Julie McKay

Renowned for her dedication to inclusive leadership and gender equality, Julie McKay is a distinguished leader. Throughout the course of her influential career, spanning over a decade, she has advanced global gender equality and transformed organisational cultures.

As the Executive Director of UN Women Australia, Julie was instrumental in helping to raise more than $1 million for initiatives that assist women and girls in underdeveloped nations. Engaging hundreds of thousands of Australians in support of gender equality projects and raising awareness of important issues including violence against women, women's access to healthcare, and women's economic security, serves as a testament to Julie’s powerful leadership.

Following her time at UN Women, Julie served as the Chief of the Australian Defence Force's Gender Advisor. In this role, she played a crucial part in advancing the ADF's cultural change program and attempting to integrate gender equality into the core values and procedures of the company.

In recent years, Julie’s focus has expanded to developing high-performance cultures within businesses, highlighting the significance of inclusive leadership. She has devoted a great deal of her career to bridging the gender pay gap, mentoring executives, advising boards, and assisting companies during major transitions and economic downturns - times when initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion run the danger of being neglected. Her extensive background includes work with uniformed services, including Fire, Police, Ambulance, and Corrective Services, where she gained a profound grasp of the potential and problems unique to each.

Julie's expertise in putting into practice a world-leading D&I strategy was demonstrated in her position as Chief Diversity, Inclusion, and Well-Being Officer at PwC Australia. Recognised by Sustainability Magazine as one of the top ten diversity and inclusion leaders in the world, Julie played a critical role in expanding PwC's inclusive culture by emphasising accountability, disrupting norms, and enhancing employee wellbeing.

Julie is also known for organising the Queensland Male Champions of Change and leading initiatives to advance gender equality in sectors that have historically been dominated by men. She is also the chair of the University of Sydney's Women's College Council and has served on the boards of several non-profit organisations, including the Australian Institute of Management (ACT) Advisory Council and the United Nations Association.

In addition to her Executive MBA from the University of Sydney and her Master's in Public Policy from ANU, Julie has recently completed a Churchill Fellowship on women's leadership. Her extensive contributions have earned her numerous accolades, including receiving recognition as the 2013 Young Australian of the Year, the 2012 Young Telstra Business Woman of the Year, and the National Award for Excellence in Women's Leadership.

Beyond her professional endeavours, Julie actively mentor’s young women, assisting them in realising and achieving their full potential. Her thought leadership and inspiration are felt on international stages, such as TedX Canberra, where she is a frequent speaker and advocate for high-achieving and inclusive environments.