experience
Personal examples of allyship in action and how it made a difference
Embedding accountability and navigating discomfort with courage
Moderator: Dr. Ashley McGrath, Chief Executive Officer, CEOs for Gender Equity
Catherine Hunter, Chief Executive Officer, Diversity Council Australia
Rachel David, Chief Executive Officer, Private Healthcare Australia
Soraya Alali, ANZ Chief Executive Officer, Zip Co
Andrew Yates, Chief Executive Officer, KPMG Australia
April Palmerlee, Chief Executive Officer, AmCham Australia; AFR Women in Leadership 2025 Finalist