 Speaker Biography
Christine Holgate, Group Chief Executive Officer, Toll Global Express
Christine is a proven Chief Executive Officer and Board member, having led organisations through
significant change to deliver sustainable growth. Christine has 35 years of diverse international
leadership experience in highly regulated industries, including logistics, retail, healthcare, media,
telecommunications, and finance.
Christine is currently the new Group Chief Executive Officer, Toll Global Express - a $3bn leading
logistics organisation in Australia & New Zealand, acquired by Allegro, an established private equity
group in September 2021. Christine was the Group Chief Executive Officer at Australia Post for 3
years, where she led the business transformation to ecommerce and financial services, securing
important community services and a profitable future. For 9 years prior, she led Blackmores Ltd,
expanding the business through Asia, delivering a ten-fold increase in the market capitalisation.
Christine has more than 25 years of public board experience as either a non-executive director or
CEO and has held senior management positions in Europe, Asia, Middle East, the Americas and
Australia.
Christine is presently the Co-Chair for the (Federal) Ministerial Advisory Council for Trade and is a
Director of the Collingwood Football Club. Christine has supported several advisory boards, including
UNSW Business Advisory Council; Thrive, which is a not-for-profit organisation providing finance to
support refugee business opportunities and the Brand Australia Board.
Until July 2021, Christine was the inaugural Chair of the Board of the Australia-ASEAN Council for 6
years, which supports the development of trade and cultural relations between Australia and the 10
member countries of the ASEAN region. Christine’s other past appointments include being Vice Chair
of Aramex Holdings - an international logistics business headquartered in Dubai; a non-executive
director of Ten Network Holdings Limited and a non-executive director of KeyCorp Holdings.
Christine has received several awards in recognition, including in October 2020 the AFR listing her as
the 7th most powerful business leader and the most powerful woman business leader in Australia; in
September 2019 receiving the Australia Marketing Institute Charles McGrath Award, for Significant
Contribution to Marketing; in 2016 being voted by Boss Magazine, in the Top 10 Leaders of Australia,
for her contribution to growth in trade; in 2015 being awarded both CEO of the Year by the CEO
Magazine and Women in leadership by The Australian Growth Awards; in 2013 receiving a Rotary
Australia Paul Harris honour, for services to the community and in 2011 she was the Chief Executive
Women’s inaugural winner of an international scholarship to Harvard Business School.
Christine holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration and 3 Post Graduate Diploma’s in
Management Studies, Marketing and Purchasing & Supply.
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