Helen Conway
Ambassador
Helen Conway was a founding Director and inaugural Chair of AGEC, and previously CEO of the Workforce Gender Equality Agency. Helen spent 10 years in private legal practice, including 7 years as a partner in a major law firm in Sydney, and then moved into the corporate sector where she worked as a senior executive in the insurance, transport, energy, retail and construction industries for 18 years. Helen is currently the Chair of YWCA Australia and YWCA National Housing and School for Life (an organisation providing education and related services in Uganda). She is a director of Westpac Life Insurance, Westpac General Insurance, Westpac Lenders Mortgage Insurance, Endeavour Energy, Catholic Schools NSW and ReachOut Australia, an online mental health service for youth.
As the CEO of the WGEA, Helen stewarded the seamless implementation of new legislation governing the Agency and led the development of the Agency’s strategic vision and long-term change agenda for driving improved gender equality outcomes in Australian workplaces. This included delivering world-leading unique standardised benchmark gender data, and conducting bold change campaigns and developing innovative educational resources.
Helen has a long track record of undertaking a broad range of voluntary activities including those in support of women. She was a member of the New South Wales Equal Opportunity Tribunal for 10 years including 3 years as its Senior Judicial Member.
In 2005, Helen was awarded the Australian Corporate Lawyer of the Year by the Australian Corporate Lawyers Association and in 2015 was inducted into the Women’s Agenda Hall of Fame. Helen is also a mentor with Kilfinan Australia.