Women on Boards - Leaders and Directors in conversation with Claire Braund

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 is dedicated to supporting women on their board and leadership journey through our quality network, programs and events. We actively advocate for gender balance and cultural diversity in board and leadership roles.

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

Gorana Saula: International woman of innovation Bosnian-born Gorana Saula speaks three languages, has three passports, four drivers’ licenses and loves to travel. And with her passion for gadgets and all things tech it’s no wonder friends of the former CEO and electronics engineer call her James Bond. The Non Executive Director has had a wide range of executive leadership roles in defense, telecommunications, and electronics manufacturing. Attending university in Croatia she holds two master's degrees in electronics and business and is known as a woman who loves innovation - her first job out of uni was leading a project to develop tech for self-guided missiles. Gorana has experience working in many countries - from Germany and California to New Zealand and Brisbane - and brings a different perspective and international mindset and cultural sensitivity to all her organisations. In this podcast she talks to Claire Braund about making the dangerous journey from war-torn former Yugoslavia with her husband and two children, leaving behind her mother and disabled brother without knowing if she would ever see them again and how she went from arriving in New Zealand speaking very little English to becoming Director of Engineering in a microwave networking solutions provider, eventually leading it to become the only private New Zealand company listed on the NASDAQ. She also reflects on the challenges of attracting top talent, particularly during the dot.com era and mining boom, pointing to the importance of offering employees a good work-life balance to pursue their passions. A self-described ‘champion for product innovation’ Gorana now chairs three boards and brings her deep expertise to organisations that create and innovate. 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/26135022

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: WOB membership, events & services, please visit our . To receive our weekly newsletter, to WOB as a Basic Member (free). as a Full Member for full access to our Board Vacancies, support, WOBShare (our online member platform) and more. /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

Cyber warfare expert Dr Sarah Morrison: Getting into the mind of a threat actor To be good at cyber security you need to be able to think like a threat actor. That’s according to state-based cyber warfare expert Dr Sarah Morrison, who has herself embedded herself for the last 20 years in the technology and cybersecurity industry. No surprise then that Sarah is always the one at dinner parties reminding people to use secure passwords and update their anti-malware. What is more of a surprise is that Sarah - who has no less than seven qualifications in the area of criminology, investigation & intelligence and cyber security including a PhD in Russian Information Operations - left school in Year 10 to get an office job. As she tells Claire Braund in this podcast, “I fell in love with computers around five when my brother won one and brought it home. At school we didn’t get to really use computers, but getting an admin job I got to use one!” A few years later a book on criminology piqued Sarah’s interest so she went back to school and on to study the subject at University of Western Sydney. Sarah works across the government, banking and higher education sector. More recently she has stepped into the cyber consulting and advisory arena in ASX and other organisations. She was recently appointed to a WOB Advertised advisory committee in the higher education sector because of her very specific cyber skills. In this podcast Sarah talks about how she keeps in with the fast-moving space of cyber security and intelligence, the threat of large-scale disinformation campaigns and the role of AI and why boards need to put cybersecurity “front and centre”. 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/24127068

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? Find out with this fun /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: 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/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