New Leaders Summit 2025
Pre Brochure Rates End In
The details
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25 - 28 November, 2025 Sydney
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Sydney Masonic Centre | 66 Goulburn St, Sydney, NSW, 2000
Great Leaders Are Made!
Step into your leadership potential at the New Leaders Summit 2025
No one is born ready to lead. The skills, confidence and mindset needed to become a great leader are built over time — through experience, guidance and the courage to take that first step forward.
The New Leaders Summit 2025 is designed for those moments. Whether you’re preparing to lead for the first time or you’ve been managing a team and feel like you’ve hit a wall, this event will help you find your footing, lift your vision and take your leadership to the next level.
You’ll learn from leaders who’ve walked the path before you — speakers who know what it’s like to start out, stumble, succeed and lead with impact. Across a mix of inspiring keynotes and practical sessions, you’ll develop essential leadership capabilities, gain real-world tools, and build the confidence to lead with purpose, clarity and ambition.

Why This Event?
Because great leaders often go unrecognised — not due to lack of potential, but lack of opportunity, support and confidence. Too many emerging leaders feel stuck, unsure of how to take the next step or how to lead with clarity and purpose.
The New Leaders Summit is here to change that. We’re creating a space for aspiring and early-career leaders to build essential skills, grow their confidence, and connect with those who’ve led before them. Because leadership doesn’t start at the top — it starts here.

Former CEO Leo Burnette, Creative Leader & Adventurer

Agenda
Pre-Conference Workshop | 25th November
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25th November, 2025 Sydney
Pre-Conference Workshop 1
09:00 AM - 12:30 PM: Building Influence and Strategic Credibility as an HR Leader
From HR Operator to Strategic Partner: Step Into Your Power
Aspiring and mid-level HR leaders are often told to “be more strategic” — but what does that actually mean in the real world of business demands, executive relationships, and cross-functional
complexity?
This immersive half-day masterclass is designed to equip you with the tools, mindset and influence strategies needed to elevate your voice and impact as an HR professional. You’ll learn how to frame your ideas for business audiences, build trust with senior leaders, and make a clear case for HR-led initiatives that drive performance, engagement and culture change.
This session is ideal for HR professionals ready to shift from supporting the strategy to shaping it.
The Reality HR Professionals Face:
- Struggling to gain a seat at the table or have ideas taken seriously
- Feeling caught between transactional tasks and transformation goals
- Working hard but lacking visibility or influence with decision-makers
Your 5-Step Strategic Influence Framework:
- How to speak the language of commercial value in your HR initiatives
- Building executive relationships through trust, credibility, and alignment
- Structuring your strategic messages to get a “yes” from the C-suite
- Navigating resistance or competing agendas with grace and confidence
- Positioning yourself as a future HR leader and change enabler
Key Benefits of Attending:
- Learn to frame HR initiatives in strategic, business-first language
- Build your confidence and executive presence as a change leader
- Gain practical tools to map stakeholders and influence decision-making
- Understand what executives want from HR — and how to deliver it
- Walk away with a personal roadmap to elevate your impact in your role
Pre-Conference Workshop 2
1:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Every organisation talks about values. But too often, those values stay locked in a corporate document, disconnected from real behaviour, performance, or decisions. This masterclass is designed for HR professionals ready to bring those values to life.
Whether you’re refreshing an existing set of values or supporting a new leadership direction, this session will give you a practical toolkit to embed culture across the employee lifecycle — from recruitment and onboarding to performance and leadership development. You’ll learn how to lead with consistency, integrity and purpose, while building employee buy-in and ownership.
This is where compliance ends — and culture begins.
The Reality HR Professionals Face:
- Values that don’t translate into day-to-day decision-making
- Employees confused about what culture actually means
- Senior leaders supporting values in theory, but not modelling them in action
Your Culture Integration Playbook:
- How to translate company values into clear behavioural expectations
- Practical ways to embed values into recruitment, onboarding, and performance frameworks
- Building culture champions at every level of the business
- Measuring what matters: culture KPIs and progress tracking
- Handling culture misalignment without damaging trust
Key Benefits of Attending:
- Walk away with a ready-to-implement values-to-practice integration plan
- Learn how to align culture with business outcomes and people processes
- Gain tools to navigate resistance and increase leadership accountability
- Embed authenticity into performance reviews, recognition, and development
- Drive cultural consistency across teams and functions
Conference Day 1 | 26th November
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26th November, 2025 Sydney
Conference Day 1: 26th November
09:00 AM Welcome to Country
9:05 AM Opening Remarks from Chair & TLI Introduction
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Session 1 - 09:20 The Shift to Leadership — What Changes When You’re the One in Charge
Making the leap from team member to team leader is more than just a title change. This opening keynote explores how to think differently, lead decisively, and set the tone for the team you now guide. You’ll learn what shifts in mindset, expectations and responsibility — and how to step into leadership with clarity and confidence.

10:10 AM: It’s Time.....for Networking!
10:30 AM MORNING TEA
Session 2 - 11:00 AM: Practical People Management — Building Trust and Getting Results
Leading people is hard — especially at the start. This session covers the nuts and bolts of managing team performance, setting clear expectations, and creating a positive culture. Walk away with practical tools to handle feedback, performance issues and team dynamics.

Session 3 - 11:50 AM Leading with Influence, Not Just Authority
True leadership isn’t about telling people what to do — it’s about bringing people with you. Learn how to build influence early, even without years of experience behind you. This session covers communication strategies, relationship building and leading across levels.

12:50 PM Lunch
Session 4 - EXCLUSIVE KEYNOTE 1:50 PM: Creativity and Fear
In this compelling keynote, Todd Sampson unpacks the two most powerful forces in leadership and innovation: creativity and fear.
He shares the origin story of Earth Hour, now one of the largest global environmental movements in history—an idea born in a Sydney hotel room by a small, ordinary group of people using nothing more than their imagination. That story becomes the anchor for a deeper message: creativity is the last competitive advantage in a world increasingly driven by algorithms and sameness. Drawing on personal experiences—from being trapped in a blizzard on Denali to taking the reins as a reluctant CEO—Todd reveals how fear is often the invisible force that kills our best ideas before they begin. Using humour, insight, and actionable techniques, he shows how creativity can be learned, and fear managed—if we’re willing to be braver for just five minutes longer.
This talk is both a rallying cry and a roadmap for leaders and teams to embrace bold thinking, take action, and tap into the creative potential that exists within all of us. Because if Earth Hour taught us anything, it’s that ordinary people with a simple idea can help change the world. SESSION 5

Session 5 - 2:40 PM Strategic Thinking for Emerging Leaders
Strategy isn’t just for the C-suite. Learn how to think big, connect the dots and make smarter decisions with the bigger picture in mind. This session gives you the tools to shift from taskoriented to strategic thinking — a critical skill for every future-ready leader.

3:30 PM AFTERNOON TEA
Session 6 - 3:50 PM: From Manager to Visionary — Lessons from a Modern CEO
Hear directly from a senior leader who started where you are and climbed the ranks to lead a major organisation. This keynote-style session shares the real story behind the rise — including the challenges, mindset shifts, and big lessons that shaped their leadership journey.

4:50 PM END OF DAY ONE & NETWORKING DRINKS
Conference Day 2 | 27th November
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27 November, 2025 Sydney
Conference Day 2: 27th November
09:00 AM Opening Remarks from the Chair & Acknowledgment of Country
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Session 1 - 09:10 AM Leading with Purpose — What Do You Stand For?
Great leaders know what they believe in and lead with intention. This session helps you define your values, clarify your leadership purpose, and align your actions with what matters most — so you can lead authentically and inspire others to follow.

Session 2 - 10:00 AM: Difficult Conversations Done Right
Leadership means stepping into discomfort — especially when the conversation is tough. Learn how to handle conflict, deliver feedback, and address sensitive issues in a way that’s respectful, clear and productive.

10:50 AM Morning Tea
Session 3 - 11:20 AM Building Your Leadership Brand
What do people say about you when you’re not in the room? This session helps you shape your leadership identity and leave the kind of impression that builds trust, respect and opportunity. Learn how to develop a consistent leadership presence online and in the workplace.

Session 4 - KEYNOTE ADDRESS & EXTENDED Q&A 12:10 PM: Unleashing the Champion Within: Lessons in Leadership and Momentum
In this energising keynote, Olympic swim coach Dean Boxall shares how to unlock peak performance even when the pressure is on. Drawing on his experience coaching champions like Ariarne Titmus and Mollie O’Callaghan, Dean reveals how the same principles that drive athletes to world-class success can help new leaders thrive. Through real stories from the pool deck, delegates will learn how to build momentum, develop resilience, and harness the mindset of a champion in their own leadership journey. Dean’s infectious energy and practical strategies will inspire emerging leaders to stay focused under pressure, support their teams through challenges, and find the confidence to lead with heart and purpose.
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1:10 PM LUNCH
Session 5 - 2:40 PM: The First 90 Days — Setting Yourself Up for Success
Whether you’re about to take on a leadership role or you’ve just stepped into one, what you do in the first 90 days matters. This session walks you through how to gain trust, set direction, and create momentum from the start.

Session 6 - 3:10 PM The Leadership Journey — A Conversation with Future You
We close the summit with a candid, uplifting conversation between past, present and future leadership experiences. Hear from a panel of diverse leaders about the turning points that defined their careers, what they wish they’d known starting out, and the advice they’d give to their younger selves — and to you.
4:00 PM ECLOSE OF CONFERENCE
Post-Conference Workshop | 28th November
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28 November, 2025 Sydney
Post-Conference Workshop
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM STRATEGIC WORKFORCE PLANNING AND CAPABILITY MAPPING FOR THE FUTURE
Shifting from Reactive Hiring to Proactive Workforce Design
The workforce is changing — fast. New technologies, evolving expectations, and rapid disruption are making old HR plans obsolete. That’s why strategic workforce planning is no longer a “nice to have” — it’s essential. This full-day workshop gives HR professionals the practical tools to plan for future workforce
needs, map current capability, and align talent strategies with business growth. You’ll learn how to create skills frameworks, identify gaps, and build future-focused plans that your executive team will respect and use. If you want to future-proof your people strategy, this is the session for you.
The Reality HR Professionals Face:
- Constantly reacting to hiring needs instead of planning ahead
- No clear picture of the organisation’s future capability requirements
- Struggling to engage business leaders in proactive workforce conversations
Your Strategic Planning Toolkit:
- How to conduct a workforce planning needs analysis
- Identifying critical roles and future skill sets in your organisation
- Building a simple but effective capability framework
- Mapping internal talent potential and development needs
- Aligning people plans with business and technology strategy
Key Benefits of Attending:
- Learn practical workforce planning models and apply them live
- Understand how to build capability maps that guide investment decisions
- Gain confidence engaging leaders in strategic HR planning
- Identify workforce risks and future-proof your talent pipeline
- Walk away with a draft strategic workforce plan ready to refine
What You Can Expect To Learn At New Leaders Summit 2025.
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Build confidence in your leadership abilities from day one
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Master the fundamentals of managing people and performance
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Step into the mindset of a leader, not just a manager
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Communicate with clarity, influence and authenticity
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Think strategically and make decisions that drive results
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Understand what senior leaders value and how to position yourself for growth
Who Should Attend
- Aspiring and new managers stepping into leadership roles
- High-potential staff being prepared for succession
- Team members leading without formal training
- Professionals looking to build confidence, influence, and strategic skills
- Emerging leaders ready to lead with clarity and purpose
Highlights from our past events
Fuel the Momentum!
“Join us at the Women in Leadership Summit 2024, a dynamic platform for connection, inspiration, and empowerment.
This summit is not just about discussing change; it’s an active force in creating it. Tailored for both emerging leaders and established executives, the summit features a range of exclusive keynote sessions, engaging panel discussions, and interactive Q&A segments, all designed to provide actionable insights for your leadership journey.
With a lineup of distinguished speakers from Australia and around the globe, each session is a fountain of knowledge and inspiration. Immerse yourself in the wisdom of trailblazing women from diverse backgrounds who have overcome challenges, shattered barriers, and crafted legacies. Gain invaluable insights from these pioneers who share not only their successes but also the obstacles and lessons learned along the way.
Seize this unique opportunity to network with professionals and be part of a community driving the future of leadership. Whether you are advancing in your career or steering organisational change, this summit serves as the catalyst for your personal and professional development.”
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Dana Lightbody
Director, The Leadership Institute
Your Keynote Speakers
Leadership potential is within everyone, let us unlock the leader in you.
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Tennis Commentator & Former World #4 Tennis Champion
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Tennis Commentator & Former World #4 Tennis Champion
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Tennis Commentator & Former World #4 Tennis Champion
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Tennis Commentator & Former World #4 Tennis Champion
Your Keynote Speakers
Leadership potential is within everyone, let us unlock the leader in you.
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Tennis Commentator & Former World #4 Tennis Champion
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Tennis Commentator & Former World #4 Tennis Champion
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Tennis Commentator & Former World #4 Tennis Champion
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Tennis Commentator & Former World #4 Tennis Champion
.png?width=212&height=212&name=Frame%2023%20(4).png)
Tennis Commentator & Former World #4 Tennis Champion
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Tennis Commentator & Former World #4 Tennis Champion
.png?width=212&height=212&name=Frame%2023%20(4).png)
Tennis Commentator & Former World #4 Tennis Champion
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Tennis Commentator & Former World #4 Tennis Champion
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Tennis Commentator & Former World #4 Tennis Champion
Value Event Partners

F-magazine
F-magazine celebrates Australian female success across ages, industries, and lifestyles.
Launched on International Women’s Day 2018, the online magazine – www.f-magazine.online – is supported by a weekly e-newsletter, emailed to 26,000 plus readers each Monday. F-magazine is published by Queensland Magazines, which has three print plus online publications, INDULGE eat. live. play, The West End Magazine, HIGHLIFE Downs Living and The Prestige Property Magazine online.

F-magazine
F-magazine celebrates Australian female success across ages, industries, and lifestyles.
Launched on International Women’s Day 2018, the online magazine – www.f-magazine.online – is supported by a weekly e-newsletter, emailed to 26,000 plus readers each Monday. F-magazine is published by Queensland Magazines, which has three print plus online publications, INDULGE eat. live. play, The West End Magazine, HIGHLIFE Downs Living and The Prestige Property Magazine online.

F-magazine
F-magazine celebrates Australian female success across ages, industries, and lifestyles.
Launched on International Women’s Day 2018, the online magazine – www.f-magazine.online – is supported by a weekly e-newsletter, emailed to 26,000 plus readers each Monday. F-magazine is published by Queensland Magazines, which has three print plus online publications, INDULGE eat. live. play, The West End Magazine, HIGHLIFE Downs Living and The Prestige Property Magazine online.

F-magazine
F-magazine celebrates Australian female success across ages, industries, and lifestyles.
Launched on International Women’s Day 2018, the online magazine – www.f-magazine.online – is supported by a weekly e-newsletter, emailed to 26,000 plus readers each Monday. F-magazine is published by Queensland Magazines, which has three print plus online publications, INDULGE eat. live. play, The West End Magazine, HIGHLIFE Downs Living and The Prestige Property Magazine online.

F-magazine
F-magazine celebrates Australian female success across ages, industries, and lifestyles.
Launched on International Women’s Day 2018, the online magazine – www.f-magazine.online – is supported by a weekly e-newsletter, emailed to 26,000 plus readers each Monday. F-magazine is published by Queensland Magazines, which has three print plus online publications, INDULGE eat. live. play, The West End Magazine, HIGHLIFE Downs Living and The Prestige Property Magazine online.
Your Incredible Speaker Line-Up
Event Partners

Monash Business School and the William Cooper Institute are renowned for their dedication to pioneering research, transformative teaching, and innovative endeavors. With a commitment to global engagement and community involvement, they champion Indigenous leadership and cultural understanding, empowering future leaders and catalysing change.The Master of Indigenous Business Leadership course exemplifies their commitment to educational advancement within Indigenous communities.

At Charles Sturt University, inclusion is one of our values. Guided by the ethos ‘yindyamarra winhanganha’ – a Wiradjuri phrase meaning ‘the wisdom of respectfully knowing how to live well in a world worth living in’ – we’re dedicated to fostering a respectful community where everyone is empowered. We also believe that inclusion is a collective endeavour. That’s why we embed cultural competence and Indigenous knowledge into all undergraduate degrees. Learn to foster inclusivity through our tailored programs. Enhance your leadership skills and immerse yourself in a course specifically designed to deepen your understanding of First Nations culture. Together, we can create a world worth living in.

Reading Opens Doors – that is, doors to future opportunities and choices. Our purpose is to invest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander remote communities to provide the tools and resources they request to shape the direction of their children’s literacy future. ILF supports remote Communities across Australia.
You can see where we work and what programs are running on our interactive Community Map.

Since 2009, Supply Nation has worked with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses along with procurement teams from government and corporate Australia to help shape today’s emerging and rapidly evolving Indigenous business sector. We are the custodian of Australia’s largest database of verified Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses – Indigenous Business Direct. Supply Nation also supports Indigenous businesses and our members with an array of training programs, online tools, resources and networking opportunities, to help develop, grow, and strengthen the Indigenous business sector.
Testimonials
IPEA
Very practical and applicable to my work.
September 2023
Department of Defence
Absolutely outstanding event. The concepts about Leadership and what organisations are doing gives me hope for my grand-children that the support is out there
September 2023
Training Services NSW Aboriginal Initiatives
These deadly women inspired me yesterday to have more confidence to take a leap in my career and ensure that I follow what I love.These deadly women inspired me yesterday to have more confidence to take a leap in my career and ensure that I follow what I love.
September 2023
ACT Govt - CMTEDD
IT was great to hear practical information about RAPs
September 2023
Catholic Diocese of Parramatta
Fantastic presentations, I love their approach to creating employment initiatives moving forward.
September 2023
Australian Electoral Commission
You all did amazing!!
September 2023
NAB
Wow! Took it all in, and has given me lots to think about. Inspirational!
September 2023
Universal Music Australia
Being from the Music Industry - I was very surprised to find out such a incredible Foundation was linked to Yothu Yindi. I will definitely be looking into this Foundation much more from today.
September 2023
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
It was so nice to hear from Indigenous voices and leaders throughout the event. Loved the important message of getting & staying “EDUCATED” whilst strengthening Culture and Leadership is important to me as we compete in two worlds
September 2023
IPEA
Very practical and applicable to my work.
September 2023
Department of Defence
Absolutely outstanding event. The concepts about Leadership and what organisations are doing gives me hope for my grand-children that the support is out there
September 2023
Training Services NSW Aboriginal Initiatives
These deadly women inspired me yesterday to have more confidence to take a leap in my career and ensure that I follow what I love.These deadly women inspired me yesterday to have more confidence to take a leap in my career and ensure that I follow what I love.
September 2023
ACT Govt - CMTEDD
IT was great to hear practical information about RAPs
September 2023
Catholic Diocese of Parramatta
Fantastic presentations, I love their approach to creating employment initiatives moving forward.
September 2023
Australian Electoral Commission
You all did amazing!!
September 2023
NAB
Wow! Took it all in, and has given me lots to think about. Inspirational!
September 2023
Universal Music Australia
Being from the Music Industry - I was very surprised to find out such a incredible Foundation was linked to Yothu Yindi. I will definitely be looking into this Foundation much more from today.
September 2023
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
It was so nice to hear from Indigenous voices and leaders throughout the event. Loved the important message of getting & staying “EDUCATED” whilst strengthening Culture and Leadership is important to me as we compete in two worlds
September 2023
IPEA
Very practical and applicable to my work.
September 2023
Department of Defence
Absolutely outstanding event. The concepts about Leadership and what organisations are doing gives me hope for my grand-children that the support is out there
September 2023
Training Services NSW Aboriginal Initiatives
These deadly women inspired me yesterday to have more confidence to take a leap in my career and ensure that I follow what I love.These deadly women inspired me yesterday to have more confidence to take a leap in my career and ensure that I follow what I love.
September 2023
ACT Govt - CMTEDD
IT was great to hear practical information about RAPs
September 2023
Catholic Diocese of Parramatta
Fantastic presentations, I love their approach to creating employment initiatives moving forward.
September 2023
Australian Electoral Commission
You all did amazing!!
September 2023
NAB
Wow! Took it all in, and has given me lots to think about. Inspirational!
September 2023
Universal Music Australia
Being from the Music Industry - I was very surprised to find out such a incredible Foundation was linked to Yothu Yindi. I will definitely be looking into this Foundation much more from today.
September 2023
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
It was so nice to hear from Indigenous voices and leaders throughout the event. Loved the important message of getting & staying “EDUCATED” whilst strengthening Culture and Leadership is important to me as we compete in two worlds
September 2023
BLOGS
WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP SUMMIT 2025 MELBOURNE
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28 - 31 May, 2025
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Marvel Stadium, 740 Bourke St, Docklands VIC, 3008