Joining CEOs for Gender Equity is the next exciting step in my journey as the Founder of With Verve to unlock the potential in individuals, teams and organisations to lead purposeful impact.

We need the best and brightest working together to capitalise on opportunities and solve the challenges and conflicts we’re facing in the world today. Until we achieve gender equity, we are not tapping into our full potential to make this happen.

In every phase and role in my life, I have experienced first-hand the downside impacts of gender inequity and it has spurred me on to play a part in shifting the experience and impact of those that follow me.

I’ve been the young leader (and later a pregnant one) in a male dominated industry, feeling ‘out of place’ at the Executive table when the only option was to wear a uniform designed for a man.

I’ve been the ‘devil’s advocate’ in succession planning conversations when competent female professionals risked being overlooked because they didn’t role model the unintentionally gendered traits expected of a leader.

I’ve experienced the frustrating effects of deeply engrained assumptions about gender roles as one half of a parenting career couple.

And I’ve witnessed the unforeseen consequences of unconscious gender bias framing the interaction between schools, children and families.

In every facet of our world, gender equity offers us the potential to level the playing field for everyone to feel included and valued to play their part in creating a prosperous future. It’s organisations and the leaders within them that play a vital role in shaping a society where this just becomes ‘the way it is’. And it’s connection, conversation and collaboration between leaders that will open the door to seeing and acting on the possibility to be different and do things differently.

What excites me about the CEOs for Gender Equity community is the opportunity it creates to bring leaders together; to provide time, space and connection to share, learn and collaborate. This is how we will individually and collectively become more deliberate and impactful in our leadership of change.

As a CEOs for Gender Equity member, it is my commitment to lead and lean into the conversations that matter and which we must have to make progress. I will live my values - Be Real, Be Curious and Be Connected to contribute my own experiences and learnings as a leader and partner to leaders.

I also look forward to gaining fresh insights, challenging my own perspectives, and learning from other leaders who are equally committed to advancing gender equity. I promise to actively carry this into my partnership with CEOs and Executive leaders of for-purpose organisations because I know when we translate ideas into actions and shamelessly share and replicate, positive outcomes will abound not only within organisations but across communities.

As a leader, parent and business owner I am hugely optimistic about the future we can create together one conversation at a time.