Kirstin Ferguson

As an award-winning and globally recognised leader, executive coach, company director, writer and speaker, Kirstin is one of Australia’s most prominent leadership experts, derived from her 30-year executive career in addition to her PhD in leadership and culture.

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.

Kirstin’s unique combination of skills and experience has driven her passion to inspire and educate all to lead from the head and the heart – because she believes everyone is a leader.

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

Kirstin is a sought-after executive coach and public speaker, she is working on her next leadership book, sits on multiple boards and writes for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, answering the nation’s work, leadership and culture questions in her weekly column, Got A Minute?

Kirstin is deeply committed to helping people become the best leaders they can be and helping them to leave a positive legacy in the world. Kirstin believes that while curiosity, wisdom, perspective, and capability will always be important; leading with humility, insight, courage and empathy is just as vital. Leading with the head and the heart is the art of modern leadership and is an ethos Kirstin embodies, and inspires others to live by, every day.

Education

• QUT (Queensland University of Technology) - Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Leadership and Culture 2011 – 2015
• Queensland University of Technology - Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Law 1996 – 2001
• UNSW Canberra - Bachelor of Arts (Honours) History 1991 – 1994
• Australian Institute of Company Directors - International Company Directors Course 2013
• Australian Institute of Company Directors - Company Directors Course 2009
• SCEGGS Darlinghurst 1987 – 1990
• Hurlstone Agricultural High School 1985 – 1986