Women in Leadership Dinner 2025

location_on National Gallery of Victoria

calendar_month Wednesday, 08 October 2025

access_time 6.30 PM - 10.30 PM

attach_money Sold Out

sell

Alumni

Melbourne Business School proudly announces the 30th Women in Leadership Dinner

The 30th Women in Leadership Dinner is now SOLD OUT.

This year marks an extraordinary milestone with the theme: “The Power Shift: Women Redefining Leadership.”

Together, we’ll reflect on three decades of progress and explore how women continue to transform leadership across industries and generations.

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Overview
Speakers
Sponsorship
Contact
Venue
Past Events

Melbourne Business School proudly marks 30 years of the Women in Leadership Dinner

Starting in 1983 with a gathering organised by the late Jocelynne Howlett (MBA Class of 1969) to connect women graduates, the event grew into a beloved tradition championed by leaders like Catherine Walter AM, Diane Ellis, and Professor Amanda Sinclair.

This year’s theme, “30 Years: The Power Shift – Women Redefining Leadership”, highlights the journey and ongoing effort to transform leadership for the better.

Over three decades, speakers have included pioneers such as Victoria’s first female Supreme Court judge Rosemary Balmford AM, top business leader Margaret Jackson AC, and former CEOs Gail Kelly and Catherine Livingstone AO.

We honour the past, celebrate the present, and inspire the future of women in leadership.

Announcing an Impressive Line-up of Speakers For Our 30th Year

Deshani Ganegoda
Associate Professor, Faculty, MBS
TED talk style - The traditional models of leadership have seen a significant shift in the last few decades—and empathy is a core strength, rather than a soft skill in today’s leadership. Drawing on cutting-edge research, including the speaker’s own studies, the speaker will illuminate how empathetic leadership drives stronger collaboration, innovation, and learning in organisations. Attendees will learn why empathy isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a strategic imperative for modern leaders navigating diverse teams, global crises, and social change.

Amanda Sinclair
Amanda Sinclair is an author, researcher and teacher in leadership, change, gender and diversity. Currently a Professorial Fellow, Amanda held the Foundation Chair of Management (Diversity and Change) at Melbourne Business School, 1995 - 2012. Amanda has been a leading global scholar and advocate for gender, diversity and women in leadership for over 3 decades. Her books include Doing Leadership Differently: Gender, power and sexuality in a changing business culture (1998); New Faces of Leadership (2002) with Valerie Wilson; Leadership for the Disillusioned (2007); Leading Mindfully (2016) and, with Christine Nixon, Women Leading (2017). With extensive experience designing and running leadership programs, Amanda is known for her innovative teaching methodologies and capacity to create transformative learning environments. She is also a yoga and meditation teacher and in her teaching and coaching introduces insights and practices from mindfulness and neuroscience to help people find new, sustainable ways of being in leadership.

Margaret Jackson
Company Director and Former Chairman of Qantas Airways
Margaret Jackson is one of Australia’s most respected business leaders and a long-standing advocate for women in leadership. She broke new ground as the first female partner at KPMG Australia and went on to become the first woman to chair a top 50 company, serving as Chairman of Qantas Airways.

In the early 1990s, Margaret played a key role in organising the first gathering of women MBA graduates from Melbourne Business School — a small but significant event that laid the foundation for the Women in Leadership Dinner. Thanks to her vision and commitment, what began as a meeting of fewer than 20 women has grown into a major annual event that, for 30 years, has championed the advancement of women in business and leadership.

Belinda Lyone
Co-CEO, COS
Belinda Lyone is the Co-CEO of COS, one of Australia's leading providers of workplace supplies. As a second-generation leader in the family-owned business, she has played a key role in modernising and expanding COS, driving innovation, sustainability, and a strong customer focus. Belinda is also a passionate advocate for gender equity and diversity in leadership, and actively supports philanthropic initiatives through the Lyone Foundation. Under her co-leadership, COS continues to grow as a purpose-led Australian business.

Tal Karp
Olympian, former CEO, lawyer and non-executive director
Tal was most recently the National and Group CEO of Y Australia (formerly YMCA) and is now Principal and co-founder of Sixfold Consulting Group, currently partnering with the Australian Sports Commission and completing a Churchill Fellowship focused on enhancing the retention of CEOs in sport, with particular focus on women.
Tal serves on the Board of Victoria Legal Aid (Chair, Data and Digital Committee) and has held board roles with the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, Y Australia, Y Careers, and Football Victoria.
A former Matildas player and Melbourne Victory Women’s captain, Tal balanced elite sport with a legal career, including as Associate to Justice Hayne of the High Court. She holds a BA/LLB (Hons, Blackburn Medal) from ANU and is undertaking her Senior Executive MBA at Melbourne Business School.

With thanks to our supporters

Women in Leadership Dinner Sponsors | Melbourne Business School

When and Where

National Gallery of Victoria<br><br>Wednesday, 8 October 2025<br>6.30pm – 10.30pm

National Gallery of Victoria

Wednesday, 8 October 2025
6.30pm – 10.30pm

180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne VIC 3006

Nestled on the edge of Melbourne's vibrant Arts Precinct, the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) is a cultural landmark renowned for its stunning architecture and world-class art collections.

With its iconic facade and beautifully curated spaces, the NGV offers an inspiring backdrop overlooking the lush gardens of Federation Square and the Yarra River beyond.

Click here to view map, parking and transportation information.

Past Events

The Women in Leadership Dinner will celebrate its 30th year on Wednesday, 8 October 2025.

The Women in Leadership Dinner hosted in 2024 had the theme Learning through Adversity. To learn more about our most recent event, visit the 2024 event page here.