IWD Panel
In a powerful celebration of International Women's Day (IWD) 2024, Senior School students hosted an Alumnae panel discussion that shed light on economic challenges for women and offered some valuable advice.
Our Gender Equity Club marked IWD 2024 by welcoming three distinguished ³ûÖÊÓƵ Alumnae, who have carved out impressive careers in the financial sector, for an event aligned with this year’s United Nations theme "Count Her In".
Orchestrated by our Gender Equity Club Captains, Alice, and Scarlett, it took the form of a panel discussion in the Independent Theatre, which attracted a full house of Senior School students and staff.
The student moderators, Scarlett, Claire, and Nina (Year 12), posed some thought-provoking questions on the critical economic issues facing modern women, including the gender wealth gap and workplace gender inequality. The discussion also provided valuable advice for students to start thinking about paving the way for more secure financial futures.
On the panel was Ms Rebecca Barry (2000), a Strategic Financial Services Leader at the Westpac Group, who has a 15-year track record in financial services and expertise in areas spanning retail banking sales leadership, technical risk, legal roles, and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) matters. “The students were highly engaged and inquisitive about making good decisions and sensible goals early in their study and careers,” Ms Barry said. “It is a credit to them that they led and organised a thought leadership event of this calibre and a credit to the ³ûÖÊÓƵ teaching staff and Principal for fostering environments focused on providing the students with space to plan for their financial futures. I enjoyed meeting so many bright and engaged students and being part of such a wonderful panel.”
Ms Barry was joined by Ms Arabella Tuck (Searle, 2010), a Senior Associate in Tax at Allen & Overy and a Director and Company Secretary at Lifeline Harbour to Hawkesbury. She won the taxation category in the Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 Awards in 2022 and has experience in corporate tax matters, providing advice on topics such as the establishment of international funds and inbound and outbound investment. She commented: “The panel was a great initiative by Gender Equity Club members who put a lot of thought into preparing and asking poignant and challenging questions. The students showed great maturity in their interactions and a keen focus on ensuring their futures as successful “women of spirit”. It was great to see the student audience engaging in discussions and considering their careers, as well as showing great foresight and understanding in seeking guidance from real-world examples of women in business. I was thoroughly impressed by their interest in developing commercial acumen from such a young age, which will serve them well in their lives beyond School.”
“The girls at ³ûÖÊÓƵ have always impressed me with their boldness and strong will, but I was blown away by their confidence, ambition, and genuine curiosity about how to invest in themselves, build financial independence, and set themselves up for a thriving future career,” said the third Alumnae panellist, Ms Grace Malin (2017). She is a Business Analyst at McKinsey & Company, who has spent six years in finance, primarily as an associate analyst covering the retail, food, and beverage sectors, attracting attention for her critical thinking, analytical problem-solving, report writing, and presentation skills. “The students’ enthusiasm and drive were truly inspiring. I believe that events like this have a profound impact on young women, providing a platform to motivate girls to pursue careers that they may not have considered a possibility due to limited exposure or disproportionate female representation. Times are changing, and through the panel discussion, we were able to showcase the flourishing opportunities available for women in the workplace today. I have complete trust in these girls and do not doubt that the future is female,” Ms Malin said.
The School was equally proud of the initiative and execution of our young women. “It was a 100% student-led event, and the organisers should be so proud of their efforts,” said Director of Student Community, Mr Casey Morton. The girls in the audience were engaged in every word our Alumnae had to share”.