Shirley Chowdhary is an inspirational and engaging speaker and presenter.
Recognised as an Australian Financial Review Women of Influence in 2019, and most recently awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of Sydney in 2024, Shirley will inspire your audience on range of topics coming from her diverse international career. Her career has spanned a diverse range of roles, from doing the New York bar exams and working for one of the top New York law firms to being Regional Counsel Asia Pacific at JP Morgan to being CEO for a large Indigenous organisation here in Australia. Now as a non-executive director and consultant, Shirley engages her audiences with her extensive experience and storytelling.
She has been the host of the Women’s Agenda podcast series The Leadership Lessons, the Chair of the Australian Institute of Architects, author of a range of writings, including a biography for a WW2 POW, a consultant in gender lens investing and is the Chair of the Women’s Agenda Leadership Awards and Women for Election. Her portfolio has also included an extensive range of volunteering.
Current Work:
Shirley is the Chair of Women for Election and is a Non-Executive Director on the boards of the Australian Associated Press and Northrop Consulting Engineers. She is also an external member of the University of Sydney People & Culture Committee of the Senate. She sits on the Advisory Boards of Propel, an organisation enhancing digital reputation, and Mentor Walks, providing accessible mentoring for women in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Canada and Dubai. Her portfolio also includes providing advisory services to a number of organisations.
Shirley’s expertise includes:
- Leadership experience in Japan, US, Australia and across Asia
- Gender equality, including using gender-lens investment as a tool to increase outcomes for women, girls and non-binary individuals in developing countries and promoting the election of women into all levels of the Australian government
- A strong focus on Indigenous success, Reconciliation and connection of shareholder value to community impact
- Contemporary corporate governance in listed, private and not-for-profit companies
Previous Experience:
Shirley’s career commenced in M&A, project finance, and corporate law in the New York law firm of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton. She then moved to investment management as Regional Counsel with JP Morgan before spending over four years as a senior counsel at Westpac. In addition to spending ten years in the NFP and community sector, Shirley was the inaugural CEO at the GO Foundation, an Indigenous organisation founded by Adam Goodes and Michael O’Loughlin, Sydney Swans champions, and providing holistic education pathways and support to Indigenous students across Australia. During her tenure as CEO of the GO Foundation, founded by Adam Goodes and Michael O’Loughlin, Shirley led the organisation to exponential growth.
Key to success in the role, Shirley developed a collaborative Ecosystem model amongst government, philanthropy, corporates and other NFPs, providing funding and other support for Indigenous education.
Since 2021 Shirley has provided consulting services to the University of Sydney, Scanlan Theodore, the Criterion Institute (US), the Paul Ramsay Foundation, Melbourne Indigenous Transition School and Shalom Gamarada. Her consulting services cover gender-lens investing; systems lift to the NFP sector, Indigenous empowerment and contemporary corporate governance.
Shirley has always maintained a strong connection to purpose, working in the NFP space while maintaining a corporate career. She has volunteered on the executive management team at the Redfern Legal Centre, been a presenter with The Cerebral Palsy Alliance, a Non-Executive Director, Deputy Chair of YMCA NSW and Chair of the Australian Institute of Architects. She has also written a book capturing the life of a WW2 prisoner of war.
Talking Points
Why We Need Gender Diversity
Creating an edge in business is getting more and more challenging. Yet we are still not doing everything we can to lift female economic empowerment in the workforce, in community, in business and in our governance systems. So many of our systems need to be reshaped to remove barriers for women’s advancement - sticky floors, glass walls and glass ceilings continue to hold women back, and it is incumbent on all of us to dismantle those barriers for the next generation. Despite the advances made, we are going backwards in key indicators of gender equity. Why We Need Gender Diversity
Key Takeaways:
- Understand the importance of continuing to push barriers and ensuring that we do not leave anyone behind.
- Learn about the importance of intersectionality and strategies for ensuring that space is not only created at the table for a range of diverse voices, but that we also create the space to hear what diverse views might have to say.
- For financial services clients, understand how to increase gender lens investing and recognise gender inequality as a systemic risk
Who is this for?
All organisations trying to shift (or throw a spotlight on) the gender imbalance in middle management, executive teams and boards. Government entities and APS, leadership conferences and all levels of organisations.
Diversity & Inclusion as a Driver for Change
Diversity and inclusion should not be buzzwords; they are a financial and business imperative for organisations to stay relevant, engage their younger workforce and continue to innovate. Shirley will focus on the necessity of all types of diversity (gender, racial, cultural, disability, LGBTIG+, neurodiversity and the diversity of education, experience, and background) in the workplace, the significance of engaging with Indigenous Australia and why we need a diversity of voices and experience in all aspects of our workplace. Diversity & Inclusion as a Driver for Change
Key Takeaways:
- Understand how we must connect inclusion to all parts of our product and service pipeline to ensure we represent our target audience in all levels of decision making..
- Understand the risks from a corporate governance perspective for companies that don’t adjust their thinking.
Who is this for?
Boards and leadership teams, Corporates, government, NFP, philanthropy, women’s groups, graduates, leadership groups.
Reconciliation from a Non-Indigenous Perspective
Following the unsuccessful referendum in 2023, why must we continue to care about Reconciliation?Reconciliation from a Non-Indigenous Perspective
Shirley discusses the absolute imperative for Australia to continue fighting for a different future. Shirley will share a non-Indigenous perspective of why Reconciliation is so important, and why it is vital for organisations to support Indigenous self-determination now more than ever before.
As non-Indigenous Australians, we must take our lead on Indigenous issues from Indigenous voices: that we are led by what Indigenous Australia asks for themselves, that we support self-determination for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and that we ensure that their voices are heard.
Shirley was the inaugural CEO of the GO Foundation founded by Adam Goodes and Michael O’Loughlin. Under her leadership, the GO Foundation grew exponentially, and Shirley created a collaborative ecosystem of corporates, government, philanthropy and community who supported Indigenous education around Australia. Shirley uses this experience to share practical tips for organisations and individuals to continue the fight for a better future.
Who is this for?
Corporates, NFPs, government, women’s groups and international audiences. Broad appeal especially during NAIDOC Week and Reconciliation Week, and for any organisation that has a Reconciliation Action Plan or is trying to do more to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Key Takeaways:
- statistics and the imperative for change
- our history, and the impact it has had on Indigenous Australians
- The importance of the gift that is the Uluru Statement from the Heart
- Indigenous Australians have the worst life outcomes of any indigenous people in the world. Further education after year 12 is the silver bullet that can change everything from life expectancy to employment prospects.
- Reconciliation requires us to think expansively in our organisations and incorporate different thinking in everything we do.
- the opportunity for a better future and what that could mean for Australia
How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome
In 2024, Shirley received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of Sydney. Despite it being the highest honour the University can bestow, Shirley struggled with sharing the accolade publicly. When she finally did share the news on LinkedIn (4 weeks after the event), she also shared how hard it was for her to talk about herself and how much she had struggled with her own imposter syndrome. The post went viral with 100,000 people engaging. She was inundated with private and public messages about how others shared the same struggle.How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome
Shirley has fought with imposter syndrome for most of her career and she often says " a little bit of me dies every time I enter a room". Yet, Shirley has been able to ensure that her imposter syndrome is kept in check, and she has been able to craft her career, using networking and relationship building in a way that suits her. She has stepped out as a role model to other woman (especially diverse women) and tried to use her platform to elevate others whilst telling her story.
Key Talking Points
- Practical tips on how to keep your imposter syndrome in check.
- Drawing on her interviews with famous Australian leaders and founders of major Australian businesses for the Women's Agenda The Leadership Lessons podcast, Shirley will share stories of others leaders she has interviewed who all deal with Imposter Syndrome and negative voices in their heads
- Listeners will leave feeling empowered and ready to embrace their own imposter syndrome to further their own life and career goals.
My Career Story and My 10 Year Career Gap
In this inspirational talk, Shirley shares the key lessons from her career journey spanning almost 30 years, including a ten year career gap away from corporate Australia.My Career Story and My 10 Year Career Gap
From New York to Japan, and Asia to Australia, Shirley weaves her career story sharing her very personal recollections of sexual harassment, her leadership journey (from bad to good), her struggle to balance a family with 3 children and a diverse career, and her travels through international law, journalism, financial services, the NFP sector and now to a portfolio career.
Shirley will share lessons that she learnt along the way including dealing with imposter syndrome, transitioning careers and moving sectors and countries, the importance of prioritisation, why we all have to make choices along the way, and the struggles of coming back from a 10 year career break.
Shirley weaves a captivating and inspiring story of her career and links her journey to key lessons that we can all apply to our own career journeys that are easily relatable. This talk will stay with listeners for a long time.
Who is this for?
Corporate groups, leaders, women’s groups, those wishing to pursue a board career or anyone looking to take the next step in their career, corporates, NFP, professional services.
Key Takeaways:
- That you can have multiple careers during your journey; that you can do it all, but perhaps not all at once
- the importance of servant leadership
- the importance of making choices and evolving your priorities
- balancing work, life and family
- resilience and overcoming hurdles
- working with good, bad and toxic leaders
MC’ing and Facilitation
Shirley engages audiences from the get-go with her authenticity and engaging style. Her on-stage warmth and ability to touch audiences with her personal stories and charismatic energy immediately puts audiences and guests at ease. She believes that all audience members must leave an event feeling inspired, energised and activated, and this drives her relentless preparation before an event and her desire to interact with the subject matter. She arrives prepared for anything and works hard to ensure that all speakers and guests feel comfortable.MC’ing and Facilitation
Conversations flow naturally, and Shirley makes everyone feel at home.
Shirley was a wonderfully engaging speaker. Her insights into how to be a positive ally for indigenous advancement were invaluable. Her engaging, authentic style was very accessible to our d ... keep reading Jemena
We would like to express our deepest gratitude to Shirley who delivered an incredibly authentic, raw and engaging keynote. We have received nothing but the highest praise with some of the audience noting that it was one of the best keynote speeches they had ever heard - totally frank, honest and very relatable.
There has been a lot of anecdotal feedback about Shirley and every single person has said how amazing she was and that they really enjoyed her at this event. On a personal note, I would like to thank Shirley for being a fantastic keynote speaker who really made a difference to our event. Shirley’s individual speech was fantastic and real, her knowledge and expertise was invaluable and really made a difference. During the panel Q&A Shirley created a comfortable, friendly atmosphere that slowed for fluid and engaging discussion. Someone said to me they felt like they were listening in at a dinner party. It was truly a comfortable and engaging discussion. However, that did not make the conversation any less insightful or meaningful. Before and during the event Shirley has been truly a pleasure to work with.
Shirley has an exceptional ability to completely engage her audience from start to finish. She is extremely knowledgeable in all aspects on Inclusion and diversity, and she is one of the most authentic speakers I have had the privilege of moderating. I would highly recommend Shirley for any discussion on Inclusion and diversity.
Shirley was AMAZING. She was so calm and considered in her delivery, and definitely got the room talking about treatment of our First Nations people afterwards. And to top it off she was just delightful to deal with.
