Wednesday 19 November 2025

Chair, Queensland Chapter, Chief Executive Women, Ms Megan Corfield, and incoming Chair, Ms Sue Johnson; distinguished guests. 

I begin by acknowledging the Original Custodians of the lands around Brisbane, the Turrbal and Jagera people, and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and to any First Nations people here tonight. 

I am delighted to welcome such an accomplished cohort to Government House to honour the impact of the Queensland Chapter of Chief Executive Women. This gathering provides us with an opportunity to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Chief Executive Women, founded by 15 trailblazers in 1985. 

Today, the organisation has 1,400 members and is a trusted voice on gender equality. 

One of your former presidents, Her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC—renowned for championing affordable childcare reforms—now serves as Australia’s 28th Governor-General. Her appointment reflects the calibre of leadership within CEW and its enduring commitment to shaping national conversations. 

With your current national President, Helen Conway, bringing formidable experience as the former CEO of the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, your reputation will continue to flourish. 

Your strategic insights and advocacy continue to shape conversations and influence decisions, whether it be in the halls of our nation’s parliaments, in boardrooms or in the media. 

Australia has achieved its highest ever global ranking for gender equality by climbing from twenty-fourth (24th) to thirteenth (13th) place in the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Global Gender Gap Report. 

Many challenges remain, including the gender pay gap, housing insecurity, and low female workforce participation — which is closely linked to ensuring genuine flexible work options, addressing occupational segregation, and navigating ongoing debates about diversity initiatives. 

We know that women are still under-represented in senior leadership roles, and that women from diverse backgrounds face additional hurdles.  

Your own recent census revealed that of the CEOs in ASX300, only 25 are female––and only 27% of these companies have gender-balanced executive leadership teams. 

That is what makes your expertise, confidence and willingness to shine a spotlight on gender issues––and to advocate for change––so important. 

Tonight, I wish to particularly acknowledge and thank your Chapter’s President, Megan Corfield, who during her four-year term has made a huge difference in elevating the Chapter’s visibility in government and business circles.   

Megan, thank you for your dedication and leadership of this impressive Chapter, and also for inspiring young professional women to step forward with confidence.  

To the members here tonight, your 40th anniversary provides an opportunity to celebrate your collective achievements and to reconnect with your powerful mission of “women leaders empowering all women.” 

As Governor of Queensland, I thank all of you for championing women from all backgrounds into leadership roles, and for your unwavering advocacy which seeks to achieve better social and economic outcomes for all women. 

Your founders’ work, and that of your current members, is unfortunately not yet done. Although, I am glad to see it bring you together with such shared purpose and camaraderie. 

May your advocacy continue to inspire and shape our nation. 

Member for Nudgee, the Honourable Leanne Linnard MP; Councillor for Northgate Ward, Councillor Adam Allan; Executive Principal, Mr Luke Ferdinands, Deputy Principals, staff and alumni, and the extended school community; students – and in particular, the graduating class of 2025, your family and friends.  

I also begin by acknowledging the Original Custodians of the lands around Brisbane, the Turrbal and Jagera peoples, pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and to any First Nations people here today, thank Eliza and Selena for their Welcome to Country, and Mrs Bowker for her kind introduction. 

Thank you all for making me feel so welcome, and for inviting me to be part of this morning’s very special graduation ceremony. 

I attended the Vietnam Veterans Day Remembrance Service at Anzac Square in Brisbane in August and was deeply impressed by the respect shown by Wavell State High School students. Representing Queensland at ceremonies like this is a significant part of my role as Governor, and I left feeling proud and hopeful that your generation will continue the vital responsibility of honouring those who sacrificed their lives for us in wartime. 

This morning, we celebrate the end of a long educational journey for the Year 12 students—all of you—who are putting your schooling behind you and looking to the future. 

I congratulate you for your accomplishments over such a significant period of your lives, for your contributions to school life, and for being such valuable role models to younger students. 

In some ways it must be hard to believe that you have finally reached this point, when you leave behind the familiarity of a school which has served you so well. 

In fact, I am sure that whenever the graduation countdown started, this moment seemed far away, with many assignments and exams yet to be tackled.  Now, as you are about to step into the future, some of you may know exactly where you are headed, and some of you may not; some of you may continue your studies in some form; others will join the workforce, or pursue new interests.  

The simple fact is that the pathways ahead may be clear and logical, or come with many twists and turns, and as someone who has had my fair share of meandering pathways, I encourage you to embrace opportunities as they arise, even if they come with some uncertainty. 

Wavell State High School has a wonderful reputation for providing excellent, quality education, and a diverse, interesting array of sporting, arts, activities and programs. 

What it has also given you is access to a caring, compassionate community—encompassing the principals, teachers, non-teaching staff, family, and friends within your cohort—whose whole effort has been focussed on making sure you could develop your unique talents and skills, while feeling motivated and supported. 

The strength this community produces is portable—it is embedded within each one of you, and you can carry this with you along whichever pathway life leads you, to give you guidance and courage. 

Importantly, this strength will be expressed in how you choose to interact with others. 

The quality of being genuine is one that is reinforced by your school motto “It is better to be, rather than to just seem”.  

This is such a powerful ethos to live by—being honest and true, not only to others, but perhaps even more importantly, to yourselves. 

I wish you all happiness and fulfilment, wherever life takes you. 

Thank you.