EA/PA Leadership Summit Sydney 2025

Pre-Conference Workshops | 28th October

09:00- 12:30 PM 

Your Balance Blueprint: Achieving Sustainable Success and Life Balance in Leadership

In an era of relentless ambition and unprecedented challenges, the quest for leadership success has never been more
demanding. The journey to the top is fraught with obstacles, not least of which is maintaining a harmonious balance between  professional achievements and personal fulfillment. As we navigate through the complexities of the modern world, the  significance of sustaining equilibrium in our lives and careers cannot be overstated. Your Balance Blueprint is an innovative half-day masterclass designed to empower women with the strategies, tools, and
insights necessary to achieve a sustainable blend of professional success and personal well-being. This workshop is more than a learning experience; it’s a transformational journey tailored to help you craft a life of equilibrium, where leadership excellence and personal satisfaction coexist harmoniously.

• Key Course Takeaways:
  • Master the Art of Equilibrium: Learn how to seamlessly integrate career aspirations with personal well-being to foster a
  fulfilling life of leadership.
  • Strategies for Sustainable Success: Uncover the secrets to long-lasting achievement in your career, without sacrificing
  your health, relationships, or personal goals.
  • Overcoming the Obstacles to Balance: Identify the common pitfalls that disrupt life balance and discover practical steps
  to navigate around them.
  • The Blueprint to Your Best Self: Craft a personalized plan that harmonizes your professional ambitions with your personal
  life, ensuring you thrive in both realms.
  • Mindset for Mastery: Shift your perspective to embrace a holistic approach to success, equipping you with the mindset
  needed to excel as a leader and individual.
  • Building Resilience and Adaptability: Strengthen your capacity to handle stress, adapt to change, and recover from
  setbacks, all while keeping your sights set on your goals.
  • Network of Empowerment: Engage in a supportive, collaborative environment with fellow women leaders, fostering
  connections that inspire growth and resilience.
  
  

By the conclusion of this workshop, you will leave with a comprehensive blueprint for achieving leadership success that does not compromise your personal happiness or well-being. This session promises to be a dynamic and interactive experience,  providing a safe space for women to explore, learn, and grow together, free from the constraints of judgement or organizational politics.  Join us on this enlightening journey to redefine what success looks like for women in leadership. Together, we will discover how to create a life of impact and fulfillment, proving that it is indeed possible to have it all.

Conference Day One | 28th May

09:00 Welcome to Country

09:05 Opening Remarks from Chair

Danielle Colley is an integrative life coach and founder of Your Good Life. She helps successful women in business who are dissatisfied with their lives and dealing with pressures from all angles, to reach their full potential by helping them clear the debris from their past, super charge their present and transition from where they are now to where they desire to be.

Session 1: 09:20 Building and Sustaining Professional Networks and Communities

This session will focus on the importance of networking in career development for EAs and PAs, highlighting methods to build, maintain, and utilize professional networks effectively. Attendees will learn best practices for networking, leveraging connections to support both personal and organizational goals. Additionally, the session will explore creative approaches to building networks and communities, utilizing the unique authority of EAs to implement new ideas for improving workplace culture.

10:10 It's Time.... For Networking! 

10:30 MORNING TEA

Session 2: 11:00 Building a Personal Brand as an EA/PA

How do you stand out in a sea of skilled professionals? For Executive and Personal Assistants, your personal brand can be the key to unlocking new opportunities, growing your influence, and shaping the perception of your value within the organisation.

In this empowering session, Ruth Kilah—executive EA career coach and founder of Hoxton Hyde—will walk you through the strategies to build and communicate your personal brand with clarity and confidence. Drawing on her years of experience helping EAs step into leadership and navigate bold career moves, Ruth will explore how to identify your strengths, align your values with your work, and become known for what makes you exceptional.

You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of how to position yourself as a strategic, visible, and trusted partner—no matter where you are in your career journey.

Session 3: EXCLUIVE KEYNOTE SESSION

11:50 AM: Carving Your Own Path Means Daring to Do Things Differently

Lisa McGuigan knows what it means to build something that’s truly your own. Coming from one of Australia’s most iconic wine families, she could have followed an expected path—but instead, she chose to take risks, challenge traditions, and forge a brand that reflects her own bold vision.

In this candid session, Lisa shares how she stepped out from behind a legacy to create her own lane in a competitive industry, the lessons she learned along the way, and why staying true to your
instincts is the most powerful thing you can do in business and in life.

1:00 PM LUNCH

SESSION 4: IN-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP

1:50 PM: Harnessing AI and New Technologies to Enhance EA Efficiency

In this cutting-edge session, explore how the latest advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and technology can revolutionize your role as an Executive Assistant (EA). Discover practical ways to integrate these tools into your daily workflow to boost productivity, streamline tasks, and elevate your professional impact.

2:50 PM AFTERNOON TEA

SESSION 5
3:10 PM: Master Your Workflow, Elevate Your Impact: The Strategic EA’s Guide to Productivity

Is your to-do list managing you instead of the other way around?

Join Jacqueline Delarue for a game-changing productivity session where you’ll discover why the most successful EAs aren’t those who complete the most tasks—but those who complete the right tasks at the right time.

In just one session, master the mindset shifts and practical strategies that will:

• End the cycle of overwhelm for good
• Transform chaotic workloads into structured systems
• Replace stress-inducing habits with peace-of-mind practices
• Revolutionise how you handle emails, meetings, and calendar management

Joint Session with Women in Leadership Summit

SESSION 6: EXCLUSIVE KEYNOTE SESSION3:30 PM: Sometimes the Strongest Move Is Knowing When to Step Back

Allison Langdon has built a high-profile career in journalism, navigating breaking news, early mornings and live television with grit and grace—but behind the scenes, she’s also had to  make tough personal choices about when to push through and when to prioritise her own
wellbeing and family.

In this honest and inspiring session, Ally reflects on the moments that defined her career,  the pressure of public expectation, and the power of knowing when it’s time to step back. Her story is a reminder that strength isn’t just about endurance—it’s also about recognising

4:50 PM CLOSE OF DAY 1 & NETWORKING DRINKS

Conference Day Two | 30th October

09:00 Day 1 Recap & Opening Remarks

Session 1: 09:10 Shifting From Hustle & Grind to Empowered Achievement

Join Danielle for an inspiring keynote on transcending relentless hustle to embrace empowered achievement. Discover actionable strategies to break free from the grind and attain balanced success. Learn to conquer past challenges, energize your present, and shape a future where ambition and ease thrive together.

Key Takeaways:

• Liberate yourself from the hustle and grind mentality.
• Cultivate inner peace while chasing your goals.
• Achieve professional success without sacrificing personal fulfillment.
• Prioritize self-care and build emotional resilience.
• The 7 essential truths for empowered excellence

Step into a journey of empowerment and holistic success with Danielle’s guidance. Equip yourself with practical tools and insights to thrive in your career while safeguarding your wellbeing.

Session 2: 10:00 Getting Sh*t Done as an Executive Assistant

EAs are the ultimate multitaskers, jugglers, and problem solvers who keep the wheels turning in organisations. But in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment, how do you stay on top of competing priorities, maintain focus, and achieve the impossible daily? This session dives into practical strategies, real-life tips, and mindset shifts to help EAs get things done like pros—every single time.

• Learn practical tools and systems to organise workflows, manage competing deadlines, and prioritise tasks effectively.
• Discover techniques to stay calm and focused when chaos hits, ensuring you remain the person your team can count on.
• Understand how to communicate assertively and set boundaries to ensure productivity doesn’t come at the cost of burnout.
• Explore methods to anticipate needs, solve problems proactively, and deliver results before anyone even asks.

10:50 AM MORNING TEA

Joint Session with Women in Leadership Summit

SESSION 3: EXCLUSIVE KEYNOTE SESSION

11:00 AM: Success Isn’t a single Moment—It’s the Ability to Reinvent Again and Again

Nicole Livingston has experienced the thrill of standing on the Olympic podium and the challenge of starting over—again and again. From elite athlete to broadcaster, administrator, and leader in  Australian sport, Nicole’s career has been a masterclass in reinvention. In this inspiring session, she shares how to navigate life after a big high, how to find purpose in new chapters, and why the key to long-term success isn’t just about winning—it’s about having the courage to evolve.

Session 4: EXCLUSIVE KEYNOTE SESSION & Q&A

12:10 Breaking Barriers With Humour: Leadership Lessons From the Spotlight

Melanie Bracewell, award-winning comedian, presenter, and writer, brings her razor-sharp wit and unique perspective to the stage to explore how humor can be a powerful tool for leadership. From navigating challenging situations to connecting with diverse teams, Melanie will share how the
lessons learned in the comedy world can inspire confidence, creativity, and resilience.

Join this lively and thought-provoking session as Melanie highlights the importance of authenticity, breaking barriers, and leading with a smile.

Session 5: 2:10 PM Learning to Embrace Change, Cultivate Resilience, Prioritise Self-care as Your Career Grows

Comedian, actress, television host, Julia Morris is a screen chameleon. In this in depth, in conversation session, Julia will dig into how adaptability and perseverance are as essential in
leadership as they have been in her longstanding and diverse career. Julia will share the setbacks and pivots she has had to make, demonstrating the power of
bouncing back stronger. Through her engaging anecdotes and insightful reflections, she will inspire attendees to navigate challenges with grace and harness change as a catalyst for growth
in their leadership journeys.

3:10 PM AFTERNOON TEA

SESSION 6 2:10 PM: The Leadership Essentials for Being an EA/PA

The role of an EA/PA isn’t just about support—it’s about leadership. To excel in today’s dynamic and demanding work environments, EAs and PAs must master core leadership skills that  empower them to influence outcomes, foster collaboration, and drive results. This session explores the essential leadership qualities every EA/PA needs to thrive and succeed in their pivotal roles.

Post-Conference Workshop | 30th May

9:00 AM – 4:00 PM: The Practical Leadership Playbook: Leading with Clarity & Courage

Step into the next level of leadership.

This masterclass equips you with practical tools, advanced strategies and confidence to lead with clarity, courage, and impact.

You’ll walk away with a comprehensive toolkit—including proven templates, practical techniques and conversation guides—that you can immediately apply in your workplace and return to throughout your leadership journey.

“I wish I had done this workshop two years ago when I started as a manager”
 
What You’ll Learn:

Grounded in research and tested in practice, this masterclass will help you to:

• Strengthen self-awareness and emotional regulation: 
  Understand your personal leadership style, manage emotional responses and build lasting resilience.
• Set clear expectations for behaviour, performance, and working relationships: 
  Create a culture of accountability and psychological safety through clear boundaries and shared commitments.
• Provide advanced support to your team: 
  Recognise and respond to what your team members need to succeed and grow and manage in challenging times.
• Deliver feedback that drives performance and development: 
  Learn how to give confident, constructive feedback that supports good behaviour, addresses concerns early and
  strengthens your team.
• Navigate brave conversations with clarity and care
  Use the Correction Continuum to prepare for and engage in the conversations that matter—early, effectively and with integrity.

What You’ll Take Away:

Grounded in research and tested in practice, this masterclass will help you to:

• A practical leadership workbook packed with tools, templates, conversation scripts, and frameworks you can use for years to come.
  
  

“Every time I need to have a brave conversation, I go back to the templates and scripts. They give me the support and confidence I need to prepare well"

• A peer learning experience that connects you with like-minded leaders navigating similar challenges.
• The confidence and capability to immediately apply what you’ve learned in your leadership role.
  
  

“This is the most practical workshop I’ve ever attended.”