Business Women’s Lunch 2018 Speakers Announced

We are pleased to announce that this year’s guest speakers are Karen Borg, former CEO of Jobs for NSW, Ann Sherry, Chairman of Carnival Australia, and Raelene Castle, Rugby Australia’s first female Chief Executive Officer.

This year the focus of the discussion will be on the challenges women face in earning respect and maintaining integrity in the modern workforce.

The event will be an outstanding opportunity to entertain executives and potential clients who will be empowered and motivated. Tickets for tables are selling quickly so make sure you reserve your interest and book today!

Date:   Wednesday 30 May 2018
Time:   12pm to 2.30pm
Venue:   The Ivy Ballroom, George St Sydney
Cost:   $180 per seat, or $1700 per table (10 seats)

Karen Borg
Jobs for NSW former CEO

Karen Borg is a commercial business leader who has worked for blue-chip companies in Asia, the USA and Europe in mature and emerging geographies in fast-moving consumer goods and healthcare. Karen was inaugural CEO of Jobs for NSW from December 2015 to March 2018. She created an organisation to better assist businesses to start up and scale, thereby creating meaningful jobs.

To do this, Karen launched a funding vehicle in government that redesigned public sector support for private enterprise.  This resulted in a significant shift from a grant-based approach to recyclable debt funding for growing businesses including, in partnership with First State Super, a $150M equity fund.  Jobs for NSW was also the first organisation in NSW government to engage with the private sector meaningfully, particularly startups, with the most tangible delivery in February 2018 of the Sydney Startup Hub, a dedicated building in the CBD housing over 2000 entrepreneurs.

Jobs for NSW also delivered jobs research and policy, including the release in August 2016 of the Jobs for the Future report which delivered a comprehensive strategy for the creation of new jobs over the next 20 years, identified the 11 industry sectors that NSW has competitive advantage in and specified that it is small to medium enterprises that scale that drive all job creation.

Karen was previously President, APAC for ResMed and a Global Vice President, Marketing for Johnson & Johnson.  She has also worked for Revlon in Eastern Europe, Seagram in Russia, Goodman Fielder in Australia and Taiwan and Nestle in Australia.

Karen was a NSW finalist for Telstra Businesswoman of the Year in 2017 and was on the NSW Export Advisory Council. Karen holds a B.A. from the University of Sydney and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Ann is the Chair of UNICEF Australia, a Council Member of Philanthropy Australia and currently holds non-executive roles with National Australia Bank, Sydney Airport, Palladium Group, Rugby Australia, Cape York Partnerships, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and Infrastructure Victoria.

Beginning working life as a radiographer, Ann became First Assistant Secretary of the Office of the Status of Women in Canberra before moving to the banking sector initially in HR roles, then in CEO roles with Westpac NZ and the Bank of Melbourne.

The Australian Government awarded Ann the Centenary Medal in 2001 and in 2004 she was awarded an Order of Australia. In 2015, Ann was named as the overall winner of the Australian Financial Review 100 Women of Influence Award.

Ann devotes considerable energy to her passion for women’s rights, currently convening the MCC STEM group, opportunity for Indigenous communities, philanthropy and to the arts.

Raelene Castle
Rugby Australia Chief Executive Officer

Raelene joined Rugby Australia as the code’s first female Chief Executive Officer, beginning in the role in January 2018.

She was previously the CEO of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, where she spent four years leading the National Rugby League club after 6 years as CEO of Netball New Zealand. Before beginning her career in sports administration, Raelene was a successful communications and marketing executive in the corporate sector.

She is a former head of business marketing at Telecom NZ, communications manager at Bank of New Zealand and a marketing manager for Fuji Xerox.

She has a rich sporting background as a former representative-level netball, tennis and lawn bowls player. Her father Bruce Castle is a former New Zealand Rugby Captain, and her mother Marlene a three-time Commonwealth Games lawn bowls medallist.

Raelene has held several governance roles in sport, previously serving as a board director of the ANZ Championship netball, the International Federations of Netball Associations (IFNA) and as chair of the NRL club CEOs leadership group.

Raelene was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in 2015 for services to Business and Sport. Born in Wagga Wagga NSW, she moved to New Zealand as young child and returned to Australia following her appointment as Bulldogs CEO in 2013