What This Executive Learnt From Working for Kerry Packer

Why It Matters

It shows how purpose‑driven leadership can accelerate gender‑equality reforms and inspire professionals to leverage private‑sector skills for public impact.

Key Takeaways

• Leaving Kerry Packer revealed purpose over profit as career driver.
• Public policy roles leveraged consulting skills for gender‑equality reforms.
• Negotiation and evidence‑based analysis remain core tools in advocacy.
• Women still face hidden work; recognition requires explicit job descriptions.
• Thick skin and self‑belief help leaders handle public criticism.

Summary

The podcast features Mary Wooldridge, chief executive of Australia’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency, reflecting on a pivotal career shift from a high‑paying deal‑making role with media mogul Kerry Packer to purpose‑driven public‑policy work. Her decision to leave a position whose sole aim was to make Packer richer sparked a transition into federal government and later into gender‑equality leadership, where she has overseen legislative reforms and mandatory corporate gender‑target reporting.

Wooldridge explains that the strategic, evidence‑based, and negotiation skills honed in management consulting proved essential in advocating for policy change. At WGEA she cites concrete outcomes: narrowing the gender pay gap, improving workplace fairness, and embedding gender‑equality targets in corporate reporting. She also shares memorable moments, such as Packer questioning her marriage plans and the Wayne Gretzky mantra about taking every shot, underscoring her drive for courageous action.

The interview highlights broader themes: leaders are human, make mistakes, and must develop thick skin against criticism. Wooldridge stresses the hidden work burden on women, urging explicit job descriptions and balanced recognition, while acknowledging structural societal barriers that require collective effort.

Overall, Wooldridge’s story illustrates how aligning personal purpose with professional roles can amplify impact, turning private‑sector expertise into public‑policy success and advancing gender‑equality agendas across Australian workplaces.

Original Description

Mary Wooldridge, the outgoing chief executive of the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, worked for the media tycoon in the late 1990s. 

While her time at Kerry Packer's company, Consolidated Press Holdings, taught her some invaluable skills, Wooldridge found it unmotivating.

On this week’s episode, BOSS (https://www.afr.com/boss) editor Sally Patten finds out why the former politician traded a Packer deal-making role for public policy.

See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.