I would love to help you with any of the following:
Keynote Speaker &
"How to Coach C-Suite Teams" Instructor
As a natural storyteller and teacher, I engage audiences with leadership lessons drawn from both the boardroom and the trenches — stories I’ve lived as a senior executive and coached as a trusted advisor. My tales are relatable, often hilarious, and always thought-provoking, blending fresh perspectives with insights from neuroscience, ancient philosophy, and everyday psychotherapy.
Over a 35-year career, I’ve worked “inside” as the most senior People & Culture officer at Commonwealth Bank and Cochlear, and “outside” as an advisor to over 50 organisations. My focus: CEO succession, leadership psychology, and culture blueprinting.
CEO Testimonials
John
Quayle
CEO National Rugby League and
NRL Hall of Fame
“Katharine was a driving force in the operational planning for the Sydney Olympics—and just as powerful behind a microphone.
She brings the same focus, humour, and clarity to her speaking that she brought to every challenge we faced together. She’s one of the best communicators I’ve ever worked with—and she always had a sense of what was coming before the rest of us saw it.”
Jon
Sutton
CEO ScotPac, CEO Bank of Queensland, CEO Bankwest
“Katharine has advised me and my executive teams on leadership and culture for over 15 years. I continue to rehire her for her exceptional coaching, facilitation, and speaking impact.
She doesn’t just talk about leadership when she’s on stage—she makes you feel it. Whether addressing 10 or 300 people, she brings clarity, energy, and insight that sticks—especially about where leadership is headed next.”
Chris
Smith
Global CEO of Cochlear,
CEO NeoGenomics
“Katharine helped shape our global people and culture strategy during my tenure as CEO of Cochlear. She made an everlasting impact on the global business and our multicultural organization.
Her style is sharp, heartfelt, and deeply relevant to today’s business leaders. She brings vision and humanity to every conversation—and a rare ability to connect today’s choices to tomorrow’s realities.”
Betina
Szkudlarek
UX / Professor of International Mgmt, University of Technology
“Katharine is one of the most knowledgeable, inspiring and engaging speakers I have ever met. I have been inviting Katharine to guest lecture at the University of Sydney Business School for over seven years.
Her insights on neuroscience and leadership are among the most powerful learning experiences. Her classes are a truly transformative experience for everyone, and her passion, connection with the audience and wealth of knowledge are truly unique!”
John
O'Sullivan
CEO Tourism Australia,
CEO Experience Co
"Katharine is a rare speaker—combining warmth, intellect, and hard-won experience. I’ve seen her engage executive teams and large audiences alike with stories that land as sharp strategic insights. Her ability to anticipate the next era of leadership makes her voice essential right now.”
Geoff
Parmenter
CEO Events NSW; CEO New Sydney Waterfront
“Katharine stands for her strategic clarity, communication skill, and ability to keep people focused. Over the years, she’s only deepened her insight—especially around the future of leadership and culture. As a speaker, she brings both sharp intelligence and grounded humanity.”
Ian
Bottrell
Division President, USA for Jones Lang Lasalle (JLL)
“Katharine is perhaps the cleverest and most capable person I have ever worked with. She brings insight, structure, and emotional intelligence to everything she does. When she speaks, she delivers ideas that are clear, grounded, and just far enough ahead to change your thinking.”
Rob
Forsyth
Chair, Crimestoppers NSW, Chair Manly Rugby, MD APAC Sophos
“Katharine is a master in leadership under pressure. She brings clarity, empathy, and calm to some of most complex planning environments I’ve seen. I continue to see her leadership thinking evolve—and she brings a sharp, future-focused lens to every conversation. As a speaker, she combines strategic depth with human insight.”
Is this the organisation you are leading?
Left unchecked, these patterns harden until your organization becomes IRRELEVANT to your customers and your talent.
Assess your Leadership
in an AI World
It's time to make a choice as a leader:
Irrelevance or Ingenuity?
Irrelevance
- Vision gap: Strategy doesn’t translate to the day-to-day (including how new tools like AI serve it), so effort scatters.
Decision drag: When data is messy, calls get deferred; speed and confidence fade.
Isolated efforts: Pilots pop up in pockets (some AI), but value doesn’t scale across teams.
Control without clarity: Ownership and decision rights are fuzzy; escalation and rework grow; leader lead by force
Energy dip: People feel anxious and detached; initiative shrinks.
Ingenuity
- Clear direction: Everyone knows what matters this week—and where AI actually amplifies value.
Timely judgement: Make the call with imperfect data; learn and adapt fast.
Compound collaboration: Work cuts across teams; proven pilots scale and stick.
Trust with accountability: Who decides what—and by when—is explicit; meetings create momentum.
Real engagement: Leaders’ words and rituals match; energy and initiative lift.
The VISTA Framework I've created:
Five Choices Towards Ingenuity
Which Choices are you making in your leadership now?
Where I've studied, worked & served
Introductory Videos
A 3-minute introduction to me reflecting on talent and leadership in this "AI Age" emerging
Discover how brain-friendly workplaces can unlock human potential in the Inspiration Age.
