Join us for an inspiring session as part of WiBF’s Distinguished Leader Series where Stephanie Girard, CEO of WiBF, sits down with Simon Ling, Chief Executive Officer of Queensland Treasury Corporation. This engaging conversation will explore Simon’s’ remarkable career journey, the pivotal experiences that shaped his leadership, and the challenges he has overcome along the way.

Simon will share insights from his career and offer practical advice for those aspiring to follow a similar path. Whether you’re an emerging leader or an established professional, this session promises valuable takeaways to empower and guide your career development.

Don’t miss this opportunity to celebrate leadership, resilience, and achievement as we honour WiBF’s legacy of 25 years of impact and inspiration.

Back by popular demand! A Productivity Ninja™ is calm and prepared, skilled and ruthless in tackling the enemies of productivity and wellbeing.

Join Therese for a fast-paced, practical, and engaging session packed with tips and hacks to help you beat overwhelm, stop procrastinating, and get things done. You’ll discover the key characteristics of a Productivity Ninja™ and learn how to apply them in your day-to-day work to stay focused, efficient, and in control.

In this session, you will:

1. Identify practical changes to boost your personal productivity and wellbeing
2. Learn how to improve focus and combat stress using Productivity Ninja™ strategies
3. Reflect, reset, and feel inspired to take action immediately
4. Leave with actionable tools and techniques you can implement right away

Ownership is a word we hear often in the workplace. But its use doesn’t always lead to thriving environments or meaningful impact. Sometimes, it becomes a subtle way we blame or criticise, whether that’s directed at others or ourselves. This session invites you to explore how shifting your mindset around ownership can help you move beyond judgment and frustration, and instead foster environments where people feel empowered and engaged.

You’ll be introduced to a practical and immediately applicable tool that supports emotional intelligence, drives action, and helps you to become known as someone who delivers results. Whether you’re working with a team or reflecting on your own approach, this session offers a fresh perspective on how ownership can be a catalyst for growth, connection, and real impact.

Elevate your executive presence and communication impact in the competitive world of banking and finance. This exclusive webinar is designed to empower women professionals to command attention, project confidence, and communicate with clarity and precision in every professional setting.

Gain practical strategies to navigate complex boardroom dynamics, enhance your communication finesse, and strengthen your personal brand so that your expertise and influence are both seen and heard.

By attending, you’ll leave with increased confidence, a refined presentation toolkit, and the skills to captivate any audience — from client meetings to senior leadership forums.

In this interactive session, you will learn how to:

1. Articulate your ideas with confidence, ensuring your voice is heard and respected in high-stakes discussions
2. Navigate the nuances of the financial sector, leveraging your strengths and value as a leader
3. Cultivate a magnetic personal brand that opens doors and establishes you as a respected voice in the industry

Did you know employees perform 3.6x more effectively with regular feedback (vs annual performance reviews alone?)

Set your team and colleagues up for success with a pro-active, affirmative feedback culture. Learn how to give timely feedback that honours the individual while linking to business outcomes.

You’ll leave with a framework for giving feedback, an understanding of how to anticipate defensiveness, and a plan to be authentic in your next feedback conversation.

The Session will cover:

• An in-depth exploration of the gender pay gap — what it is, how it has developed, and the factors that sustain it.
• Insight into potential solutions: what actions can be taken now, and what changes may (or may not) emerge in the future.
• Examine findings from key research, including the WGEA Employer of Choice study, studies on childhood stereotypes, the application of the Wicked Problems framework to interventions, and the latest data and statistics on gender inequality.
• The presentation will empower people with practical takeaways on what works well in best practice and what they can do to help contribute to a better and more equitable future for everyone

This session will have something for everyone, including:

• All genders
• HR professionals
• Executive leadership, board members and organisational decision makers
• Employees at all stages of the employee cycle
• Parents and carers, or those with younger members in their family

In celebration of International Day of Rural Women on 15 October, this webinar recognises and honours the resilience, strength, and vital contributions of women in remote and rural communities.

This important day is not only a celebration of achievement—highlighting the crucial roles rural women play in community leadership, regional development, and our own banking and finance sector, where they are driving change, improving financial access, and supporting economic resilience in their communities—but also a call to action. It reminds us of the unique challenges many women still face in isolated areas, from lack of access to basic services to deep-rooted gender stereotypes that can limit opportunity.

In this session, we’ll explore how rural organisations are leveraging technology and AI to boost connection, productivity, and opportunity. We’ll highlight innovative tools enabling women to thrive, share insights into the evolving rural landscape, and spotlight small but impactful actions corporations and individuals can take to offer meaningful support.

Join us as we shine a light on rural women’s stories and discuss how we can collectively foster inclusive growth and opportunity for all—no matter their postcode.

Panelists
Olivia McFarlane:

Olivia McFarlane is the Head of Customer Delivery for Bendigo Bank Agribusiness. With over 25 years of experience in the finance industry, her career highlights include roles across Agribusiness, Corporate and Business banking. She is also involved in capability coaching and development. Olivia’s strengths lie in operational efficiency, developing people and building culture, and effective communication. Olivia was also a finalist in the Women in Banking and Finance Awards (Technology or Customer Support category) in 2022. Outside of work, Olivia is involved in her local Albury Wodonga Community, through board memberships and sporting groups, as she is passionate about seeing regional communities and the people in them thrive.

Ella Kearsley:

Ella Kearsley, (BComm- International Trade) is a passionate young professional working as an Agribusiness Relationship Manager in ANZ’s Specialised Agribusiness division. Raised on a broadacre cereal farm on South Australia’s Lower Eyre Peninsula, Ella brings firsthand insight into the challenges and opportunities facing rural communities. She is committed to advancing gender equity and economic resilience in agriculture, with a particular interest in environmental sustainability and financial literacy. As a panellist, she brings a fresh perspective on youth engagement and pathways into agriculture, digital inclusion, and sustainable rural communities.

Megan Papadopoulos – (WiBF Director) MODERATOR:

Megan Papadopoulos is the General Manager Customer Contact at Bendigo and Adelaide Bank. Her financial services career has seen her work across all spectrums of the customer journey from strategy, product development, distribution, loan processing, arrears management, and complaints management, although most people will know Megan as a Contact Centre evangelist. Megan is a believer in the power of organisations to be for profit and to deliver social good concurrently, making Women in Banking and Finance and Bendigo Bank great fits for her values. Megan currently manages Bendigo Bank’s Contact Centre and Customer Resolution teams with a focus on customers and customer experience, people, productivity, and risk uplift.