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MAY 6 SYDNEY
The brightest minds.
The boldest ideas.
One powerful day.
Join the women designing the future at the Forbes Australia Women’s Summit, presented by Lancome.
Dedicated to unlocking new thinking and translating ideas into impact, the 2026 Women’s Summit delves deep into ‘What’s next’ with influential leaders, founders, creators and innovators.
What to expect
Press play and turn on the sound
Tickets | Past speakers | FAQ
A powerful event and fantastic networks that spawned from it. It changed people’s lives.
Kim Randle, CEO Fair Supply
2026 speakers
BHP Australia
Geraldine Slattery
Geraldine Slattery is President Australia at BHP, overseeing its Iron Ore, Copper, Nickel, Metallurgical and Energy Coal operations across multiple states. She previously led BHP’s global Petroleum business and has spent more than 30 years in technical, commercial and executive leadership roles across Australia, the UK and the Americas. Geraldine began her career in project engineering within the refining and pharmaceutical sectors and is known for building high-performing, safety-focused teams while working closely with partners, communities and governments.
OpenAI
Satya Tammareddy
Satya is Head of Go-To-Market for Australia and New Zealand at OpenAI, where she works with organisations from startups to large enterprises to scale AI adoption and drive measurable impact. She previously spent nine years at Stripe building high-growth businesses across APAC, including leading the SaaS Platforms business and expanding into Southeast Asia and Hong Kong. Earlier in her career, she was Dropbox’s first APAC hire, co-founded an online travel company, and began as an equity analyst.
DYFM
Alexis Fernandez
Alexis Fernández-Preiksa is a performance coach, speaker and author whose work combines neuroscience, mindset and high performance. She is known for translating complex psychological concepts into practical strategies and hosts the globally popular podcast Do You F**ing Mind?. Alexis works with leading brands and athletes to optimise mental performance, encouraging individuals to build resilience, discipline and lasting self-belief.
Made Up Stories
Bruna Papandrea
Bruna Papandrea is an Emmy and Golden Globe–winning producer and Founder and CEO of Made Up Stories, known for championing distinctive, female-driven storytelling. She has produced globally acclaimed series including Big Little Lies, Nine Perfect Strangers and The Undoing, and co-founded Pacific Standard with Reese Witherspoon, producing Gone Girl and Wild. Across film and television, her work spans major global hits for platforms such as Netflix, HBO, Apple TV+ and Amazon, cementing her reputation as one of the industry’s leading creative producers.
Chloe Fisher
Chloe Fisher is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, podcaster and content creator known for her candid storytelling and strong connection with her audience. She rose to prominence as co-host of the podcast Darling, Shine!, where she openly discusses grief, fertility, motherhood and mental health, while also founding consumer brands Hard Fizz and Kirra and leading YLB (‘You Little Beauty’) Properties. Through business, media and brand collaborations, Chloe champions honest conversations, community and purpose-driven storytelling.
Swipejobs
Katrina Leslie
Katrina Leslie is Founder and Chairman of swipejobs, an AI-native employment platform operating in the United States and the UK. She has founded multiple technology and jobs-focused businesses, including a U.S. job ranking company later acquired by Gartner, and previously held senior HR leadership roles at Westpac and Microsoft across Australia and Asia Pacific. Katrina began her career at BHP’s Steel Division and holds qualifications in applied science, organisational psychology and commerce, and is a registered psychologist.
Ageless Radiance Club
Bahar Etminan
Bahar Etminan is the host of Ageless Radiance Club Podcast, a Harper Collins author and expert commentator on trends in aesthetics, beauty, longevity and women’s wellness. A thought leader with over three decades of experience in luxury branding and women’s lifestyle media.
Build Club
Annie Liao
Annie Liao is the founder of Build Club, one of the largest and most collaborative AI communities in the world with 50,000+ members. She previously worked at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and across venture and AI startups. Annie is also the creator of Solaris, an AI adoption platform helping enterprises roll out AI tools and train their workforce. She was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 for her work advancing global AI builder communities.
June Health
Grace Toombs
Grace Toombs is the founder of June Health, an Australian women’s health startup working to make cervical screening, STI testing and reproductive care more accessible, private and stigma-free. With a background in health and research, she combines clinical insight and lived experience to advocate for earlier intervention and better pathways into primary care for young women. Grace is passionate about challenging systemic gaps in healthcare and building bold, user-centred solutions that change how women engage with their health.
Event Agenda
9:00 am | Registration opens |
10:00 am – 12:30 pm | Summit Open & Welcome Remarks Sarah O’Carroll, Editor-in-Chief Forbes Australia Fireside Chat What’s Next in Leadership Panel 30-minute break What’s Next in Longevity Panel |
12:30pm – 2:00 pm | Lunch |
2:15pm – 5:00pm | What’s Next in AI Panel What’s Next in Creativity Panel Fireside Chat Event Concludes |
Post-event cocktail and networking function |
Past speakers
Sam Mostyn
Governor General Australia
Christine Holgate
Group CEO, Team Global Express
Robyn Denholm
Chair of Tesla
Sukhinder Singh Cassidy
CEO, Xero
Miranda Kerr
Founder & CEO, KORA Organics
Melanie Silva
VP & MD, Google AU & NZ
Sarah Walsh
Women’s Football Australia
Florence Drummond
CEO Indigenous Women In Mining
Chanel Contos
Founder & MD, Teach Us Consent
Natasha Oakley
Founder, Monday Swimwear
Steph Claire Smith
Founder & Podcaster, KiC
Kristy Chong
Founder, Modibody
Past attendees
Sessions & topics
What’s next in LEADERSHIP
Hear from Australia’s most powerful female CEOs on making the calls that define careers. Candid, current, and worth every minute.
What you’ll take away: Strategies for building influence at the executive level, and what is most important when looking ahead for those leading Australia’s biggest companies.
What’s next in CREATIVITY
Backed by neuroscience, built for business. This session unpacks the habits, mindsets and surprising tools behind original thinking — and why creativity isn’t a personality trait — it’s a skill, a practice and, increasingly, a competitive advantage.
It will dismantle the myth of the ‘creative type’ and replace it with evidence-based tools for building creative confidence.
What’s next in LONGEVITY
Where cutting-edge biology meets beauty, business and everyday life. Global experts reveal what the longevity revolution actually means for how you look, feel and perform — at every age.
What you’ll take away: The latest science on longevity and skin health from Lancome’s global R&D labs, the business opportunity behind the $600B+ global wellness industry, and a practical framework for investing in your future self.
What’s next in AI
With AI, a single founder with a bold idea can now move with the speed, scale, and firepower that once required a team of hundreds. The question is no longer if AI will reshape industries – it’s who will be bold enough to lead that transformation.
This panel brings together the women who are already doing it. We’ll get into the tactics and which AI tools are actually moving the needle.
+Exciting speaker news coming soon
Tickets
Buy your first-release tickets now and save $250. Volumes are strictly limited at this price so don’t delay.
Why attend
Influential and relevant speakers
Host clients or reward your team
Lunch and post-event cocktails
Fresh ideas for your business
Breaking the barrier
10%
of women hold CEO positions across the ASX 300
39%
of Australian board seats are women – the closest ever to parity
24%
of deals in 2025 involved a female founder, down from 28% YOY
35%
higher ROI reported from women-led startups
Location
Ilumina
1 Elizabeth St, Sydney
FAQ
| How and when will I receive my live event ticket? You will receive your live event ticket via email within 24 hours of completing your purchase. Guest tickets will be emailed within 72 hours of providing full details. |
| Is this event live or virtual? The Forbes Australia Women’s Summit is a live, in-person event hosted in Sydney. Please note the Women’s Summit will not be streamed virtually. |
| What do I need to bring to gain entry to the event? Please bring along your pre-purchased ticket along with photo identification. |
| Can I purchase a ticket on the day/at the venue? Yes, tickets will be able to be purchased on the day of the event, if ticket allocations have not already been exhausted. You can purchase tickets online or speak to a Forbes member at the venue. |
| Is the Women’s Summit suitable for men to attend? The Forbes Australia Women’s Summit is a gender inclusive event that will address topical issues around equality and representation in the workplace and beyond. We invite all genders to attend to work towards a successful and equitable future together. |
| Is there a discount for group or corporate bookings? Yes, please contact us at events@forbes.com.au for more information on group and corporate packages. |
| Am I able to alter the attendees name? Only the purchaser of the ticket(s) can alter an attendees name up until 11.59pm (AEDT) on the 5th of May 2026. This can be done by the purchaser by clicking on the modify registration button on your confirmation email. |
| Venue The venue is Ilumina, 1 Elizabeth St, Sydney. |
| Is there a dress code? The dress code is smart casual. Any inappropriately dressed attendee may be refused access to the Forbes Australia Women’s Summit. |
| Event Terms and Conditions Click here for the Terms and Conditions for the Forbes Australia Women’s Summit. |