Book a keynote

Kate Jenkins AO is a leader, lawyer, adviser and advocate who has led cultural reform and advanced diversity, inclusion and performance in Australian workplaces, sport, the arts, parliament and education.

Kate is Chair of the Australian Sports Commission, the agency responsible for supporting and investing in Australian sport, from grassroots to elite. She is also Chair of the Creative Workplaces Council, which is responsible for promoting fair, safe and respectful workplaces in the arts sector.

Kate recently completed her 7 year term as the Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner. A highlight of Kate's term was leading the landmark Respect@Work: National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces Report (2020), with the Federal Government committing to implementing all 55 recommendations of the report in full. She also conducted Time for Respect: the fifth national sexual harassment survey and chaired the Respect@Work Council leading regulators, employers, worker representatives and civil society to implement changes in sexual harassment laws and practices.

Kate was an Ambassador for the FIFA2023 Women's World Cup, and the T20 Cricket Women's World Cup. Kate has worked with a range of sporting codes to improve inclusion, including golf, cricket, Australian Rules Football, and netball, and conducted the Independent Review of Gymnastics in Australia in 2021 (Change the Routine).

Kate also led the Commission's collaborative projects on cultural reform with the Australian Defence Force, Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force. Other significant projects include: Change the Course: national survey sexual harassment and sexual assault at Australian universities (2017), and Set the Standard: Independent Review of Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplaces (2021).

Prior to joining the Commission, Kate spent three years as the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner, 20 years as employment lawyer and lead equal opportunity partner with Herbert Smith Freehills and many years serving on the boards of Berry Street Victoria, Heide Museum of Modern Art, Play by the Rules and Carlton Football Club.

Founder and Principal

Natasha is recognised nationally and internationally as a human rights, equality and inclusion expert. She is a Sessional Commissioner at the Victorian Parliamentary Workplace Standards and Integrity Commission.

While specialising in the rights of women at work, Natasha brings to this a holistic and intersectional understanding of racial equality, disability rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, and age discrimination.

As Principal of Intersection Natasha is a sought-after expert advisor on cultural reform initiatives across the public and private sectors. In this role Natasha led the Safe, Respectful and Inclusive Workplace Review of Chevron Australia, the Independent Review of Workplace Culture of the Productivity Commission and Out in the Open: Changing the Culture at Nine Entertainment.

Prior to establishing Intersection, Natasha led significant national policy reforms including: 


• Set the Standard: the Independent Review into Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplaces (2021) and

• Respect@Work: the National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces (2020).

Natasha’s deep workplace culture experience covers a wide range of sectors and includes leading partnerships with the Australian Defence Force, Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force; working with sporting codes including the AFL, Cricket Australia, Golf Australia, Basketball Australia, Football Australia and FIFA; supporting change efforts in the resources and mining sector; and in the arts and entertainment sector, among others.

Natasha is currently a: 

• Non-Executive Director at Plan International Australia

• Board Advisor, Teach Us Consent

• Basketball Australia Board Nominations Committee Member


• Human Rights Steering Committee Member, AFL Players’ Association


• Human Rights Advisor, Sport Integrity Australia

• Non-Executive Director, Monte Sant’ Angelo Mercy College.

Michelle has more than 30 years of public sector experience in both senior executive and legal counsel roles and lead Safe Work Australia as CEO for 10 years from 2013-2023. She is passionate about work health and safety. 

While CEO of Safe Work Australia, Michelle led and delivered a number of significant work health and safety initiatives including the development of Australia’s first Model Code of Practice on Managing psychosocial hazards at work, the development of two Australian Work Health and Safety Strategies, leading the national COVID-19 response for all Australian workplaces with respect to work health and safety law obligations, progressing WHS ministers agreed recommendations from the 2018 Review of the Model WHS laws, leading the review of over 700 chemicals as part of the Workplace Exposure Standards Review and progressing a report in relation to the prohibition of engineered stone to Australia’s WHS ministers. 
 
Michelle was awarded a Public Service Medal at the 2022 Australia Day honours, for outstanding public service to the health and safety of Australian workplaces and the community, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Michelle held a number of positions related to work health and safety, both domestically and internationally, while CEO of Safe Work Australia including as a Member of Safe Work Australia and its subsidiary committees, Commissioner of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission, Member of the National Dust Disease Taskforce, Member of the Respect@Work Reference Group, Member of the Respect@Work Council, Member of the G20 Occupational Safety and Health Expert Network and Member of the  Singaporean Government International Advisory Panel for Workplace Safety and Health  and observer of the Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities and Heads of Workers’ Compensation Authorities.