The Police, Defence
and Emergency
Services Women's Leadership Summit
Interactive Online Event
This event has ended
Summit Overview
The Women’s Leadership Summit is a significant annual event for women personnel at all levels of the Police, Defence and Emergency Services sector. The event offers a unique opportunity for women across a wide range of organisations to connect, share their experiences and develop their leadership capacity. Created by Australia’s leading authority on women’s leadership, Women & Leadership Australia, the Summit is supported by a wide range of stakeholders throughout the sector.
Featuring international keynote presentations
Due to the continuing uncertainty around COVID-19, and with the intention of safeguarding the health and wellbeing of Australia’s emergency response professionals, the 2023 Summit will once again be delivered as a fully interactive online event. The format of this year’s event has enabled a select number of inspirational international speakers and presenters to be included in the agenda. It is also hoped that the online format will assist participating organisations to include a wider range of personnel, especially those based in regional and remote locations.
Past attendees said
84% of attendees strongly agree summit presenters are highly stimulating and engaging
85% of attendees strongly agree summit content is useful in their everyday role
84% of attendees strongly agree summit content was appropriate for their leadership level
My Leadership Journey
During the Summit, participants will hear from a number of inspirational speakers about their leadership/career journeys and the key elements that have contributed to their success. Armed with this valuable insight, participants will identify their own unique gifts and talents and begin to create their personal brand and message.
Leadership and the Imposter Syndrome
For many, feeling like an outsider isn’t an illusion — it’s actually the result of systemic bias and exclusion. The impact of systemic racism, ableism, classism, homophobia, xenophobia, and other biases were absent when the concept of Imposter Syndrome was developed, and our understandings about it are now more sophisticated. Our expert panel will discuss the strategies and mindsets that have supported their understanding of their own Imposter Syndrome, in addition to supporting their teams to recognise their own Imposter Syndrome and its impacts.
Taming the Imposter Voice
Did you know that most attendees of our summits and programs report that they sometimes hear an 'inner imposter voice'? Learning how to manage that voice is a mindset choice. With practice we can learn to recognise it and choose a more effective response. In the Development Session, we will learn how to interrupt that voice when it arrives and replace it with a more helpful one.
Event Themes
Event Facilitators
Dr Janet Smith
Director of Programs, Women & Leadership Australia
Dr Janet Smith is the Program Director for the Australian School of Applied Management (ASAM), Women & Leadership Australia (WLA) and the National Excellence in School Leadership Institute (NESLI). Her role involves workshop facilitation, leading national and international leadership summits, teaching face-to-face and online leadership courses, course design and executive coaching. Janet has previously worked extensively as an Associate Professor in Higher Education, focusing on educational leadership, gender, coaching, mentoring, emotional intelligence, communication, reflective practice and well-being. See complete bio.
Janet Horton
Senior Facilitator and Executive Coach, Women & Leadership Australia
Janet is passionate about growing organisations and the people who work in them. After successfully navigating her way through careers in Finance and IT, Janet became fascinated with how individuals and organisations change. Consequently, she obtained her Masters in Organisational Coaching and ran an organisational change consultancy for 5 years. Janet has come to believe that through skilled leadership, it is possible to change our work environments so that they increase both employee well-being and business performance. See complete bio.
Supporting Leadership Equity and Excellence
This significant annual event represents a key platform for women in Police, Defence and Emergency Services organisations to enhance their leadership knowledge and capacity. The purpose of the Summit is to contribute to the development of resolute and effective women leaders through skills development, role -modeling, expert advice and strategic sector-based networking.
2023 Event Speakers Include
Hannah
Graf
Retired Captain of the British Army; LGBTQ, Diversity and Equality Advocate; Patron of Mermaids Charity
Alex
Blackwell
World Cup & Ashes winning cricket Captain; Genetic Counsellor; Patron @prideinsport
Kate
Munari
Leadership and Resilience Speaker; Helicopter Pilot; Veteran
Air Vice-Marshall Catherine Roberts AM CSC
Commander, Deep Space Command
Lieutenant Colonel
Eileen Hall
Cultural Advisor, Regional Force Surveillance Group (RFSG), Australian Army; One of the highest-ranking Indigenous Soldiers in Australia
Colonel Timothy
Rutherford
Commanding Officer of the 51st Battalion, The Far North Queensland Regiment, Australian Army; Commander of the Defence’s NT COVID-19 response
Inspector Gai
Bolderrow
Inspector, Forensic Services Command, Queensland Police; QPS Representative, Queensland Government LGBTI Roundtable and the Pride in Diversity Executive Ally Network
Barbara
Olah
National Manager, Women's Development, Fire and Emergency New Zealand
Shamsa
Lea
Director, Deloitte; Co-Founder #PropelHerAUS; Veteran
Elizabeth
Murphy APM
Chief Operations Officer, Ambulance Victoria
The Hon. Clare
O’Neil MP
Minister for Home Affairs; Minister for Cyber Security; Federal Member for Hotham
Lauren
Callaway
Assistant Commissioner, Family Violence Command, Victoria Police
“I thought all [summit presenters] were great, and I don’t think they will realise the positive effect they have had on all of us here today! I am so glad I came, it was motivating in every way.”
KATIE CAMP - AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE
“[The summit] has given me some useful tools to take back and help other women in my organisation become the best they can be in their own professional capacity.”
LEAH MONCRIEFF - NSW RURAL FIRE SERVICE
“I gained a stronger understanding of the gap between men and women in the workplace. I learnt tips and strategies on how to improve myself as a leader and how to help other women to progress.”
SAMANTHA CARMICHAEL - ACT AMBULANCE SERVICE
