Ep18| Margie Haseltine: Resilience, Determination and a Portfolio Board Career
Women on Boards - 20th Anniversary Series - Inspire | Influence | Impact
Release Date: 08/31/2026
E19| Elizabeth Crouch AM FAICD: Opportunity, Resilience and Service
Women on Boards - 20th Anniversary Series - Inspire | Influence | Impact
With an extraordinary portfolio spanning health, education, water, banking and sport, Elizabeth Crouch AM FAICD has built a board career defined by leadership, continuous learning and a deep commitment to public service. In this episode of the 20 Years of Women on Boards podcast, Elizabeth joins Claire Braund to reflect on the experiences that have shaped her journey from a 16-year career in the federal public service to becoming one of Australia’s most experienced Chairs. Today, Elizabeth chairs six organisations, including Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, the Customer Owned Banking...
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Ep18| Margie Haseltine: Resilience, Determination and a Portfolio Board Career
Women on Boards - 20th Anniversary Series - Inspire | Influence | Impact
Former CEO and experienced director has built an extensive portfolio career across listed and private companies, including Metcash, Inghams Group, Kennards Hire, Real Pet Food Company and Active Tree Services. In this episode of the 20 Years of Women on Boards podcast, Margie joins to reflect on the journey from growing up on a dairy farm in New Zealand to becoming CEO of MasterFoods Australia and, ultimately, building a successful board career. Margie stepped away from executive life in 2007 after 20 years with Mars. With three young children and years of extensive travel behind her, she...
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E17| Kerry Skellern OAM: Engineering a Board Career and Making a Difference
Women on Boards - 20th Anniversary Series - Inspire | Influence | Impact
Chemical engineer and experienced director Kerry Skellern OAM has built a board career spanning infrastructure, financial services, housing and community organisations. In this episode of the 20 Years of Women on Boards podcast, Kerry joins Claire Braund to discuss how her technical background has shaped her approach to governance and why boards benefit from a broader mix of professional perspectives. Kerry’s executive career included roles with ICI, James Hardie, CSR and GE, often in heavily male-dominated environments. It taught her the importance of speaking up and being prepared to make...
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E16 | Joanna Brand: From Brazil to Boards to Bitcoin
Women on Boards - 20th Anniversary Series - Inspire | Influence | Impact
Senior executive, lawyer, company secretary and experienced director has built a career across corporate governance, capital markets, infrastructure, energy, aviation and the arts. In this episode of the 20 Years of Women on Boards podcast, Joanna joins Women on Boards CEO and Co-founder to reflect on the experiences that shaped her career, the value of curiosity and adaptability, and the governance challenges boards cannot afford to underestimate. Born in Brazil, Joanna spent her early childhood moving between Trinidad, the United States, the Netherlands and Australia before returning to...
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E15 | Helga Svendsen OAM — Stronger Together
Women on Boards - 20th Anniversary Series - Inspire | Influence | Impact
In this episode of 20 Years of Women on Boards: Inspire | Influence | Impact, host Claire Braund sits down with Helga Svendsen OAM, facilitator, leadership and executive coach, non-executive director and podcaster, for a conversation that traces a career built on empowering people. Helga takes us from her formative years in a close-knit Melbourne community, through leadership roles in government and as CEO of the Hotham Mission Asylum Seeker Project, to building an extensive board portfolio across health, government and the not-for-profit sector. She shares how the Williamson Community...
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E14 | Robin Buckham’s Unexpected Path to the Boardroom
Women on Boards - 20th Anniversary Series - Inspire | Influence | Impact
What do steelmaking, universities, ports, family businesses, cemeteries and rowing have in common? For experienced chair and non-executive director , they've all played a role in shaping a remarkable governance career built on curiosity, transformation and making a meaningful contribution. In the latest episode of the 20 Years of Women on Boards podcast, Robin reflects on a career that has never followed a conventional path. From an Arts degree and teaching, she unexpectedly found herself leading a major steel manufacturing business before moving into senior executive...
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E13 | From Opera to the Boardroom: Ditta Zizi's Governance Journey
Women on Boards - 20th Anniversary Series - Inspire | Influence | Impact
In this Episode, sits down with long-term Women on Boards member —corporate governance strategist, arts leader, opera-trained singer and experienced non-executive director—to explore the experiences that have shaped her unique governance career. Drawing on senior executive roles with Airservices Australia, the Department of Industry and the Department of Education and Training, together with board appointments across the arts and cultural sectors, Ditta shares why the fundamentals of good governance remain the same regardless of whether you're serving on a commercial, government or...
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E12 | Andrea Staines on Building a Board Career That Lasts - Professional Diversity, Personal Flexibility
Women on Boards - 20th Anniversary Series - Inspire | Influence | Impact
Most directors focus on securing their first board appointment. Andrea Staines OAM took a different approach. Nearly 20 years ago, she made the deliberate decision to build a portfolio career as a full-time non-executive director, long before it became a recognised career path. Today, Andrea is regarded as one of Australia's pioneers of the professional portfolio director, serving across transport, infrastructure and retail while continually evolving her career. Speaking on the latest 20 Years of Women on Boards podcast, she shares the principles that have guided her journey. One of Andrea's...
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E11 | Chris Franks AM: Governance with Purpose
Women on Boards - 20th Anniversary Series - Inspire | Influence | Impact
What does great governance look like after more than two decades in the boardroom? In this episode of 20 Years of Women on Boards – Inspire | Influence | Impact, Claire Braund speaks with Chris Franks AM, an accomplished non-executive director whose governance career spans mutuals, financial services, international development, health and the not-for-profit sector. Chris reflects on an extraordinary career journey from nursing to research, international development and some of Australia's leading member-owned organisations. She shares how purpose has shaped every board appointment, why...
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E10 | Toni Brendish FAICD: From CEO to Chair – Building a Purposeful Board Career
Women on Boards - 20th Anniversary Series - Inspire | Influence | Impact
How do you successfully transition from leading global businesses to building a rewarding portfolio career in the boardroom? In this episode of the 20 Years of Women on Boards – Inspire | Influence | Impact podcast, speaks with about the experiences, decisions and leadership lessons that have shaped her journey from CEO to Chair and Non-Executive Director. Toni reflects on an adventurous childhood spent in remote Australia and Papua New Guinea, explaining how resilience, independence and adapting to change became the foundations of her leadership style. She also shares how an unexpected...
info_outlineFormer CEO and experienced director Margie Haseltine has built an extensive portfolio career across listed and private companies, including Metcash, Inghams Group, Kennards Hire, Real Pet Food Company and Active Tree Services.
In this episode of the 20 Years of Women on Boards podcast, Margie joins Claire Braund OAM to reflect on the journey from growing up on a dairy farm in New Zealand to becoming CEO of MasterFoods Australia and, ultimately, building a successful board career.
Margie stepped away from executive life in 2007 after 20 years with Mars. With three young children and years of extensive travel behind her, she was ready for a different career. That same year, she joined Women on Boards.
Breaking into the boardroom was not easy. With a background in supply chain rather than law or accounting, Margie recalls being told she was unlikely to secure an ASX-listed board role. Instead of being deterred, she built her experience through smaller boards and continued putting herself forward for opportunities.
That persistence eventually led to ASX-listed Bapcor, after Women on Boards helped put her forward for the role. Margie later became Chair, leading the company through a particularly challenging period and learning first-hand just how different the responsibilities of a Chair can be from those of a NED.
Today, Margie enjoys the different dynamics offered by both listed and private boards and continues to be drawn to organisations where she connects with the people, purpose and business.
She also reflects on how boardroom risks have changed, from cyber and ESG to psychosocial safety and the rapidly evolving implications of AI.
For senior executives considering a board career, Margie cautions against assuming it is automatically the right next step. Board life requires flexibility, resilience and the ability to respond when challenges arise.
A Women on Boards member since 2007, Margie describes the WOB community as an important part of her journey.
Looking ahead, her advice for navigating disruption and difficult decisions is simple:
“Be calm, and the facts are our friends.”
Asked to sum up her journey in three words, Margie chose:
Resilience. Determination. Passion.
Learn more www.womenonboards.net/join