Danielle Colley is an integrative life coach and founder of Your Good Life. She helps successful women in business who are dissatisfied with their lives and dealing with pressures from all angles, to reach their full potential by helping them clear the debris from their past, super charge their present and transition from where they are now to where they desire to be.

Today’s EA is no longer defined by tasks, but by the value they create and the trust they build. The shift from support to strategic partner does not happen overnight. It is shaped through initiative, visibility and the ability to step forward and contribute in meaningful ways.

In this engaging and practical session, Michael, Executive Assistant at REA Group and internal award winner, shares how he built his reputation as a trusted partner within a fast-paced, high performance organisation. Drawing on his own non-linear career journey, Michael will explore how to move beyond traditional expectations, earn trust with senior leaders and create impact from day one.

Discover how to take ownership of your role, build influence through action and position yourself as a proactive, valued contributor in any executive environment. Because becoming a trusted partner is not about title, it is about how you show up, every single day.

Most AI training treats Executive Assistants like data entry clerks with better tools. That misses the point entirely.

The EA sits at the most sensitive intersection in any organisation: the place where confidential information, executive judgement, and operational tempo meet. AI is reshaping every part of that role right now. The question is whether you shape it back, or get shaped by it.

This session moves past prompt libraries and productivity hacks. It looks at the real shift underway: EAs are becoming the first line of AI judgement in the business. You decide what AI sees, what it touches, what it remembers, and what it should never go near. That is not a productivity question. It is a trust question, a security question, and a strategy question.

You will leave with:

• A clearer view of where AI strengthens your executive's position, and where it quietly exposes them.
• Practical frameworks for workflows that scale judgement, not just speed
• Cyber awareness habits that protect confidential information in an AI-saturated environment
• Confidence to lead AI conversations in your office, not just respond to them

But the real prize sits one level deeper. Used well, AI does not just speed up your work. It changes how you think, what you notice, and the quality of the questions you bring to your executive. Multiply that across an EA function, and something rare starts to happen: the organisation begins to compound its intelligence rather than just its output. That is the EA's hidden lever, and almost no one is pulling it yet.

Walking into senior leadership meetings and high-stakes environments is not just about being present, it is about how you position yourself in the moments that shape your career.

Executive presence is not defined by title. It is built through how you think, communicate, and show up under pressure.

In this session, you will learn how to elevate your presence from trusted support to strategic partner, so you are recognised, trusted, and considered for greater opportunities.

• Position Yourself as a Strategic Partner - Move beyond task execution and contribute at a higher level by aligning your input to business priorities. This is how you build a more senior, credible presence in the room.
• Communicate with Clarity and Authority - Executive presence shows up in how you communicate. Speak with clarity, confidence, and control in high-pressure environments, so your voice is heard and respected.
• Turn Visibility into Career Growth - Use key moments to build trust, advocacy, and recognition. This is how your presence translates into real opportunities, progression, and next-level roles

The most influential EAs do more than manage logistics. They shape decisions, clarify priorities and think commercially alongside their executive. In this powerful session, learn how to approach challenges with an executive mindset, frame options clearly, anticipate risk and present information in ways that drive confident decision-making.

At the same time, explore how mastering decision support elevates your own career trajectory. Discover how to expand your scope, strengthen your strategic credibility and position yourself for greater responsibility, influence and progression. When you think like an executive, you don’t just support leadership, you become an essential part of it.

Career progression in today’s EA profession is rarely linear. It is shaped by resilience, visibility and the courage to step forward, even when the path is uncertain. In this inspiring and highly relatable session, Linda Bailey, Senior Executive Assistant to the Head of Recycling Victoria, shares her personal journey of navigating change, building credibility and creating opportunity within complex, high-pressure environments.

Through lived experience, Linda will explore how mindset, self-belief and strategic action can accelerate your growth and open doors you may not have thought possible. Discover how to raise your professional profile, contribute beyond your role and position yourself as a valued, forward thinking partner. This session will leave you feeling empowered, motivated and ready to take the next step in your career with confidence.

To close day one, Julia Morris joins us for a candid and entertaining fireside chat on confidence, courage, and the freedom that comes from not taking yourself too seriously. As one of Australia’s most loved comedians and television personalities, Julia has spent her career navigating high visibility, public pressure, and constant reinvention.

In this conversation, she will share stories from behind the scenes of a very public life, reflecting on backing yourself, embracing imperfection, and finding confidence when certainty is nowhere to be found. Expect humour, honesty, and sharp insight, alongside moments that resonate long after the laughter fades.

High-performing executive environments demand focus, resilience and constant adaptability. But long-term influence is not built on exhaustion. In this inspiring keynote, explores how to thrive in high-pressure roles without sacrificing your wellbeing. Drawing on the principles of The Chocolate Bar Life, she will share how to structure your work, rest and renewal with intention, set boundaries that protect your energy, and redefine ambition on your own terms. Discover how sustainable success sharpens your judgement, strengthens your presence and enhances the trust placed in you. Because at the top table, true impact comes from clarity, composure and balance, not burnout.

In high-performing executive environments, avoiding difficult conversations can cost credibility, trust and results. The ability to speak up with confidence, clarity and professionalism is a defining skill of a trusted partner. In this empowering session, discover how to manage up effectively, push back with diplomacy, and navigate complex personalities without damaging relationships.

Learn practical communication strategies for handling unrealistic expectations, shifting priorities and high-pressure moments. Explore how thoughtful, courageous conversations strengthen your executive partnership and position you as a respected voice in the room. Because real influence is not about staying silent, it’s about knowing how and when to speak with impact

On day two, Samantha Armytage joins us for a powerful session on trust, truth and communication in an age of constant noise. As one of Australia’s most respected journalists and broadcasters, Samantha has spent decades working at the centre of breaking news, public debate, and high pressure conversations.

In this keynote, she will reflect on what journalism has taught her about credibility, clear communication, and staying grounded when emotions run high. Samantha will explore how leaders can build trust, ask better questions, and communicate with clarity and integrity, followed by an extended Q and A to deepen the conversation.

The most effective EA–executive partnerships are not built on tasks, but on trust, alignment, and shared accountability. Working at the highest levels of an organisation requires more than strong support skills. It demands judgement, discretion, and the ability to influence without formal authority.

In this practical and insight-driven session, Simone, Executive Assistant to the CEO and CFO at Metricon Homes, shares what it really takes to operate as a true partner at the top table. Drawing on her experience supporting senior leaders in complex, fast-paced environments, Simone will explore how to build trust, manage competing priorities, and contribute meaningfully to decision making.

Discover how to strengthen your executive relationship, influence outcomes and shape team culture through your actions, communication, and presence. Because true partnership is not defined by title, but by the value you bring and the trust you earn every day

Danielle Colley

Speaker, coach, author of The Chocolate Bar Life; Creating a delicious balance between work, rest and play

As the summit draws to a close, take a moment to reflect, reset and refocus. In this energising closing session, will guide you through the key insights of the past two days and help you turn inspiration into practical action. Identify your next steps, clarify your priorities and commit to the changes that will elevate your impact. Leave feeling focused, confident and ready to step forward as a trusted, capable and future-ready executive partner