Helen Conway has promised a “more ambitious, more active and more inclusive” vision for Chief Executive Women after being appointed president of the women in leadership body today.
Conway is the former CEO of the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), a corporate leader with experience across legal practice, boardroom roles and gender equality advocacy. She is also a former political candidate, running as an independent in the last NSW state election.
Conway will take over from Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz, noting that she’ll build on her predecessor’s legacy and commended the growth in CEW’s membership base in recent years, “enabling us to advocate for gender equality with increased influence.”
“Under my presidency, CEW will be more ambitious, more active, and more inclusive. We will champion women from all backgrounds and ensure no woman is left behind.
“We will make a concerted effort to champion First Nations and culturally diverse leaders, not-for-profit leaders, regional leaders and others who we believe are not being included at the level they should be.
“Over the past three years, the organisation has successfully advocated for key reforms, including improvements to paid parental leave and measures making childcare more affordable and accessible.
“These reforms have made a real difference in the lives of women and have significantly advanced gender equality in Australia: our recent climb in global gender equality rankings is proof.
“But progress is fragile, and we’re seeing concerning attempts to reverse it. We will leverage our position to push back against these attempts.
Conway noted that the second term of the Albanese Government is focused on boosting national productivity, with CEW’s policy agenda offering a framework for achieving that goal.
“Women’s workforce participation is key to boosting our national productivity, and CEW has a practical and actionable set of policy priorities that can help lift women’s workforce participation rates.
“If implemented, our policy agenda can unlock over one million additional full-time skilled workers and significantly boost our national economy.
“We see an important role for the organisation in setting positive examples for young women and pushing back against attempts to dissuade them from pursuing professional careers.
“I’m ready to work with government, business, and community leaders to ensure we capitalise on our recent progress and deliver the policies that will secure true gender equality for all Australian women and boost our nation’s economic productivity,” Conway said.
CEO of Chief Executive Women, Lisa Annese, said Conway’s leadership comes at a pivotal moment for Australia, building on recent progress on gender equality.
“Helen and CEW are perfectly positioned to help shape this agenda with a bold, inclusive approach that leaves no woman behind,” she said.