Women in Leadership: Career Impact Panel

Join us for a special online event where we explore the factors positively impacting women’s careers into leadership - with a panel of women who have progressed their careers into senior leadership in different ways and across diverse industries.

In this live conversation, we will be exploring:

• The factors that have enabled their careers, 

• The challenges they’ve faced along the way and how they’ve navigated them,

• Practical wisdom for the women following after them.
  

This is for women in leadership roles, who are on the pathway to be, or aspiring to be.

You’ll leave with insights for navigating your own careers into leadership, inspiration from women who have been there, and connection to other women on similar journeys. 

Because of the nature of this conversation we will NOT BE RECORDING and ask that you turn off AI notetakers.

YOUR PANEL

Dr Kate McLellan

Dr Kate McLellan brings over two decades of healthcare leadership experience across New Zealand and the UK. She currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Auckland Radiation Oncology. 

Kate's career spans both pharmaceutical and private healthcare. At GSK, she served on the executive leadership team, secured funding for vaccine portfolios in New Zealand and Fiji, and acted as the Market Access lead for PHARMAC negotiations. As General Manager of Specialist Engagement at MercyAscot Hospitals she led the business development, marketing, and communications functions.

Until recently Kate also held Director positions on the boards of Auckland Head & Neck Specialists and OneSixOne Medical Group. 

Kate has a Doctorate and Master of Science in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Otago. Her research pursuits at the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research focused on developing immunotherapies to treat cancer and asthma.

Kara Smith

Kara Smith leads Talent's New Zealand business, partnering with senior tech and transformation leaders to build high-performing teams that reflect and serve Aotearoa. With a team of 30 specialists across Auckland and Wellington, she delivers recruitment and consulting solutions spanning executive search, project team assembly, and diversity hiring strategies.

Kara’s journey from humble beginnings to leadership drives her mission: creating pathways for underrepresented talent, particularly wāhine, Māori, and Pasifika professionals in tech. Through initiatives like Rise by Talent and her inclusive leadership approach, she's reshaping what success looks like in New Zealand's tech sector.

Under her leadership, Talent was recognised at the 2024 SEEK SARA NZ Awards for Best Large Agency and Outstanding Progress in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. 

Kara is of Ngāpuhi descent with whānau from Kaikohe. She is based in Tāmaki Makaurau where she raises her two tamariki.

Priyani de Silva-Currie MNZM 

Priyani de Silva-Currie MNZM brings over three decades of leadership in asset management, governance, and organisational transformation across Aotearoa and the world. 

Priyani currently serves as Vice President of the International Federation of Municipal Engineering and sits on the governance board of the National Association of Women in Construction NZ. She is a past President of Āpōpō (Asset Management Association of New Zealand) where she now serves as Life Member and chairs the Professional Practice Committee. Her accomplishments include shaping the accreditation and development of Chartered Professional Asset Managers across the country and leading the development of the Āpōpō Guide - a world first te ao maori based asset management practice guide for New Zealand and other indigenous nations.

Priyani's career reflects a deep commitment to technical excellence and principled leadership. She leads the strategic asset management technical discipline at Beca, manages key client relationships with the Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet, as well as relationships with regional local governments throughout the Top of the South and Lower North Island.

In 2025 Priyanni was recognised with a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for her services to netball, multicultural communicates and civil engineering. 

Dana Youngman

Dana Youngman is an award-winning content executive and experienced board director who has shaped Aotearoa’s screen sector for over two decades. She has an International Emmy Award-winning drama series and a BAFTA-nominated Documentary Series in her portfolio and creates content that resonates globally while amplifying local voices.

Dana became a member of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in 2020 and has directed, produced, and executive produced more than 40 titles and commissioned dozens more - ranging from complex live multicamera broadcasts and current affairs to documentary, lifestyle, reality, scripted drama, animation, and entertainment formats. Her work spans every major platform in New Zealand including NEON, Sky, Whakaata Māori, Three, as well as TVNZ, where - as head of Production - she led departments of 100+ people. 

Dana currently serves as Strategic Advisor to the Chief Executive of the New Zealand Film Commission and Co-Chair of the SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music Trust board.

In 2022, Dana was recognised with the New Zealand Women of Influence Award for her contributions to Māori, Pasifika, and other underrepresented communities on screen.

YOUR FACILITATOR

Dr Amanda Sterling

Dr Amanda Sterling is a principal Director and an award-winning consultant who partners with organisations to remove barriers for women into leadership and create inclusive workplaces where people and businesses thrive.

Amanda combines her decades of experience working in corporate leadership development and culture change, as well as deep expertise on leadership, gender, and inclusion, to help organisations attract and retain more women in leadership and close their gender pay gaps.

Amanda’s groundbreaking PhD research (completed in 2023) revealed critical insights into what is still holding women back from leadership roles and the opportunities to address this. Her research has been featured in NewsHub, The Press, The Dominion Post, NewsTalkZB, RNZ's The Panel, and was highlighted by Global Women and the University of Auckland.

Amanda is originally from the Kaipara region but has called Tāmaki Makaurau | Auckland home for the last 20 years. She is also a proud parent to one son.

REFUNDS AND CANCELLATIONS

In the event you are unable to make it, you can action a self-service refund or cancellation using the Manage Order button on your order confirmation email. We will happily refund your ticket price (less any processing fees) if you action your refund no later than seven days before the event.

had the most positive impact on women’s careers into leadership.