Summit: 25-26 November 2025
Workshop: 27 November 2025
Pan Pacific Perth
Key Highlights
Discover how today's most effective leaders are reshaping power dynamics and building authentic trust across diverse teams, with real-world examples of courageous allyship that drives measurable impact.
Megan O'Donnell, Chief Preventative Officer, St John WA
Jodi Graham, Executive Director, Sir Charles Gairdner Osborne Park Health Care Group, North Metropolitan Health Service
Steve Coughlan, Executive Chairman, Byrnecut
Kate West, Chief Officer, Business and Markets APAC, Arup
Gain the strategic foresight and calm conviction needed to turn constant disruption into competitive advantage, with insider insights on how geopolitical shifts are reshaping risk management and leadership priorities
Diane Smith-Gander AO, Chancellor, The University of Western Australia
Learn how senior leaders are turning AI anxiety into advantage and workforce challenges into opportunities, while discovering proven strategies for maintaining peak performance under pressure without burning out your teams.
Bernadette Cullinane, Asia Pacific Chair, Partner, Energy, Resources and Industrials Industry Leader, Energy and Chemicals Sector Leader, Deloitte
Ben Lambert, Managing Director, Western Australia and Northern Territory, Aurecon, Non-Executive Director, CEOs for Gender Equity
Samantha Giannasi, Australia Managing Director, Company Director, Albemarle Corporation
Our Speakers
Agenda
Day One | Tuesday, 25 November 2025
8:00
Registration and Morning Refreshments
8:30
Welcome to Country
8:40
Women Leaders Institute Welcome Address
8:50
Chairperson’s Opening Address
Paula Rogers, Chief Executive Officer, Committee for Perth
STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP IN AN AI-DRIVEN ENVIRONMENT
9:00
Keynote Fireside Chat: Leading through AI to Drive Organisational Impact
How AI is reshaping decision making, productivity and leadership expectations in the workplace
The leadership risks and responsibilities in building trust and workforce readiness
Practical ways for executives to build digital fluency, inspire confidence through change and position their organisations for sustainable growth
Natalia Kacperek, Chair, WA Government AI Advisory Board; Chief Data Officer, Department of the Premier and Cabinet of WA
9:30
CEO Panel: The Leadership Balancing Act
How are CEOs adapting their leadership to meet the moment? This panel brings together senior executives to discuss the top trends keeping them up at night – from AI integration and workforce transformation to global instability and cost constraints.
What trends are keeping leaders up at night, and where are they placing their boldest bets?
How AI is reshaping productivity expectations and leadership priorities – and how to turn AI anxiety into advantage
Strategies for managing fatigue, maintaining trust, and building resilience in high-pressure environments to ensure long-term business performance and adaptability
Bernadette Cullinane, Asia Pacific Chair, Partner, Energy, Resources and Industrials Industry Leader, Energy and Chemicals Sector Leader, Deloitte
Ben Lambert, Managing Director, Western Australia and Northern Territory, Aurecon, Non-Executive Director, CEOs for Gender Equity
Samantha Giannasi, Australia Managing Director, Company Director, Albemarle Corporation
Joanne Abbiss, Chief Executive Officer, City of Armadale
10:10
Speed Connections: Building Your Professional Circle in Record Time
Liz Del Borrello, Founder and Leadership Coach, Leaders Lobby
10:20
Networking Activity and Morning Tea
STRENGTHENING LEADERSHIP CAPABILITY
10:50
Conversation Starter: What’s one leadership strategy that’s helped you stay focused during periods of uncertainty?
11:00
UN Women in Conversation Keynote
Session will be live streamed from Sydney 🎥
Georgina Williams, Board Chair, UN Women Australia
11:50
Interactive Discussion
12:10
Networking Lunch
1:10
Trivia
LEADING THROUGH ADVERSITY & DISRUPTION
1:20
Keynote Fireside Chat: Legacy, Resilience and the Next Generation of Leaders
Drawing strength from values, heritage and identity to stay grounded through uncertainty
Building resilience and optimism in the face of uncertain futures
How today’s leaders can leave a legacy of strength and opportunity for the next generation
Kim Farmer, Magistrate, Children's Court of WA, Patron and Vice Chair, Polly Farmer Foundation, 2025 WA Women’s Hall of Fame Inductee
Denice Kickett, Cultural Architect, Muminbulah Wilak Cultural Services
2:00
CEO Fireside Chat: Making the Call When There’s No Playbook
How to lead decisively when visibility is low and pressure is high
Balancing stakeholder demands, values, and performance under fire
What grounded their leadership during the most difficult moments
What they’d do differently and what they stand by
2:40
Afternoon Tea
3:10
Introduction to Mini Leadership Labs
Step into a focused 45-minute session which is designed to help you deepen key leadership capabilities skills. Each lab offers a chance to explore real-world challenges, exchange ideas with peers, and walk away with tools to accelerate your impact.
3:20
Mini Leadership Labs
Lab A: Resilience in High-Pressure Environments
The rules keep changing. Priorities shift. Teams are stretched thin. Learn how to lead decisively through ambiguity, protect momentum when others are burning out, and stay anchored when the pressure builds.
Lab B: Building Executive Presence and Self-Belief
Develop your leadership confidence by understanding how to back yourself, speak with authority, and position yourself for progression.
Peta Slocombe, Chief Executive Officer, Performance Story
Lab C: Leading High-Performing Teams
Unpack what it really takes to build and sustain a team that consistently delivers results. This lab focuses on the behaviours, systems and leadership practices that drive accountability, trust and performance for long-term success – even in the face of conflict, underperformance, or team dysfunction – to support long-term success.
Jessica Farrell, Vice President Innovation, BHP
SUCCESSION PLANNING
4:05
Fireside Chat: From Pipeline to Performance
How boards and executive teams are building sustainable leadership continuity and future-ready leadership pipelines in a volatile landscape
Where the biggest risks and gaps lie – and what’s being done to address them
Rethinking succession: from names on a list to building capability, adaptability and leadership depth
Making succession a leadership priority, not a background process
Sally Langer, Non-Executive Director, Northern Star, Sandfire Resources, The Gold Corporation, Federation Mining, Jupiter Mines, Hale School; Deputy Chair, Ronald McDonald House Charities
Veena Mendez, Strategy Advisor, Chevron, Founder and Chair, Women in Oil and Gas
4:45
Chairperson's Closing Address
4:55
Networking Drinks & End of Summit Day One
POST-SUMMIT WORKSHOP
Personal Leadership Excellence with Clarity and Confidence
This one-day intensive workshop focuses on developing personal leadership mastery through authentic communication, challenging conversation skills, and sustainable high-performance practices that enable leaders to influence and inspire others effectively.
Core Objective
To develop personal leadership excellence through authentic influence strategies, challenging conversation mastery, and sustainable high-performance practices that create confident, resilient leaders capable of inspiring diverse teams.
You will leave with:
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Enhanced authentic personal leadership presence and influence
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A proven formula for navigating challenging conversations with confidence
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Practical productivity and high-performance strategies for leadership excellence
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Personal work-life balance framework for sustainable leadership success
FACILITATOR:
Liz Del Borrello, Founder and Leadership Coach, Leaders Lobby