Leading Women

Join host Shivani Gopal, CEO and Founder of Elladex, for Season 4 of Leading Women where we share and celebrate the real and relatable stories of women in leadership. Don’t miss an episode - learn practical tips and actionable frameworks and hear stories of strategies, superpowers and smart risk-taking to activate your leadership.

This episode celebrates Indigenous women in business with host Liandra Gaykamangu, proud Yolngu woman and founder and creative director of Liandra Swim and guest Amanda Healy, CEO and Founder of Kirrikin. Amanda talks about leveraging entrepreneurship to connect and support Indigenous artists and communities by drawing deep connections to country through fashion, leading by example, and encouraging us all to be fierce.   Key Insights (02:39) How did Amanda start her leadership journey? Amanda started her career in the mining industry. In the late 80s, during her time at BHP, she secured her first leadership role. She ended her time at BHP working in Canada in the remote Northwest Territories as the manager of HR and Community. From there she worked at Argyle Diamonds for a few years, but found it hard to manage as a single mum, so she decided to start her own business, Max Engineering. (10:55) How does Amanda invest in others and communities through her businesses? Kirrin and Warrikal support the community in different ways. Kirrikin began as a way to fill a hole in the market, but soon became a way to support community members by engaging Indigenous artists to create designs. Kirrikin also provides artists with structure on their arrangements. Warrikal funds scholarships for kids to schools with boarding capabilities. (27:14) What tool can Amanda share to the audience to add to their Leadership Toolbox? Amanda shares the importance of leading by example. She would never ask someone to do something that she can’t or wouldn’t do. Amanda also advises, just do your best. Be you. Do the best that you can do and show others that it’s possible.   Important Resources and Links If you’d like to learn more about how CommBank is supporting the growth of women in business visit https://www.commbank.com.au/women-in-focus.html   Host of this special episode of Leading Women podcast, Liandra Gaykamangu, is the Creative Director and Founder of Liandra Swim. She fuses her Aboriginal culture with her work, which allows people, from all walks of life, to authentically engage, celebrate and connect with Australian Indigenous culture through fashion. If you’re interested in learning more about Liandra, visit her profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liandra-gaykamangu The Leading Women podcast is proudly brought to you by Commonwealth Bank.  The series is produced by Nicole Hatherly, recorded at RadioHub Studios with post production by Cooper Silk and Iain Wilson.   Things you should know: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners are advised this podcast may contain conversations about deceased persons. Discretion is advised. Guests featured in the podcast are speaking from their personal experiences only. As this podcast has been prepared without considering your objectives, financial situation or needs, you should, before acting on the content consider its appropriateness to your circumstances. CommBank does not necessarily endorse the views of a particular individual or guarantee the accuracy of the information provided.

Shivani Gopal, CEO and Founder of The Remarkable Woman, on how women bursting with ambition and ability must be the rose and the gardener of their career, continuously standing out while nurturing their growth.   Key Insights (01:59) How did Shivani start her leadership journey? Shivani believes that we all have an opportunity in our lifetimes to step up and to lead and that that moment can come at any point in time. For Shivani, it came very early on in life when she was about five years old, with her family saying to her, as a girl in order to survive, there are a lot of things that she can and can’t do. She challenged this and unknowingly at that point, became a crusader for the rights of women and girls. (17:09) What’s next for Shivani and The Remarkable Woman? When Shivani looks at the marketplace that’s there for women, she sees so many talented women who are bursting with not just ambition but also capability and capacity, but the kind that is untapped and unnoticed. She thinks the next thing for her is to make sure that she can help foster a world where women can better match with the kind of role that they are made for. Additionally, Shivani would love to make a dent in using technology to get more women into more diverse, technological and leadership roles. (21:21) What tool can Shivani share to the audience to add to their Leadership Toolbox? Shivani wants to leave listeners with a way in which they can craft their own purpose statement. She recommends to follow a process that she teaches at The Remarkable Woman, which starts by thinking about your early life, the beautiful moments that stuck with you, and how those moments made you feel and why they were so important. Then consider any hard or tough experiences in your life that have really shaped you. Trace those two things together, and then pair it with your passion for the future, and ask yourself what it is that you want and what emotions are going to drive you there? Those three things fused together create your purpose statement.   Important Resources and Links If you’d like to learn more about how CommBank is supporting the growth of women in business visit https://www.commbank.com.au/women-in-focus.html   Host of the Leading Women podcast, Shivani Gopal is a serial entrepreneur, speaker and advocate on a mission to create a more equal world. She’s recognised as a leading business thought leader helping professional women navigate their careers, businesses and financial success. As the Founder and CEO of The Remarkable Woman and Co-Founder of Upstreet, Shivani was recently awarded the 2022 NSW Excellence in Women's Leadership Award and the Top 50 Small Business Leaders award, As a dedicated advocate for gender equality and for closing the wealth gap for everyday Australians, Shivani launched “Equality 2050”; a campaign to achieve gender equality within our lifetimes. If you’re interested in learning more about Shivani visit her website: https://www.theremarkablewoman.com.au/ The Leading Women podcast is proudly brought to you by Commonwealth Bank.  The series is produced by Nicole Hatherly, recorded at RadioHub Studios with post production by Cooper Silk and Iain Wilson. Things you should know: Guests featured in the podcast are speaking from their personal experiences only. As this podcast has been prepared without considering your objectives, financial situation or needs, you should, before acting on the content consider its appropriateness to your circumstances. CommBank does not necessarily endorse the views of a particular individual or guarantee the accuracy of the information provided.

Josephine Sukkar AM, Principal, Buildcorp on staying relevant at the coalface of business while mentoring the next generation of women. Josephine shares an insightful story on service-based leadership and sage advice for women embarking on their own journey.   Key Insights (01:39) How did Josephine start her leadership journey? Josephine’s leadership journey was not linear, she started her professional life training to be a medical research scientist but quickly found herself in construction where she’s stayed for over 35 years. Josephine got to where she is today by accepting of a series of opportunities that were presented to her from directorship roles for not-for-profit organisations to listed companies and government. (13:58) What is Josephine’s advice for women embarking on a director’s journey? Josephine advises to understand what is required to be an effective director on the board. It’s important to remember that most of the time you will be providing counsel, advice and direction to the CEO. Therefore you should have the experience and qualifications to enable you to give effective advice. (24:35) What tool can Josephine share to the audience to add to their Leadership Toolbox? Josephine shares the importance of slowing down in order to enjoy the journey. Slowing down (if you can afford to) allows you to develop deep skills by giving yourself time to develop them and is an act of kindness towards yourself.   Important Resources and Links If you’d like to learn more about how CommBank is supporting the growth of women in business visit https://www.commbank.com.au/women-in-focus.html   Host of the Leading Women podcast, Shivani Gopal is a serial entrepreneur, speaker and advocate on a mission to create a more equal world. She’s recognised as a leading business thought leader helping professional women navigate their careers, businesses and financial success. As the Founder and CEO of The Remarkable Woman and Co-Founder of Upstreet, Shivani was recently awarded the 2022 NSW Excellence in Women's Leadership Award and the Top 50 Small Business Leaders award, As a dedicated advocate for gender equality and for closing the wealth gap for everyday Australians, Shivani launched “Equality 2050”; a campaign to achieve gender equality within our lifetimes. If you’re interested in learning more about Shivani visit her website: https://www.theremarkablewoman.com.au/ The Leading Women podcast is proudly brought to you by Commonwealth Bank.  The series is produced by Nicole Hatherly, recorded at RadioHub Studios with post production by Cooper Silk and Iain Wilson.   Things you should know: Guests featured in the podcast are speaking from their personal experiences only. As this podcast has been prepared without considering your objectives, financial situation or needs, you should, before acting on the content consider its appropriateness to your circumstances. CommBank does not necessarily endorse the views of a particular individual or guarantee the accuracy of the information provided.

Shelley Reys AO, CEO, Arrilla Indigenous Consulting, Partner and Board Member, KPMG Australia on driving change and leaving a legacy driven by her vision to create a culturally inclusive Australia, one workplace at a time. Shelley insists that diversity is not simply challenging the status quo, it is about having more informed discussions leading to making more informed decisions.   Key Insights (02:29) How did Shelley start her leadership journey? Shelley’s family ignited her leadership journey. Shelley’s father was known for being kind and inclusive while being softly spoken. Shelley also learnt from her mother and then her cousin, Darren later in life. It was Darren who helped spark her interest in working in the First Nations space. (18:50) What are Shelley’s insights of the 2032 Olympic Games and how she feels that it might be a catalyst for diversity in the future? Shelley believes the appointment of First Nations people to the Olympic Board for 2032 is a ten year opportunity implement nation building styled work. By doing so Shelley aims to help Australia and Brisbane celebrate all aspects of being Australian including our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander brothers and sisters. It is a moment of celebration and real pride and there is nothing like sport to bring people together. (22:20) What tool can Shelley share to the audience to add to their Leadership Toolbox? Shelley urges us to stop stepping on eggshells and to educate ourselves on First Nations people, culture, shared history. By doing so you will be able to understand the importance of your involvement and the business case behind it. Finally, don’t limit the education to yourself, share it with other people and think about how we can educate our teams and the people around us to they too can be playing their part and be confident.   Important Resources and Links If you’d like to learn more about how CommBank is supporting the growth of women in business visit https://www.commbank.com.au/women-in-focus.html   Host of the Leading Women podcast, Shivani Gopal is a serial entrepreneur, speaker and advocate on a mission to create a more equal world. She’s recognised as a leading business thought leader helping professional women navigate their careers, businesses and financial success. As the Founder and CEO of The Remarkable Woman and Co-Founder of Upstreet, Shivani was recently awarded the 2022 NSW Excellence in Women's Leadership Award and the Top 50 Small Business Leaders award, As a dedicated advocate for gender equality and for closing the wealth gap for everyday Australians, Shivani launched “Equality 2050”; a campaign to achieve gender equality within our lifetimes. If you’re interested in learning more about Shivani visit her website: https://www.theremarkablewoman.com.au/ The Leading Women podcast is proudly brought to you by Commonwealth Bank.  The series is produced by Nicole Hatherly, recorded at RadioHub Studios with post production by Cooper Silk and Iain Wilson.   Discretion advised: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander attendees are advised that the following presentations may contain images, voices, names and conversations of people who have died. Things you should know: Guests featured in the podcast are speaking from their personal experiences only. As this podcast has been prepared without considering your objectives, financial situation or needs, you should, before acting on the content consider its appropriateness to your circumstances. CommBank does not necessarily endorse the views of a particular individual or guarantee the accuracy of the information provided.

Sallie Jones, Co-Founder and Director, Gippsland Jersey on promoting a fair go for farmers, driving social change in rural mental health and encouraging a culture of kindness. Hear how Sally forges her leadership by finding comfort in the uncomfortable and having courageous conversations.   Key Insights (02:08) How did Sallie start her leadership journey? Sallie was born on a dairy farm. She didn’t attend school until Grade 6 but saw her ability to make things happen when she became school captain in Year 12. Sallie’s most recent leadership journey involved created a milk brand centering on three pillars of: farmers being paid a fair price, raising awareness of mental health in regional communities and kindness. (16:05) How does Sallie make the most out of drastic situations? Sallie believes that diamonds are made under pressure and there’s always opportunity in adversity and in order for us to create the opportunity, we have to go through the ‘hard stuff’. It’s also important to have people you trust. Sallie has a phone full of contacts she can call at any time and urges ‘Don’t do it alone.’ (23:38) What tool can Sallie share to the audience to add to their Leadership Toolbox? Sallie advises to find the comfortable in the uncomfortable. One way Sallie does this is by having cold showers guided by an app called Wim Hof. Sallie believes it a great tool for mental health, regulating your breathing and something we can all do. Important Resources and Links This podcast contains content about mental health and suicide, which some people may find confronting. If you or someone you know needs support, visit beyondblue.org.au or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. If you’d like to learn more about how CommBank is supporting the growth of women in business visit https://www.commbank.com.au/women-in-focus.html   Host of the Leading Women podcast, Shivani Gopal is a serial entrepreneur, speaker and advocate on a mission to create a more equal world. She’s recognised as a leading business thought leader helping professional women navigate their careers, businesses and financial success. As the Founder and CEO of The Remarkable Woman and Co-Founder of Upstreet, Shivani was recently awarded the 2022 NSW Excellence in Women's Leadership Award and the Top 50 Small Business Leaders award, As a dedicated advocate for gender equality and for closing the wealth gap for everyday Australians, Shivani launched “Equality 2050”; a campaign to achieve gender equality within our lifetimes. If you’re interested in learning more about Shivani visit her website: https://www.theremarkablewoman.com.au/ The Leading Women podcast is proudly brought to you by Commonwealth Bank.  The series is produced by Nicole Hatherly, recorded at RadioHub Studios with post production by Cooper Silk and Iain Wilson. Things you should know: Guests featured in the podcast are speaking from their personal experiences only. As this podcast has been prepared without considering your objectives, financial situation or needs, you should, before acting on the content consider its appropriateness to your circumstances. CommBank does not necessarily endorse the views of a particular individual or guarantee the accuracy of the information provided.  

Jane Adams, Executive General Manager, Human Resources for Technology Operations, CommBank on the impact of working at two speeds, how ambition drives growth and the importance of giving girls in STEM relatable experiences. Jane also talks about focusing on the compass, not just the clock, the value of career sponsorship and how your skills sit in a box called your mindset.   Key Insights (01:46) How did Jane start her leadership journey? Jane started as a consultant, so she was well into her career before she started her leadership journey. In the early days, most of her leadership experience came from leading projects, leading outcomes for work and stakeholder management. (18:14) Why is it so important for girls and women to talk about ambition more often? Jane says that the framing of your ambition is important and isn’t selfish. Ambition is about growth and finding where you can have an impact in your business and in growing yourself. It is about collectively doing good for the organisation, the community and the company. (24:27) What tool can Jane share to the audience to add to their Leadership Toolbox? For Jane, it’s mindset. She recalls a quote she’s carried with her for years – your skills sit in a box called your mindset and if you do not open your mindset, you’ll never be able apply your skills.   Important Resources and Links If you’d like to learn more about how CommBank is supporting the growth of women in business visit https://www.commbank.com.au/women-in-focus.html   Host of the Leading Women podcast, Shivani Gopal is a serial entrepreneur, speaker and advocate on a mission to create a more equal world. She’s recognised as a leading business thought leader helping professional women navigate their careers, businesses and financial success. As the Founder and CEO of The Remarkable Woman and Co-Founder of Upstreet, Shivani was recently awarded the 2022 NSW Excellence in Women's Leadership Award and the Top 50 Small Business Leaders award, As a dedicated advocate for gender equality and for closing the wealth gap for everyday Australians, Shivani launched “Equality 2050”; a campaign to achieve gender equality within our lifetimes. If you’re interested in learning more about Shivani visit her website: https://www.theremarkablewoman.com.au/ The Leading Women podcast is proudly brought to you by Commonwealth Bank.  The series is produced by Nicole Hatherly, recorded at RadioHub Studios with post production by Cooper Silk and Iain Wilson. Things you should know: Guests featured in the podcast are speaking from their personal experiences only. As this podcast has been prepared without considering your objectives, financial situation or needs, you should, before acting on the content consider its appropriateness to your circumstances. CommBank does not necessarily endorse the views of a particular individual or guarantee the accuracy of the information provided.  

Sally-Ann Williams, CEO, Cicada Innovations shares how she seeks out the murky ambiguity in her roles and champions lifelong learnings to effect change for people, planet and prosperity. Sally-Ann also talks about her passion for changing Australia’s economic base and blending her purpose-based leadership style and self-awareness to step up and say yes when others believe in her. Key Insights (01:26) How did Sally-Ann start her leadership journey? Sally-Ann’s leadership journey started in humble beginnings growing up in a small regional area of Australia. She was the first in the family to finish high school and university. Sally-Ann felt that leadership for her was almost accidental and circumstantial. She also said it came from others recognising skills in her and inviting her to be on boards for youth organisations, speak at events or participate in leadership roles. She attributes it partly to her naivety and saying ‘yes’ without understanding what she was signing up for, but wanting to serve. (14:11) How does Sally-Ann learn and thrive in the murkiness of ambiguity? Sally-Ann works on a problem by looking at it from every angle, rehashing it, pulling it apart and putting it back together again. She also says you need to be humble in your approach because no one has all the answers and no one can know every single piece of the puzzle. (28:54) What tool can Sally-Ann share to the audience to add to their Leadership Toolbox? Sally-Ann shares that you've got to know yourself. When you know what your strengths and weaknesses are, knowledge is power. Sally-Ann says to surround yourself with opportunities to play to your strengths and surround yourself with people who can uplift your weaknesses and become stronger together.   Important Resources and Links If you’d like to learn more about how CommBank is supporting the growth of women in business visit https://www.commbank.com.au/women-in-focus.html   Host of the Leading Women podcast, Shivani Gopal is a serial entrepreneur, speaker and advocate on a mission to create a more equal world. She’s recognised as a leading business thought leader helping professional women navigate their careers, businesses and financial success. As the Founder and CEO of The Remarkable Woman and Co-Founder of Upstreet, Shivani was recently awarded the 2022 NSW Excellence in Women's Leadership Award and the Top 50 Small Business Leaders award, As a dedicated advocate for gender equality and for closing the wealth gap for everyday Australians, Shivani launched “Equality 2050”; a campaign to achieve gender equality within our lifetimes. If you’re interested in learning more about Shivani visit her website: https://www.theremarkablewoman.com.au/ The Leading Women podcast is proudly brought to you by Commonwealth Bank.  The series is produced by Nicole Hatherly, recorded at RadioHub Studios with post production by Cooper Silk and Iain Wilson. Things you should know: Guests featured in the podcast are speaking from their personal experiences only. As this podcast has been prepared without considering your objectives, financial situation or needs, you should, before acting on the content consider its appropriateness to your circumstances. CommBank does not necessarily endorse the views of a particular individual or guarantee the accuracy of the information provided.  

Lucy Foster and Catherine van der Veen, General Manager Strategy and Growth, Challenger Limited on combining their formidable yet distinctive leadership styles to redefine the narrative of leadership and designing their roles to suit them.   Key Insights (01:41) How did they start their leadership journey? Lucy and Catherine have been in partnership for six years but before that have had long individual journeys for 16 years. Lucy studied medical science then entered financial services and wealth management. Catherine took her cues from her leaders when she was still a young emerging leader. They say that people often forget that before they were partners, they were individuals, who brought their individual experiences into the partnership, giving them their complementary style. They have learned from each other’s journeys. (26:27) What tool can Catherine share to the audience to add to their Leadership Toolbox? Catherine calls it the whisk for making the omelets. The gist is, you draw a wheel on a piece of paper and have a dozen eggs beside the wheel and if you divide that wheel up into hours the day, each egg represents 2 hours of your day and you allocate those eggs to where you want to spend your time and energy on. (28:14) What tool can Lucy share to the audience to add to their Leadership Toolbox? Lucy shares that your have to be ruthless with your time. Look at your diary every single week and if you’re not taking out at least three or four meetings, you’re not being ruthless enough. Throw things off the bus. We have a tendency to be busy for the sake of being busy but Lucy is quite happy to turn up to a meeting and within 2 minutes leave, if she doesn’t think she needs to be there.   Important Resources and Links If you’d like to learn more about how CommBank is supporting the growth of women in business visit https://www.commbank.com.au/women-in-focus.html   Host of the Leading Women podcast, Shivani Gopal is a serial entrepreneur, speaker and advocate on a mission to create a more equal world. She’s recognised as a leading business thought leader helping professional women navigate their careers, businesses and financial success. As the Founder and CEO of The Remarkable Woman and Co-Founder of Upstreet, Shivani was recently awarded the 2022 NSW Excellence in Women's Leadership Award and the Top 50 Small Business Leaders award, As a dedicated advocate for gender equality and for closing the wealth gap for everyday Australians, Shivani launched “Equality 2050”; a campaign to achieve gender equality within our lifetimes. If you’re interested in learning more about Shivani visit her website: https://www.theremarkablewoman.com.au/ The Leading Women podcast is proudly brought to you by Commonwealth Bank.  The series is produced by Nicole Hatherly, recorded at RadioHub Studios with post production by Cooper Silk and Iain Wilson.   Things you should know: Guests featured in the podcast are speaking from their personal experiences only. As this podcast has been prepared without considering your objectives, financial situation or needs, you should, before acting on the content consider its appropriateness to your circumstances. CommBank does not necessarily endorse the views of a particular individual or guarantee the accuracy of the information provided.

Di Mantell, CEO of Celsus, the Royal Adelaide Hospital on blazing the trails from leadership to building sustainable social infrastructure and dissolving the hierarchy from the very top. She shares how she champions diversity, challenges the norms of what leadership should look like and celebrates every win of her team along the way. Key Insights (01:29) How did Di start her leadership journey? Di originally trained as a registered nurse, from there her leadership journey began as she pursued leadership roles in nursing. She became a health service manager and eventually took on an executive director nursing role, which provided her an opportunity to understand regional and remote health. Following that she was seconded to represent 22 regional health services and negotiate the nurses’ wage case. She then got the opportunity to build a hospital from scratch in WA for which she got headhunted to go to SA to work on the new hospital for the Royal Adelaide. She is now the CEO of Celsus which is a private partner in the Royal Adelaide. (12:28) Why is it important for women to be visible for their achievements in leadership? Di thinks people need role models to base their leadership on, to see similarities in skills and show examples of overcoming barriers. If somebody can’t ‘see it’ then it’s difficult to ‘become it’. (21:11) What tool can Di share to the audience to add to their Leadership Toolbox? Di shared two things. First, you have to in invest in yourself. Whether it’s studying or playing golf, it’s important to look after yourself so you can give back. Lastly, offer mentoring as a way to give back. Di found through mentoring you learn just as much from the mentees.   Important Resources and Links If you’d like to learn more about how CommBank is supporting the growth of women in business visit https://www.commbank.com.au/women-in-focus.html   Host of the Leading Women podcast, Shivani Gopal is a serial entrepreneur, speaker and advocate on a mission to create a more equal world. She’s recognised as a leading business thought leader helping professional women navigate their careers, businesses and financial success. As the Founder and CEO of The Remarkable Woman and Co-Founder of Upstreet, Shivani was recently awarded the 2022 NSW Excellence in Women's Leadership Award and the Top 50 Small Business Leaders award, As a dedicated advocate for gender equality and for closing the wealth gap for everyday Australians, Shivani launched “Equality 2050”; a campaign to achieve gender equality within our lifetimes. If you’re interested in learning more about Shivani visit her website: https://www.theremarkablewoman.com.au/ The Leading Women podcast is proudly brought to you by Commonwealth Bank.  The series is produced by Nicole Hatherly, recorded at RadioHub Studios with post production by Cooper Silk and Iain Wilson. Things you should know: Guests featured in the podcast are speaking from their personal experiences only. As this podcast has been prepared without considering your objectives, financial situation or needs, you should, before acting on the content consider its appropriateness to your circumstances. CommBank does not necessarily endorse the views of a particular individual or guarantee the accuracy of the information provided.