Women on Boards - Leaders and Directors in Conversation

Women on Boards (WOB) co-founder and Executive Director, Claire Brand in conversation with inspirational leaders and directors about their board and leadership journey. WOB's mission is to assist women on their board and leadership journey. We actively advocate for gender balance and cultural diversity in board and leadership roles. In this podcast, Claire talks to women about their board journey as well as a range of governance and networkings experts for tips and advice.

Professor Ngaire Elwood AM, Beating the Odds - Women of Honour Series 04/22/2024

Professor Ngaire Elwood AM, Beating the Odds - Women of Honour Series Associate Professor Ngaire Elwood AM is driven by a strong sense of purpose that grew out of a life-changing experience that inspired her, as an inquisitive science-loving teenager, to dedicate her life to improving therapies for kids with cancer. As a teenager, she was treated for osteosarcoma, a common form of bone cancer that had a survival rate of about five per cent prior to the advent of chemotherapy. After her bone cancer diagnosis, her treatment involved an above-knee amputation, followed by 18 months of high-dose chemotherapy. Even with this ‘aggressive therapy’ the survival rate is about 60 per cent. Now she is helping others survive cancer as head of the Cord Blood Stem Cell Research Program at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and director of Melbourne’s cord blood bank. She has devoted her career to investigating, developing and providing improved therapies for the treatment of cancer, leukaemia and other disorders and is passionate about the therapeutic application of cellular therapies. Her research includes exploring the different types of stem cells that are in cord blood, investigating the use of cord blood in heart repair and the treatment of cerebral palsy, and improving the use of cord blood in bone marrow transplants for treating blood cancers and other diseases. Ngaire was made a Member of the Order of Australia AM in the 2024 Australia Day Honours awards for significant service to medicine, particularly through stem cell research - an honour she tells Claire Braund was a “bit surreal” and that it is important as a female researcher and amputee to use the platform as a voice for women in STEMM, people living with disabilities and also to raise the awareness of cord blood therapies in Australia. In this podcast Ngaire also talks about the development of cord blood research around the world and in Australia - “it's a really exciting time… there’s so much we don't yet know and understand about cord blood biology and its benefits and ind it’s really fun to find out” - as well as her board career and what skills and qualities medical scientists can bring to the board table, including strategic thinking, grant-writing, risk management and big picture thinking. “It's knowing that the work you do makes a difference and can make a difference no matter how small the role may be. Whether it's as a research assistant, student or a board member. Everybody plays a role and can make a difference,” she tells Claire. About Ngaire Elwood: Associate Professor Ngaire Elwood AM, PhD BSc(Hons) MAICD, is an experienced senior leader. She has devoted her career to investigating, developing and providing improved therapies for the treatment of cancer, leukaemia and other disorders and is passionate about the therapeutic application of cellular therapies. Ngaire has broad governance expertise, and holds a diverse board portfolio. She is the immediate past Vice President of the international Board of Directors for the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapies (FACT), Non-Executive Director on the Boards of the National Stem Cell Foundation of Australia and international Cord Blood Association, and previous Chair of the Board for the Australian Sickle Cell Advocacy Inc (ASCA). She was previously the Australia New Zealand (ANZ), Regional Vice President for the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT) and is a member of the ISCT Board of Directors (2018-2020; 2022-2024). She is Chair of the FACT Education Committee, is a FACT Cord Blood Bank Inspector and sits on the FACT Cord Blood Accreditation Committee, FACT Cord Blood Standards Committee, FACT Regenerative Medicine Task Force and the FACT New Business Development Committee. Ngaire serves as Chair of the AusCord network of public cord blood banks and is a member of the TGA Advisory Committee on Biologicals. As Director of the BMDI Cord Blood Bank, a TGA-licensed manufacturing facility, Ngaire has extensive expertise in GMP, regulatory compliance and quality management. She sits on the MCRI Institutional Biosafety Committee for Genetically Modified Organisms and has broad experience in human research ethics, previously serving as a member of the Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry National Ethics Committee. With a scientific research career spanning more than 30 years she has made significant impact in the field of cellular therapy, cancer, cord blood, stem cells and leukaemia. Ngaire was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in the category of "Change Agent" in October 2022. She was made a Member of the Order of Australia AM in the 2024 Australia Day Honours awards for significant service to medicine, particularly through stem cell research. Find out more about Ngaire on Find out more about Visit our Women on Boards Follow us on /episode/index/show/wob404020/id/30927773

Emerita Professor Lesley Hitchens AM - Women of Honour Series 04/08/2024

Claire Braund in conversation with Lisa Carlin - Transformational change and the importance of community 02/12/2024

Optus blame game: Do we treat male and female CEOs the same? 11/27/2023

Claire Braund in conversation with Tom Elliot on 3AW 10/09/2023

Claire Braund in conversation with Dr Amber Tan 07/03/2023

Claire Braund in conversation with Dr Amber Tan You may well think Dr Amber Tan has the world at her feet and job offers flowing in. A former Malaysian national who was born and raised in Ipoh (the gateway to the Cameron Highlands hill station), Amber migrated to Melbourne in 2011 with her partner and received an Australian Postgraduate Award scholarship in 2013 to complete her PhD at Monash University. A feat she accomplished in 2017 with no amendments. Her thesis critically examined national security and public order laws in Malaysia and their impact on constitutionalism and the rule of law and Amber has also conducted extensive research into human rights abuses under these laws. Prior to academia, Amber was in private practice as a litigator in Malaysia having won a full scholarship to study at law at Kings College London where she graduated with 1st Class honours in 2007 and as one of only five students in her class to be awarded an Exhibition Prize. Yet Amber’s employment story is not one of which Australia can be proud. In this podcast with Claire Braund, Amber shares her story - from her determination as a 14 year old to win an international scholarship to follow her dreams studying law in London to the systemic discrimination she experienced in Australia due to her multicultural background where she says “I felt like my career was crushed”. Forced to wait tables and sell her paintings to scratch a living for two years, Amber recalls being asked if she spoke English when applying for legal roles. “They weren’t even looking at my CV beyond looking at my name.” Today Amber is on a mission to use her research into the challenges and discrimination facing Asian women in the workplace in Australia for positive change. As she says: “I don't want to be just part of another unfortunate statistic. I want to change the statistics". LinkedIn (guest) (host) Find out more about Visit our Women on Boards Follow us on /episode/index/show/wob404020/id/27351975

Claire Braund in conversation with Dr Monique Beedles 06/08/2023

Connection Content: Rethinking Your LinkedIn Strategy with Karen Tisdell 06/05/2023

Gorana Saula: International woman of innovation 03/06/2023

Fair game: Dr Catherine Ordway on gender equity, integrity and anti-corruption in sport 01/30/2023

Fostering culturally diverse leadership - with Karen Loon 12/22/2022

Managing a portfolio career and leading the charge in Adelaide - with Wendy Teasdale Smith 11/07/2022

Managing a portfolio career and leading the charge in Adelaide - with Wendy Teasdale Smith Wendy Teasdale Smith is a woman full of surprises. As well as being the owner of possibly one of the largest collections of hairclips for anyone over 40, WOB’s quirky and energetic South Australian representative also recently won a Toastmasters humorous speaking award with her speech on having an RBF (resting bitch face), which she presented over Zoom during COVID. Born and brought up in Elizabeth, South Australia (the inspiration for Jimmy Barnes’ song Working Class Man) she is also in a book called Elizabeth Champions celebrating people from the region. As she tells Claire in this podcast, growing up in the working class suburbs, Wendy was a teenager when she discovered the power of hard work. “While I had a challenging childhood, one of the things that was really good about it was a strong belief from my father in education, and that it could change your life. And it certainly changed mine.” Wendy went on to pursue a productive career in education, as a CEO, school principal, college director, as well as serving on ministerial committees and lecturing before biting the bullet and heading out into the business world. “I enjoyed my time [in education] but wanted to be brave enough to leave and try something else.” It was after Googling ‘women organisations’ that Wendy found WOB, and met Claire at a conference in Sydney. Now a pioneering state rep who has led the charge for WOB in Adelaide for many years, Wendy manages a portfolio career focused on non-profit and government board and is also an experienced public speaking and presence coach, and says never underestimate the power of a strong woman. “Like Eleanor Roosevelt said: A woman is like a teabag - you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” LinkedIn: (host) Further Information: Find out more about Visit our Women on Boards Follow us on /episode/index/show/wob404020/id/24925770

Security Risks for Boards. Are you asking the right questions? - with Matt Fehon AM 09/29/2022

Leading Equal Opportunity for Women - with Helen Conway 09/05/2022

Cyber warfare expert Dr Sarah Morrison: Getting into the mind of a threat actor 08/22/2022

Claire Braund in Conversation with Miriam Silva AM - Faith, resilience and my board journey 08/08/2022

Ready for lift off: How Amanda Mark nailed her elevator pitch 07/26/2022

Corruption, whistleblowing and disclosure in the boardroom - with Dr Kath Hall 07/25/2022

What steps can First Nations allies take towards reconciliation? - with Claire Beattie 07/04/2022

Cultural Diversity and Inclusion - Panel discussion with Shirley Chowdhary, Claire Beattie and Claire Braund 05/19/2022

Cultural Diversity and Inclusion - Panel discussion with Shirley Chowdhary, Claire Beattie and Claire Braund Women on Boards marks UN World Day for Cultural Diversity with a panel discussion about cultural diversity and inclusion in board and leadership roles, with guests Shirley Chowdhary, AAP Board Member; and Women on Boards' Cultural Diversity Committee member and proud Yorta Yorta woman, Claire Beattie. Tune in to listen to this insightful and real conversation, as the panel discusses: The backgrounds and lived experiences of our guest Why cultural diversity in board and leadership roles matters What is cultural inclusion and psychological and cultural safety - How we can support culture & inclusion Recognition that cultural diversity is challenging for many of us, and that we can be reluctant to ask questions because we feel ignorant....but that's okay if its done in a respectful way. Shirley Chowdhary “The most important word that I think of when I think of cultural safety is authenticity. Because the truth is that at the end of the day, every single one of us, regardless of where we come from or who we are or what our background is, we want to be able to take our authentic selves into the workplace. And we don't want to have to change that according to who we are in a room with or who we're in a meeting with, or who's there that day.” Claire Beattie "I think that everyone comes to work expecting to leave work either feeling the same way they started. So hopefully they start happy and they finish happy or even more enriched as the day goes on. Now, WHS is something that's treated very,very seriously, particularly on work sites and in infrastructure where I work. But people don't understand that psychological damage and emotional damage and trauma is just as hurtful and if not ongoing, as if you fall down a pothole and you twist your ankle or something more serious. So psychological safety and cultural safety go hand in hand. It's very important as leaders and as team members and workmates, that we understand that diversity inclusion is not a bumper sticker. It's not something that you just throw around and you think you've got it. There's a big difference between equity and equality as well. And I invite you to have a think about what those things mean.” Non-Executive Director, Advisory board member and Indigenous consultant. Shirley is an internationally experienced board director with a diverse set of credentials across law, financial services, funds management, the NFP sector and journalism. Admitted as a lawyer in Australia and the State of New York, she has extensive cross-border experience across Asia. She is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, and has invested throughout her career to address these issues. This work was recognized when she was selected as one of the 2019 AFR 100 Women of Influence. One of Shirley’s most recent executive roles includes being Chief Executive Officer for the GO Foundation, an Australian Indigenous organisation founded by Adam Goodes and Michael O’Loughlin, providing holistic support and pathways for Indigenous students in Australia. Shirley now has a portfolio that supports organisations to build collaborative ecosystems connecting shareholder value with a deeper connection to impact and purpose. She believes fiercely in diversity and inclusion as tools for innovation. Shirley is currently a non-executive director on the board of the Australian Associated Press, Chair of the Advisory Board of Octadoc, a health tech startup, and is consulting with a number of diverse organisations including the Criterion Institute and Australia’s largest NFP endowment, the Paul Ramsay Foundation. Shirley is a keynote speaker and presenter for Saxton Speakers and her portfolio includes an extensive array of mentoring and volunteering. Executive Director Asset Activations School Infrastructure NSW, Department of Education NSW & Board member of PCYC NSW and WAGEC. Claire is a proud Yorta Yorta woman and prominent senior NSW Public Servant with over 21 years of experience in government across agencies such as Transport, Treasury and Education. Claire has been a three-time finalist in the Premier’s Awards, a Finalist in the Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year Awards and Finalist in the Women’s Agenda Awards. Claire is an advocate for young people and the community who believes in making a difference and being the difference. She embodies the spirit of inclusivity and diversity and wants every community and every young person to feel known, valued and cared for. Panel Host - Executive Director and Co-founder Women on Boards WOMEN ON BOARDS' VISION is to have gender balance and cultural diversity within board and leadership roles. If you share our vision we invite you to j. FOLLOW US ONLINE: ABOUT WOMEN ON BOARDS We provide the personal networks, tools and resource to support your board and leadership journey at any career stage. Are you board ready? Further Information: Find out more about Visit our Women on Boards Follow us on /episode/index/show/wob404020/id/23160548

Turning diversity into a superpower - with Anita Kumar 05/16/2022

Turning diversity into a superpower - with Anita Kumar Turning diversity into a superpower Born in Tamil-speaking southern India, Anita Kumar was the first girl in her family to leave home at 17 to go to university. Today Anita lives in Sydney and is an experienced CEO, social entrepreneur and passionate advocate for the rights of children and families, especially those dealing with complex life issues or living in vulnerable circumstances. But her decision in 1990 to study engineering eight hours from home was less about following in the footsteps of her father - an early adopter of technology who worked at the University of Madras- and more about putting off marriage. “It was just a way to get some time. I can’t tell you what a great opportunity that was for four years,” Anita tells Claire in this podcast. After her final exam, her parents were there straight away. “I knew what was coming.” And so it was that Anita and her then husband arrived in Australia in the late 90s. In this podcast, Anita describes the isolation and difficulty negotiating a new life as a young mother in a strange country, the discrimination she faced applying for jobs in her early career and how she turned diversity into her superpower. “I spoke fluent English and I had never faced discrimination before that but now it was hitting me from all directions. But all I can say is I wouldn't be who I am today, if not for those six years.” From volunteering with Burwood Community Welfare services, helping domestic violence survivors, Anita then worked her way from an admin role at The Infant’s Home Child and Family Services in Ashfield to become CEO. In 2012 she joined 150 other CEOs from around the world on the Executive Education program at Harvard Business School looking at non-profit management. Since 2017 she has been the CEO of Early Start, a collaborative initiative between the Commonwealth Government, The Abbott Foundation and the University of Wollongong to positively impact on the life trajectories of children growing up in regional and remote Australia. LinkedIn (guest) (host) Further Information: Find out more about Visit our Women on Boards Follow us on /episode/index/show/wob404020/id/23121911

Lab notes: Why science, leadership (and music) is in Marguerite Evans-Galea's DNA 04/04/2022

Lab notes: Why science, leadership (and music) is in Marguerite Evans-Galea's DNA Growing up in Tropical North Queensland, clarinet-playing, science-loving Marguerite Evans-Galea felt like a “square peg in a round hole”. But thanks to her supportive family and a lifelong mentor - who also happened to be a university professor - Marguerite was inspired to pursue a career in STEM. As she tells Claire in this podcast: “He really did inspire me to thrive. He said, ‘think outside the box, go have a future, believe in yourself’. Those words stuck like glue and were a real inspiration.” Today Dr Evans-Galea is a leading research scientist, neurogenetic disease specialist and Non-Executive Director who has had a long and distinguished career in Australia and the USA. She is Director of STEM Careers Strategy with the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, co-founder and co-chair of Women in STEMM Australia and Honorary Fellow at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and has been a member of Women on Boards since 2012. In this podcast, Dr Evans-Galea talks about how she studied classical music at university before switching to science and falling in love with molecular biology. “I loved the concept of exploring something I couldn't see and DNA was my favorite thing in the world. I'd read a book in grade 11 about the pursuit of the double helix and found it fascinating.” She also discusses the challenges facing many women in science and shares her own experience when she was let go from her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Utah in 2000 when she got pregnant. As she says: “I felt like I’d been hit with a wet fish”. Claire and Dr Evans-Galea also talk about the importance of mentors and role models for women in STEM, what scientists and ‘boffins’ can bring to the boardroom and why we all need to take time to connect. LinkedIn (host) Further Information: WOB membership, events & services, please visit our . To receive our weekly newsletter, to WOB as a Basic Member (free). as a Full Member for just for full access to our Board Vacancies, WOBShare (our online member platform) and more. /episode/index/show/wob404020/id/22669475

Building a franchising empire, family business and cultural diversity - with Sara Pantaleo 03/11/2022

Power move: What sparked energy expert Sarah Fairhurst's portfolio career? 02/28/2022

Power move: What sparked energy expert Sarah Fairhurst's portfolio career? Growing up in 1980s Britain, it's no surprise Sarah Fairhurst’s biggest role model was Margaret Thatcher. “I was at school when she was in power and she made me realise women could do anything,” says Sarah, a WOB member with significant expertise in the energy sector, including advising governments and industry on commercialization and issues relating to the power and energy sector. Like Britain’s first female Prime Minister, Sarah grew up in a modest, hardworking family in a small English town before heading down the Oxbridge route and graduating from Cambridge with an MA in Natural Science. “We weren’t posh,” she tells Claire in this podcast. Now based in Hong Kong, where she lives on a boat, Sarah pivoted to a portfolio career on governance and advisory boards in 2019 after more than 30 years working in the Australian and Asian power industries. She now mentors startups, helping small companies overcome obstacles to growth, as well as working with larger companies and multinationals through strategic change, as they navigate the energy transition, invest in power generation, M&A, or enter Asian markets in any industry. In this podcast, Sarah talks to Claire about living and working as an expat in Hong Kong post the 2020 crackdown imposed by Beijing, the differences between working on Asian and Australian boards, how she has navigated workplace bias in the energy sector and how she dealt with ‘imposter syndrome’. “It can be very easy to underestimate your abilities.” A testament to seizing opportunities with both hands, and moving where life takes you, Sarah’s biggest piece of advice is “Just say yes - figure it out later.” Find out more about what sparks Sarah Fairhurst's interests in this podcast. LinkedIn (host) For further information about WOB membership, events & services, please visit our . to receive our weekly newsletter (free). as a Full Member for full access to our Board Vacancies, WOBShare (our online member platform) and more. /episode/index/show/wob404020/id/22277711

Diversity is half the circle. Culture, equity and inclusion are the other half 02/07/2022

On target: From banks to guns, Cheryl Dixon takes aim at Boards. 01/17/2022

Fiona David: Why we need a humane response to migration 11/29/2021

Building a Portfolio Career, Mustering Cattle and Surviving the witness box in the Banking Royal Commission 11/14/2021

Turf love: How horse lover and Australian Turf Club Chair Trish Egan harnessed her passion 10/29/2021

Taking charge: Engineering’s first lady Dr Bronwyn Evans PhD AM 10/25/2021

Women on Boards - Leaders and Directors in Conversation

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