Exceptional female leaders in public sector honoured — NSW Top 50 list

article-body

This list of NSW-based female leaders from across local, state and federal governments were honoured for their talent in transforming communities and building high performing teams.

NSW’s Parliament House hosted some of the state’s top public sector talent late last week in an effort to shine a light on role models for women.

New South Wales’s top performers in the state public sector were honoured and recongised for their work as they were named on the inaugural Top 50 Public Sector Women (NSW) List — organised by Davidson in partnership with SEEK.

Elizabeth Koff, Secretary of NSW Health was the lead judge and MC of the event at NSW Parliament House, Sydney. Koff said the initiative was an important step towards encouraging and promoting women to strive for and be successful at senior positions within the public sector.

“Across local, state and federal government as well as statutory authorities, the public sector in NSW has a significant number of exceptional female leaders building high performing teams and transforming their communities,” she said.

“The Top 50 provides an opportunity to acknowledge exceptional female leaders in the public sector within NSW, and shine a light on these leaders as role models for all women in the sector.”

The women who have been named on the list will have the opportunity to win one of six scholarships to Davidson’s Leadership Acceleration Program, will attend exclusive networking events and, critically will be invited to attend Top 50 Alumnae thought leadership events.

The Top 50 initiative was held for the first time last year in Victoria, and introduced in NSW for the first time this year.

Clare McCartin, Group General Manager for Davidson Executive & Boards and founder of the Top 50 initiative, said there had seen significant moves to redress gender imbalance in leadership within the state’s public sector.

“Women make up 64.4 per cent of the NSW Public Sector workforce, and hold only 37.4 per cent of leadership positions, the NSW Public Service Commission Workforce Profile 2017 reveals,” McCartin said. “And within the 128 local councils in NSW, women hold 14 per cent of CEO or General Manager positions; there is clearly scope to increase the number and visibility of female leaders.

“The Top 50 Public Sector Women (NSW) List is a milestone event for NSW. This is the first initiative of its kind that directly targets women in the NSW Public Sector, providing a platform to acknowledge some of the best female leaders.”

The women named on the inaugural Top 50 Public Sector Women (NSW) List were:

• Adjunct Associate Professor Cheryl McCullagh, Director of Clinical Integration at The Sydney Children’s Hospital Network
• Alison Frame, Deputy Secretary, Policy and Communications, Department of Planning and Environment
• Ally Dench, Executive Director Community and Corporate, Wollondilly Shire Council
• Amanda Spalding, General Manager, Hay Shire Council
• Associate Professor Amany Zekry, Medicine Clinical Stream Director, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District
• Angela Tsoukatos, A/General Manager, Customer, Strategy and Regulation, Sydney Water Corporation
• Anne Skewes, Deputy Secretary, NSW Land and Housing Corporation, Department of Family and Community Services
• Anne Campbell, Executive Director, Service Delivery Programs, Department of Family and Community Services
• Becky Wood, Executive Director, Fleet Program Delivery, Transport for NSW
• Bridget Barrett, Executive Director, Department of Finance, Services and Innovation
• Carmen Rechbauer, Executive Director, Clinical Support Services, HealthShare NSW
• Caroline Reed & Gabi Carrigan, Executive Director (job-share), NDIS Reform Group, Department of Premier and Cabinet
• Carolyn McNally, Secretary, Department of Planning and Environment
• Cathy Crowe, General Manager, Mental Health, Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District
• Clare Beech, Director, Sector Operations, NSW Ambulance
• Dr Clare Skinner, Director, Emergency Medicine, Hornsby Kuring-Gai Hospital, Northern Sydney Local Health District
• Dianna Watkins, Group Director, Policy, Legislation, Performance and Consultation, Department of Industry
• Deborah Willcox, Chief Executive Officer, Northern Sydney Local Health District
• Associate Professor Elisabeth Murphy, Network Director, Child, Youth and Family Health Services, Northern Sydney Local Health District
• Emma Smith, Senior Assistant Superintendent, Corrective Services NSW
• Felicity Greenway, Executive Director, Resources Policy and Reform Implementation, Department of Planning and Environment
• Gail Connolly, General Manager, Georges River Council
• Georgina Harrisson, Deputy Secretary, Educational Services, NSW Department of Education
• Hayley Rawsthorne, Director Organisational Communication, Department of Industry
• Jacqui Edgley, Director, Nursing and Midwifery, Mona Vale Hospital, Northern Sydney Local Health District
• Jane Richardson, Director, Transport Integration, Sydney Metro Delivery Office, Transport for NSW
• Janet Schorer, NSW Children’s Guardian, Office of the Children’s Guardian
• Jennifer McNeill, Regional Manager, South, Service NSW
• Jennifer Van Cleef, Director, Patient Support Services, HealthShare NSW
• Dr Jodi Lynch, Head of Oncology, St George and Sutherland Hospital, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District
• Associate Professor Karen Zwi, Consultant Community Paediatrician, Sydney Children’s Hospital
• Kate Lorimer-Ward, Deputy Director General, Agriculture, Department of Industry
• Kirsty Ruddock, Director, Regulatory Investigations and Compliance, Department of Industry
• Dr Liz Develin, Deputy Secretary, Energy, Water and Portfolio Strategy, Department of Planning and Environment
• Margaret Crawford, Auditor-General of New South Wales, Audit Office of New South Wales
• Mia Kumar, Principal, Burwood Girls High School
• Michele Hall PSM, Executive Director, Aboriginal Education and Communities, NSW Department of Education
• Nanette Williams, Crown Prosecutor, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
• Naomi Stephens, Director, Fire and Incident Management Branch, NSW Office of Environment & Heritage
• Narelle Underwood, Surveyor-General of NSW, Department of Finance, Services and Innovation
• Peta Gamon, Director Corporate Communications, Roads and Maritime Services
• Phillipa Harrison, Executive General Manager, International, Tourism Australia
• Phillipa Hetherton, Director, Early Appropriate Guilty Pleas Reform, NSW Department of Justice
• Rosemary Hegner, Director, Health Emergency Management Unit, NSW Ambulance
• Samantha Abeydeera, Deputy Executive Director, Train Crewing and Support, Sydney Trains
• Simone Cook, Director, People and Performance, City of Canterbury Bankstown
• Sonja Stewart, Deputy Secretary, Operations and Engagement, Department of Premier and Cabinet
• Susannah Le Bron, Executive Director, Customer Service, Sydney Trains
• Dr Theresa Jacques, Director, Intensive Care Unit, St George Hospital, Southern Sydney Local Health District
• Turkan Aksoy, Cultural and Inclusion Officer, City of Canterbury Bankstown

For more information about each woman visit publicsectorwomen.com.au. The Top 50 Public Sector Women (Victoria) list will be announced on August 22.