WENDY MCCARTHY AO Wendy McCarthy is an experienced manager and company director who began her career as a secondary school teacher. She moved out of the classroom into public life in 1968 and since then has worked for change across the public, private and community sectors, in education, family planning, human rights, public health, overseas aid and development, conservation, heritage, and media. She has held many significant leadership roles in key national and international bodies including eight years as Deputy Chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ten years as Chancellor of the University of Canberra, and 12 years of service to Plan Australia as Chair, with three years as Global Deputy Chair for Plan International. Wendy currently chairs headspace – the National Youth Mental Health Foundation and Circus Oz, Australia’s leading circus. She is Deputy-Chair of Goodstart Early Learning, Australia’s largest early learning provider and a Non-executive Director of IMF Bentham, the world’s oldest and most successful litigation funder. She is a Patron of the Sydney Women’s Fund, Ambassador for 1 Million Women and Advisor to Grace Papers. She has also established several businesses, including her national consulting practice McCarthy Mentoring which specialises in providing mentors to major corporations, the public sector and not for profit organisations. Her daughter Sophie McCarthy bought the business in 2012, and Wendy continues in the role of founder and mentor. Her advocacy and leadership have been continuously recognised: 1989 Appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for outstanding contributions to community affairs, women’s affairs and the Bicentennial celebrations. 1996 Awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of South Australia 2003 Awarded a Centenary of Federation medal for business leadership. 2005 Nominated by the Sydney Morning Herald as one of Australia’s Top 100 Public Intellectuals
2011 2013 -
Featured in the International Women’s Day publication The Power of One which profiled 100 women who have shaped Australia. Inducted into the Women’s Agenda Hall of Fame for her contribution to the lives of Australian women.
Wendy is an experienced speaker and facilitator, and is regularly asked to comment on social and political issues. She enjoys writing and is the author several books including her memoir Don’t Fence Me In published by Random House in 2000.