Leaders Igniting Lasting Change
Inspiring and Promoting Conscious Inclusion for Women in Leadership
Diversity and inclusion in the workplace have been on the agenda for decades. Leading companies are now seeking to maximise performance and capability by enabling all women and men to thrive equally. But despite this common goal, we’re not there yet.
How are successful leaders creating opportunities to ignite lasting change? Join the discussion with our inspiring panel of speakers and learn how they have taken action in:
• promoting conscious inclusion in and outside the workplace
• lifting up the next generation of women
• cultivating strategies for success within individual leadership styles
• engaging men as advocates
• connecting, empowering and celebrating women leaders
About the Speakers
Moderator: Trena Blair, Founder and CEO of FD Global Connections Pty Ltd
Living and working in Australia and New York over more than 20 years as an international executive, Trena Blair is a true global citizen. Her entrepreneurial spirit and intellectual curiosity spans the financial services (payments), travel, telecommunications, information technology, arts, education, luxury retail and not-for-profit sectors. She has been a passionate advocate and mentor for women throughout her career, establishing and co-sponsoring women’s corporate networks (ANZ) on her return to Australia.
Zrinka Lovrencic, Managing Director of Great Place to Work
Since 2008, Zrinka has been working with organisations across a variety of industries and locations to assess their workplace cultures and support them as they seek to become great workplaces while increasing their shareholder returns. As Managing Director of Great Place to Work Australia, she curates Business Review Weekly’s annual ‘Best Places to Work’ list. A featured speaker on workplace trends, Zrinka has focused her research on management strategies and people practices aimed at improving the workplace. She was a NSW Finalist in the Telstra Business Woman of the Year Awards (2013).
Ariane Barker, CEO of Scale Investors
As an Australian migrant and international investment banker who worked for over a decade in Asia, Ariane brings diverse insights and perspective to strategic decision-making. Identified as one of 70 high-potential board-ready women, she was awarded an Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) board diversity scholarship in 2011. Ariane has a capital markets background having previously worked with JBWere (part of National Australia Bank), HSBC, Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch in Melbourne, Hong Kong, Tokyo, New York and London.
Alexandra Tselios, Founder and CEO of The Big Smoke
Alexandra Tselios is a commentator, writer, keynote speaker, board director and founder & CEO of international opinion platform, The Big Smoke. Recognised as a successful Australian entrepreneur by Business Insider, Alexandra has written for and featured in a number of publications including the AFR, CEO Magazine, The Australian, Sydney Morning Herald, Mumbrella and AdNews. Alexandra created digital opinion site The Big Smoke in 2013, an online platform for distinct Australian voices including Federal politicians, barristers, university students, bloggers and comedians. The site is intended to cut-through the noise and succinctly represent where Australians sit on a variety of issues, from dominating political headlines to debunking viral stories that have no substance.
Anna Speer, CEO of AuctionsPlus
A Senior Business Leader with a strong, broad and practical understanding of the global agribusiness industry. Anna has a verifiable track record revitalising underperforming operations, opening new markets and building market credibility through innovative products that ensure competitiveness in tough markets. CEO of AuctionsPlus, Australia’s largest livestock marketplace - sometimes known as eBay or Tinder for cows and sheep. Anna and her team are reshaping the norms of the livestock sector and facilitating the exchange of over $834 million worth of livestock annually. Passionate about reshaping the livestock sector with technology and changed behaviours, Anna believes that with the right people, trust and a little magic anything is possible.
Andrew Stevens, Chairman of Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre
Andrew is the Chair of Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre Ltd, a Director of Stockland Group Limited, MYOB Group Limited, Thorn Group Australia Limited, the Greater Western Sydney GIANTS AFL Club, and CEDA. He is a member of the Advisory Executive of the UNSW School of Business. Andrew is a member the Male Champions of Change, a group of CEOs and Company Directors working to make gender equality a reality. He is also a member of the Chief of the Australian Defence Force’s Gender Equality Advisory Board. Andrew was formerly the Managing Director of IBM Australia and New Zealand.
