Georgina Williams, Board Chair, UN Women Australia

• What leadership looks like when you’re constantly preparing for the next disruption – the behaviours that deliver clarity without becoming reactive

• Harnessing AI to lift productivity and reimagine how leaders engage their people

• Leading with calm, conviction and foresight to inspire confidence and bring teams on the journey

Julie Coates, Non-Executive Director, Wesfarmers

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

Nadia Stone, Vice President and Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand, Kenvue

Helena Turpin, Chief Executive Officer, GoFIGR

Suzana Ristevski, Chief Marketing Officer, Australia and New Zealand, Google, Non Executive Director, Australian Association of National Advertisers

Haidee Kozman, Chief Operating Officer, ANZ, Salesforce

• 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

Kristin Stubbins AM, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, KSIB, Chair, Taronga Conservation Society, Board Member, Mindgardens, Co-Chair, Women for Change, Former Interim Chief Executive Officer, PWC

• Harnessing generational diversity to drive innovation, collaboration and results

• Supporting and empowering women across all career stages and transitions

• Adapting your leadership approach to bring out the best in every generation

Moderator: Charlotte Anderson, Head of People Experience, Canva

Kate Aitken, Chief People Officer, Optus

Lucinda Gemmell, Chief People and Culture Officer, Seven West Media

Session will be live streamed from Sydney 🎥

Leadership and influence take many forms – from the boardroom to the ballot box. In this candid conversation, Simon Holmes à Court shares how he came to recognise the lack of women in political leadership, why representation matters for national progress, and how he’s using his platform to back female candidates and shift the culture of influence and funding in Australia

Moderated by Georgina Williams, this discussion explores what genuine allyship looks like in action, and what lessons corporate and government leaders can draw from movements that are changing who holds power, who funds it, and how progress is made.

Moderator: Georgina Williams, Board Chair, UN Women Australia

Simon Holmes à Court, Founder, Climate 200

These interactive 45-minute sessions cut straight to the skills leaders need most today. Each lab zeroes in on a specific challenge, giving you tools, frameworks, and peer insights you can immediately apply in your role.

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

• 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

Dr. Angela Coble OAM, Co-Founder and Executive Research Director, Leadonera Pty Ltd; Executive Program Director, Australian Energy Market Operator

Hannah Venn-Brown, Director – Inclusion and Diversity, Services Australia