In this compelling keynote, Professor Michelle Ryan, the Director of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at Australian National University, shares 20 years of evidence-backed insights that will change the way you think about driving real, lasting change in your organisation.

Drawing on her own groundbreaking research, including the internationally recognised glass cliff phenomenon, Professor Ryan explores five common missteps that even the most committed organisations make and, more importantly, what to do instead. From rethinking how we measure progress, to understanding the surprising link between optimism and bias, to the difference between tokenistic and truly transformational allyship, this talk is packed with practical, research-grounded ideas you can bring back to your workplace.

Whether you work in diversity, equity and inclusion, lead a team, or simply care about creating fairer workplaces, this keynote will leave you better equipped, more clear-eyed, and genuinely energised to make a difference.

About the speaker

Professor Michelle Ryan
Professor of Social and Organisational Psychology
Director, Global Institute for Women’s Leadership
The Australian National University

Professor Ryan is a world-renowned gender equality expert, Professor of Social and Organisational Psychology, and the inaugural Director of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at The Australian National University. Her work centres on understanding the psychological processes underlying workplace gender inequality and designing and implementing innovative and evidence-based interventions to increase gender equality.

Watch the full keynote below. You won’t want to miss it.