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.

The role of the executive assistant has evolved far beyond coordination and administration. Today’s most effective EAs operate as trusted partners, helping leaders navigate competing priorities, manage stakeholder relationships, and make informed decisions in complex public sector environments.

In this opening keynote, Andi shares insights from supporting senior leaders within the Australian Public Service and explores what it takes to build trust, credibility, and influence as an executive assistant. Drawing on her experience working closely with executive leaders, Andi will discuss the importance of anticipating needs, communicating with confidence, and contributing to effective decision making behind the scenes.

This session will set the tone for the summit, offering practical reflections on how EAs can strengthen their impact and become indispensable partners in public sector leadership.

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.

With a career spanning almost 40 years we've grown up with Indira effortlessly anchoring the evening news, cooking up a storm on MasterChef, spruiking the joys of balcony gardening, hosting radio shows, to even - later this year - making her Sydney Opera House stage debut as an actor in the political comedy Housework.

So how do you build a long-lasting, decorated career in the notoriously cut-throat world of media and stay true to your ideals and values?

In this inspiring session Indira explains why it's possible to succeed badly and fail well and why being endlessly curious can fortify you in times of loss and set-back.

Executive support roles in the public sector often involve fast paced environments, high expectations and constant change. While the work can be rewarding, sustaining performance over time requires balance, resilience and self awareness.

In this inspiring session, Danielle explores how to maintain energy, focus and clarity while operating in demanding roles. Learn how to manage competing pressures, establish healthy boundaries, and sustain your effectiveness without burnout.

Working closely with senior leaders requires the ability to communicate openly and constructively, even when conversations become difficult. Whether managing expectations, raising concerns, or addressing competing priorities, the ability to manage up effectively is a critical leadership skill.

In this practical session, explore how to approach challenging conversations with professionalism and confidence while maintaining trust and strong working relationships.

Leadership is rarely defined by the moments that go to plan. More often, it is shaped by the decisions we make in the face of adversity, uncertainty and change. In this inspiring fireside conversation, actress, author and advocate Madeleine West shares the experiences that have shaped her remarkable journey and the lessons they offer for leaders navigating today's complex world.

Through an honest and engaging discussion, Madeleine will explore the power of courage, authenticity and staying true to your values, even when the path ahead is uncertain. Discover how life's greatest challenges can become catalysts for growth, how vulnerability can strengthen leadership, and why the choices we make in difficult moments often define the leader we become.

Following the conversation, Madeleine will remain on stage for an extended audience Q&A, offering delegates the opportunity to ask questions, reflect on the day's conversations, and leave the summit feeling inspired, empowered and ready to lead with greater courage and purpose.

The strongest executive assistant and leader relationships are built on more than effective communication and organisation. They are founded on trust, discretion, mutual understanding, and a shared commitment to achieving outcomes.

In this practical session, Samantha draws on her experience supporting senior leaders across government, including within the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman, to explore what makes high trust executive partnerships successful. Samantha will share insights into building credibility, managing competing priorities, navigating sensitive issues, and maintaining strong alignment with executive leaders in complex environments.

This session will provide practical strategies for strengthening trust, enhancing communication, and developing the judgement and confidence required to become an indispensable partner to executive leadership.

Supporting senior leaders in high stakes environments requires far more than exceptional organisation. It demands sound judgement, discretion, and the ability to navigate competing priorities while maintaining trust and confidence at every level.

In this practical session, Alisha draws on her experience supporting executive leadership in a complex government environment to explore the critical role executive assistants play in enabling effective decision making. Alisha will share insights into building trusted relationships, anticipating challenges, managing sensitive information, and providing calm, consistent support when the pressure is high.

This session will offer practical strategies for strengthening executive partnerships, exercising influence with confidence, and supporting leaders through complexity, change, and competing demands.

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, Danielle 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.