Kirstin Ferguson

Dr Kirstin Ferguson is a business leader, company director, award winning leadership expert and author. Kirstin is an experienced Australian business leader and company director and is the former Deputy Chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). She also sits on a number of publicly listed and private company boards.Kirstin draws on her unique expertise as a highly experienced leader over 30 years with her award-winning PhD research to inspire, motivate and educate audiences around the world. She has inspired audiences through discussing leadership in a deeply personal and authentic way while drawing on case studies and research. An engaging, inspiring and insightful Speaker, Kirsten is a popular choice at events all over the globe.

She is one of Australia’s most prominent leadership experts and is also making an impact on the global stage. She was named by Thinkers50 as one of the world’s top 30 “Thinkers to Watch” and was shortlisted for the Thinkers50 Distinguished Award for Leadership.

Her career includes over a decade of experience on a range of company boards, including a previous appointment by the Australian Prime Minister as Acting Chair and Deputy Chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. She’s also been the CEO of a global consulting company, a senior executive at a leading corporate law firm, and spent nearly 10 years as an Officer in the Royal Australian Air Force. A passionate advocate for women, diversity and inclusion, she’s responsible for sparking a viral social media campaign called #CelebratingWomen. Kirstin is also making a global impact, with UK-based Thinkers50 naming her one of the world’s top 30 “Thinkers to Watch” and she was shortlisted for the Distinguished Award in Leadership in 2021. She sits on multiple boards and writes for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

Kirstin Ferguson has a PhD in leadership and culture and writes and speaks widely in the field including in Forbes, Australian Financial Review, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

Kirstin’s next book, Head & Heart: The Art of Modern Leadership will be published by Penguin Random House. Kirstin is the co-author of the award-winning book, Women Kind, which was published in 2018.

Themes: Head & Heart: The Art of Modern Leadership | Emotional Intelligence for Modern Leaders | Opportunities for Leaders in a Post-Pandemic World | Leading From the Front: From the Parade Ground to the Boardroom | Diversity and Inclusion | Trust, Purpose and Ethics for Leaders of the 21st Century | Mastering Emotional Intelligence for Leaders | Leading Through Crises