Women In Leadership Summit Perth 2026

Pre-Conference Workshops

09:00 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.

12:30 Lunch

13:30 Pre-Conference Workshop 2. Communicate with confidence and get your voice heard

No matter your role, it’s important that you speak your truth and learn how to communicate so that your voice is heard.

All too often we find ourselves leaving conversations frustrated that we haven’t been heard or understood clearly. There are times when we haven’t been able to find the space in a meeting to share our perspectives at all! This half day masterclass will give you the opportunity to build your gravitas in all contexts, communicate with confidence and clarity, and make the practical mindset changes needed to remove roadblocks to expressing yourself.

You will Learn:

• Limit inner conflicts which might limit workplace performance
• Project more authority and communicate with gravity
• Master sustainable control of stress and stressors in the work environment
• Improve positive-attitude maintenance in challenging situations
• Assess and adjust personal leadership style quickly, accurately and privately

By the end of the workshop you will have:

• Uncovered what is in the way of you finding and expressing your voice with confidence and clarity
• Understood how to build capacity in your communication style and how to listen for and respond to other people’s styles of communication
• Built the confidence and know how to show up and have your voice heard

Conference Day 1

9:00 AM: Welcome to Country

9:05 AM: Opening Remarks from Chair

Dana Lightbody is the CEO of The Leadership Institute. She is a staunch advocate of equality for women in business and believes women should be helping other women every chance they get. Dana established Konnect Learning in 2013 and the Leadership Institute in 2017. Since then she has advocated for equality for women in all aspects of her entrepreneurial and professional life – in particular by chairing and assisting the production team in the development of TLI’s Women in Leadership line of events.

SESSION 1 9:20 AM: Rising to the Next Level

Transitioning from mid-level management into senior leadership is one of the most defining points in a leader’s career. In this session, the speaker will share insights on the challenges that often arise during this shift and the strategies that can help leaders succeed. Drawing on real-world experience, they will explore how to build influence, strengthen visibility, navigate organisational dynamics, and align leadership style with executive expectations. Attendees will walk away with practical tools and the confidence to take the next step in their leadership journey.

10:10 It’s Time.....for Networking!

10:30 MORNING TEA

SESSION 2 11:00 AM: Elevate yourself from manager to executive

Suhejla shares a people first leadership story shaped by a move from research to public service and a steady rise into senior responsibility. She speaks to finding your voice in rooms that once felt technical or closed and to building credibility through clarity kindness and consistency. 

Expect practical moments from her journey leading teams that advise government where scrutiny is high and collaboration is everything. You will hear how she learned to translate complex ideas into simple choices. How she built trusted networks across policy and operations. How she mentors women to back themselves and take the next step. Her path reflects deep analytical training and a track record of published work combined with day-to-day leadership inside a mission driven department. You will leave with a clearer view of what it takes to step up with confidence and lead with purpose.

SESSION 3 11:50 AM: Using Your Values to Rise Without Compromise

Caroline Webb brings a people centred view of leadership that speaks to women who are stepping from senior management into the executive suite while still wanting a full life outside work. Caroline leads strategy, brand, communications and client experience across a mission driven organisation and she has previously served as Chief Operating Officer at the Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation and held senior roles with HBF, Alinta Gas, Silver Chain and Australia Post. She understands influence in high scrutiny environments and how to keep purpose and wellbeing in balance. In this session Caroline shares practices that helped her rise without losing herself, with clear success definitions, resetting priorities by season and building support systems at home and at work.

12:50 PM: LUNCH

SESSION 4: KEYNOTE ADDRESS & Q&A 1:50 PM: Blazing Your Trail: How Being Female, Indigenous and LQBTIQ in Media Shaped My Career and Life

In this session, Narelda Jacobs, a trailblazer as the first gay Indigenous woman on Australian television, will share her unique experiences and insights into how her intersectional identity has shaped her career and life. Narelda will discuss the challenges and triumphs she has faced in breaking barriers in the media industry, and how her identity as a proud Indigenous and LGBTQIA+ woman has influenced her approach to storytelling and advocacy. She will explore the importance of representation in media and the powerful impact that diverse voices can have on society. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how embracing one’s full identity can enrich professional work, foster inclusivity, and drive meaningful change in the community.

SESSION 5 2:40 PM: Redefining Strength in Leadership

This session explores the often-overlooked power of knowing when to pause, reset, and prioritise what matters most. Leadership is not only about endurance and pushing through challenges, but also about recognising the moments where stepping back creates space for renewal, balance, and clarity. Participants will reflect on how making intentional choices around wellbeing, family, and career can lead to more sustainable success and authentic leadership

3:30 PM: AFTERNOON TEA

SESSION 6: EXCLUSIVE KEYNOTE SESSION 3:30 PM: Building Influence. Seizing Opportunity

This session explores how meaningful connections and well-timed decisions can shape a thriving career. Participants will learn the importance of building trust, seeking diverse mentors, and recognising when to back themselves and say yes to new challenges. With practical insights on growing influence, aligning values with work, and taking smart risks, this session will inspire women to be intentional about their networks and bold in pursuing the opportunities that come their way.

4:40 PM: END OF DAY ONE & NETWORKING DRINKS

Conference Day 2

9:00 AM: Opening Remarks from the Chair

Dana Lightbody is the CEO of The Leadership Institute. She is a staunch advocate of equality for women in business and believes women should be helping other women every chance they get. Dana established Konnect Learning in 2013 and The Leadership Institute in 2017. Since then she has advocated for equality for women in all aspects of her entrepreneurial and professional life - in particular by chairing and assisting the production team in the development of TLI's Women in Leadership line of events.

SESSION 1 9:00 AM: Rising to the Next Level

SESSION 2 11:00 AM: The Power of Knowing Yourself

10:40 AM: MORNING TEA

SESSION 3: EXCLUSIVE KEYNOTE SESSION 11:00 PM: Beyond the Corner Office

SESSION 4: EXCLUSIVE IN-CONVERSATION 11:50 AM: Leading with Impact in Male-Dominated Industries

12:50 PM: LUNCH

SESSION 5 1:50 PM: Leading with Resilience and Purpose

SESSION 5 1:50 PM: Success Beyond the C Suite

SESSION 6 2:40 PM: Leadership at Scale

Robyn will share how women step up by turning financial stewardship into strategic influence, partnering across engineering, operations and government to deliver outcomes that matter. She will unpack how to lift visibility in high-scrutiny forums such as Estimates and board settings, and how to use procurement and contracts as levers for value, risk and delivery. Expect practical plays to map stakeholders, translate numbers into narrative, and show up with calm executive presence in complex public sector settings.

3:30 PM: AFTERNOON TEA

SESSION 7 3:50 PM: The Future of Leadership Is Inclusive

4:30 PM: CLOSE OF CONFERENCE

Post-Conference Workshop