Future Women Leadership Series

Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness CSC is Australia’s National Cyber Security Coordinator. She came to this role with over 30 years of experience in the Australian Defence Force. Today, she plays a pivotal role in driving Australia’s cyber security and coordinates the Government’s response to major cyber security incidents. 

In this episode, uncover what threats to cyber security can teach us about leadership. 

The FW Leadership Series is hosted by Helen McCabe.

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Jo McConnell recently started an exciting new role as Chief People Officer at Herbert Smith Freehills. Prior to this, she was CEO of Transformation at Accenture, and Vice President of Human Resources at BHP Billiton. In this discussion, Jo shares her advice on building trust and navigating office politics when taking on a new leadership role, managing with radical candor, and the role of men in promoting gender inclusion. The FW Leadership Series is hosted by Helen McCabe. 

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Anna Bligh AC was the first woman to become the Queensland Premier and the first woman to lead the Labor party. Anna shares with host Helen McCabe the importance finding your own identity and purpose as a leader, what it was like to hold her own in the houses of parliament (with the weight of an entire gender on her back) and why she has learned to relish difficult problems and roles.

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Starting a new leadership position? 

Liz Cosson AM spent over 3 decades in the Australian Army, before moving into the highest ranks of the Public Service. In this episode, Liz reveals the essential steps for new leaders in the first 100 days -  including how to curb gossip, foster genuine transparency, and drive meaningful cultural change. The FW Leadership Series is hosted by Helen McCabe.

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Kyah Bell is a Wulugurukaba, Juru, and Bindal woman, co-founder of the Black Excellence Fund, and Director at First Australians Capital. In this episode, Kyah reveals why she's committed to "doing what’s hard," how she navigates the demands of work-life balance, and how she learned to lean into empathy without compromising her high standards.

The FW Leadership Series is hosted by FW Founder and Managing Director, Helen McCabe. 

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What role does kindness play in new-age leadership? In this conversation with Helen McCabe, Anna Jepson, CFO of Institutional Banking & Markets at Commonwealth Bank, reveals why kindness is more than just a virtue in successful leadership. Anna also shares the power of understanding your personal brand and how she reclaimed her career after facing redundancy.

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Juliette Wright OAM is the founder and CEO of GIVIT, an online platform connecting those who have, with those who need. Juliette has received numerous awards for her charity initiatives and disaster recovery innovation and was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2019 and Australia’s Local Hero in 2015 by the National Australia Day Council.

In this chat with Helen McCabe, Juliette discusses aligning action with personal values, avoiding burnout, and getting comfortable with being wrong. 

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What's the point of corporate wellbeing initiatives? Companies are throwing record investment into wellbeing programs, employee assistance programs, and team-building exercises. But according to Dr Tiffany De Sousa Machado, they're mostly not working. In this episode, guest host Jamila Rizvi and Tiff go below the box-ticking surface-level initiatives and get serious about mental health and wellbeing at work. 

The FW Leadership Series is hosted by Helen McCabe. 

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Cherie Clonan is a proud Autistic woman and the Founding Director and CEO of The Digital Picnic. In this episode, Cherie discusses receiving an autism diagnosis as an adult, building a neurodivergent inclusive workplace, masking, and burnout. This episode is hosted by Jamila Rizvi. The FW Leadership Series is hosted by Helen McCabe. 

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What happens when leaders lack accountability? In this episode, FW Managing Director Helen McCabe sits down with Katrina King—General Manager of Client Solutions Capital at Queensland Investment Corporation, Co-chair of UQ’s Business, Economics and Law Alumni Committee, and Minerva Network mentor. Together, they explore why accountability is crucial to strong leadership, how to build unshakeable resilience, and strategies to navigate and succeed in male-dominated workplaces.

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