LGBTQIA+ Executive Fellowship Alumni
May 2026
The LGBTQIA+ Executive Fellowship is delivered annually by The University of Sydney Business School in partnership with The Pinnacle Foundation. The Fellowship is for mid‑senior LGBTQIA+ leaders/allies keen to build their executive and board leadership capability, confidence, executive presence and networks.
The 2026 Fellowship commenced on Monday 18 May. After a welcome, and reflections from past Fellows Brandy Tsang and Dale Dawson, the 2026 Fellows explored leadership with Professor Kevin Lowe, including a Harvard University simulation. A welcome dinner at Ace Hotel capped off the day, with deeply inspiring keynote addresses from Pinnacle Foundation patrons, the Hon Michael Kirby AC CMG and Professor Annamarie Jagose OAM.
Day two of the Fellowship was an exploration of queer leadership and unlearning with Professor Kai Reimer and Dr Sandra Peter. Planning for group projects commenced.
The third day of the Fellowship opened with Professor Betina Szkudlarek exploring leadership with Pinnacle Foundation patron Professor Jennifer Westacott AC. Jennifer powerfully reflected on her journey, experiences and learnings, with rich questions posed by the Fellows. Betina then further explored concepts of leadership with the Fellows before the cohort migrated from the Business School’s CBD campus to the Sydney offices of Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, a Pinnacle Foundation gold partner. After lunch, an afternoon session with Nick Bryant explored leadership communication, and there was time for group project work.
Thursday’s morning session included Professor Kevin Lowe exploring leadership with Pinnacle patron Alan Joyce AC, and Pinnacle ambassador Benjamin Law. A rich discussion followed with the Fellows. After lunch, Jo O’Reilly impactfully and energetically reinforced to Fellows the importance of personal and authentic leadership impact. A cocktail event followed, hosted by Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer’s Drew Pearson, at which Professor Betina Szkudlarek chaired a panel discussion on social cohesion with Catherine Hunter, Sheetal Deo and Jeswynn Yogaratnam.
The final day of the 2026 Fellowship commenced with a dialogue between Pinnacle Foundation founding chair Paul Zahra and Professor Kevin Lowe. Many questions from the Fellows followed before group presentations commenced. The day ended with a celebratory graduation dinner at the Fullerton Hotel, with Fellows from 2023, 2024 and 2025 attending. The dinner included an “interview the interviewer” session where Professor Betina Szkudlarek interviewed Fran Kelly AO. Graduating Fellows, Captain Jesse Noble and Sue Webeck, enthralled the room with their reflections on the Fellowship, before attendees decamped to Palms for dancing and celebrations into the early hours.
Thank you to the many guest speakers for sharing your lived experiences, insights and wisdom, and to the marvellous team at The University of Sydney Business School, who we are incredibly proud to partner with to deliver this important program. Thank you also to our principal partner, BHP, for funding two places annually at the Fellowship for participants from the non-profit sector.
Congratulations to the 2026 Fellows. We hope you have been enriched with new ways of thinking and leading, and newly forged connections.
Dates for the 2027 LGBTQIA+ Executive Fellowship will be announced soon.
Fellows successfully completing the 2026 LGBTQIA+ Executive Fellowship are recognised below:
July 2025
The LGBTQIA+ Executive Fellowship is delivered annually by The University of Sydney Business School in partnership with The Pinnacle Foundation. The Fellowship is for mid-senior LGBTQIA+ leaders/allies keen to build their executive and board leadership capability, confidence, executive presence and networks.
The 2025 Fellowship commenced on Monday 21 July with a special welcome from the Hon Alex Greenwich, MP, Member for Sydney. Professor Kevin Lowe then explored concepts of leadership and our own leadership styles before Fellows participated in an intense leadership simulation. A welcome dinner was held that evening at Ace Hotel, Sydney. The Hon Michael Kirby AC CMG and Johan van Vloten were guests of honour. Michael reflected powerfully about the direct and indirect impacts we can all have to better the lives of our communities, and of the incredible life and love he has had with Johan since 1969.
On Tuesday 22 July, Professor Kai Riemer masterfully led Fellows through an exploration of the concepts and ethos of queer management and the unlearning of managerial wisdoms. That evening, Fellows spent time finalising the topics for their group projects, which were presented on Friday 25 July, the final afternoon of the Fellowship.
Wednesday 23 July began with Professor Betina Szkudlarek exploring overcoming bias through collective impact and an inspiring address and Q&A with Prof Jennifer Westacott AC. The afternoon Fellowship sessions were generously hosted by Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer and included a panel dialogue with three 2023 Fellows: Caitlyn McLoughlin, Rebecca Morrison and Tom Roets. The day finished with a cocktail event and a further panel exploring LGBTQIA+ intersectionality featuring Dan Bourchier, Rugare Gomo and Sheetal Deo, expertly chaired by Drew Pearson.
The penultimate day of the Fellowship included a leadership dialogue and Q&A with Alan Joyce AC and Meg O'Neill facilitated by Prof Kevin Lowe and an impactful session to refine executive presence and impact with Jo O’Reilly. That evening, Fellows worked on their group projects, ready for presentation on Friday 25 July.
Friday 25 July began with a session on communicating and telling your story with impact delivered by Nick Bryant, and including a powerful exploration of leadership with Paul Zahra. On Friday afternoon, Fellows presented their projects. Projects were judged by a panel comprising Annabel Hung, Associate Professor Danika Wright, Drew Pearson and Ross Wetherbee.
This year’s graduation dinner was held at The Calyx, and to which the 2023 and 2024 Fellowship alumni were also invited. Professor Betina Szkudlarek and Andrew Staite each reflected on such an enriching week of learning and connection, and Professor Annamarie Jagose reinforced the significance of the Fellowship and encouraged Fellows to use their leadership learnings and new connections for good. Luci Ellis then spoke of the gains made towards a richer and more inclusive society.
Thank you to the many guest speakers who freely gave of their time, insights and wisdom, and to the hugely talented team at The University of Sydney Business School who we are incredibly proud to partner with to deliver this important program.
We congratulate the 2025 Fellows and look forward to what you will achieve with your new found ways of thinking and leading and newly forged connections.
Dates for the 2026 LGBTQIA+ Executive Fellowship will be announced soon.
Fellows successfully completing the 2025 LGBTQIA+ Executive Fellowship are recognised below:
We also recognise and celebrate Dawn Emsen-Hough and Mark Baxter for attending and contributing to the Fellowship as observers.
June 2024
The LGBTQIA+ Executive Fellowship, a one-week intensive executive leadership program developed by The University of Sydney Business School in alliance with The Pinnacle Foundation was held for the second time between 3 and 7 June 2024 in Sydney.
As Australia’s LGBTQIA+ education charity, the Fellowship contributes towards realising our vision for a richer, more inclusive society with visible LGBTQIA+ role models. A Pinnacle Foundation alumnus is awarded a Fellowship place in each cohort. We congratulate Pinnacle Foundation alumnus, and NSW Committee member, Veronica Mason, who attended the June 2024 Fellowship.
The Fellowship delivers transformative leadership growth including exploring and reflecting upon leadership styles, team simulations, unlearning managerial wisdoms, exploring authentic belonging, thinking strategically, overcoming bias through collective impact, and understanding presence for impact and influence. Participants work together in project teams to apply their learnings.
Thank you to everyone who made the program possible including the incredibly passionate and talented team at The University of Sydney Business School; Herbert Smith Freehills; Pinnacle patron, the Hon Michael Kirby AC CMG; Pinnacle founding chair, Paul Zahra; Pinnacle patron and Cornerstone member, Alan Joyce AC; Wooside Energy CEO, Meg O’Neill; Equality Australia CEO, Anna Brown OAM; University of Sydney Provost & Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor Annamarie Jagose; JBWere CIO, Dr Sally Auld; and the many Pinnacle partners and supporters who sent representatives/ attended.
The week-long Fellowship ended with a graduation dinner at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, attended by the 2024 graduating Fellows, joined by the 2023 Fellows, fostering a deeper sense of connection and engagement between alumni.
The third LGBTQIA+ Executive Fellowship will be held from 21 to 25 July 2025. For more information please visit: LGBTQIA+ Executive Fellowship - The University of Sydney Business School.
Fellows successfully completing the 2024 LGBTQIA+ Executive Fellowship are recognised below:
September 2023
The inaugural LGBTQIA+ Executive Fellowship, a one-week intensive executive leadership program developed by The University of Sydney Business School in alliance with The Pinnacle Foundation was held between 25 and 29 September 2023 in Sydney.
As Australia’s LGBTQIA+ education charity, the Fellowship contributes towards realising our vision for a richer, more inclusive society with visible LGBTQIA+ role models. A Pinnacle Foundation alumnus will be awarded a Fellowship place in each cohort. We congratulate Pinnacle Foundation alumnus, and volunteer company secretary, Ben Henry, who attended the inaugural Fellowship.
The Fellowship delivers transformative leadership growth through an overarching theme of “unlearning" which challenges traditional managerial wisdom and adapts it to one’s context and lived experience. Feedback from participants was exceptional.
Thank you to everyone who made the program possible including the incredibly passionate and talented team at The University of Sydney Business School, Herbert Smith Freehills, Pinnacle patron, the Hon Michael Kirby AC CMG, Pinnacle founding chair, Paul Zahra, former Pinnacle board member, Dr Cassandra Goldie AO, Equality Australia CEO, Anna Brown OAM and the many Pinnacle partners and supporters who sent representatives/ attended.
