The top-rated business event for women in financial services – which sold out in 2023 – is designed to equip members of the industry with strategies to accelerate their success and propel their careers to new heights.

The summit includes several keynote addresses and panel sessions, which will spark critical conversations about the issues facing women in financial services while showcasing those in leadership positions who have been reshaping the future of the industry.

It is aimed at like-minded women eager to foster an inclusive financial services industry across mortgage broking, accounting, financial advice, and superannuation industries and contribute to a collective voice that can effect long-term change.

Attendees can engage with trailblazing CEOs, financial professionals, and thought leaders who will discuss ways to foster an equitable industry and encourage more women to join it.

The summit is being supported by SMSF Adviser and its parent company Momentum Media alongside its foremost financial services publishing network, which includes ifa, InvestorDaily, The Adviser, Broker Daily, Accountants Daily, Money Management, and Super Review.

What to expect at the summit

The conference will begin with a panel session where financial services industry association heads will share lessons and leadership insights.

As the evolving corporate landscape demands diverse leadership perspectives, three speakers will explore how the industry is performing in terms of female representation and diversification, and how participants could encourage more women to pursue careers in financial services.

They will discuss how to overcome gender biases in leadership roles, build and leverage diverse teams for innovation, address challenges and seize opportunities in male-dominated industries.

Following this, skincare brand Ella Bache CEO Pippa Hallas will walk attendees through her journey behind the brand, the innovations, the challenges, how she overcame them, and what it takes to steer a 70-year-old business through a rapidly changing world.

Hallas will describe the power of making bold decisions to shape business trajectories, and how she embraced disruptions in the skincare industry while turning mistakes into opportunities.

During the third session, a panel of speakers will delve into how diversity and inclusion could have a positive impact on financial performance and lead to better decision-making and risk management.

The speakers will provide tips on how to measure and track the return on investment from diversity and inclusion initiatives on organisations and the overall economy.

Managing menopause in the workplace will be in focus in the next session as TV journalist and keynote speaker Shelly Horton will share her experiences of perimenopause and how it could impact women, and provide actionable strategies for managing symptoms and workload while balancing career and health.

Furthermore, she will explore what the government is doing to better understand perimenopause and menopause.

In the fifth panel session, speakers will share insights on how women in financial services could leverage existing contacts to cultivate strategic relationships and form a trusted group of supporters to achieve their career goals and improve psychological safety in the workplace.

Former MP and author Julia Banks will address the audience during the final session of the day on how women could tap into personal power in leadership. Using her own experiences in challenging sexism and holding powerful opponents accountable, Banks will impart lessons on how women could advocate for greater diversity to create a more inclusive workplace.

Networking opportunities

A range of speakers will present sessions at the summit, including:

• Sarah Abood: CEO of the Financial Advice Association Australia
• Julia Banks: former federal MP, author, and lawyer
• Cassandra Crowe: CFA, vice president at T. Rowe Price Group and T. Rowe Price Australia
• Pippa Hallas: CEO at Ella Bache
• Shelly Horton: TV journalist
• Joanna James: chief development officer at the Finance Brokers Association of Australia
• Adele Martin: Money Mentor
• Matina Moffitt: partner at Audit & Assurance
• Anja Pannek: CEO of the Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia
• Vicki Stylianou: group executive advocacy and professional standards at the Institute of Public Accountants

Throughout the summit, attendees can network with like-minded professionals, influential public figures, and social advocates.

The Women in Finance Summit 2024 will be held on Friday, 15 November 2024 at Hyatt Regency, Sydney.

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For more information, including agenda and speakers, click here.

This summit is produced by Captivate Events. If you need help planning your next event, email director Jim Hall at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.