A National Platform for Leadership in Action

The Menzies Leadership Forum

In a time of accelerating change, contested public debate and growing uncertainty, one thing has become increasingly clear: leadership cannot be left to formal institutions alone. Australia needs places where ideas can be tested, experience can be shared, and leadership can be explored as a practical, collective capability.

In 2025, the Menzies Leadership Forum continued to evolve into one of the Foundation’s most important national platforms — a trusted vehicle for conversation, storytelling and influence that brings together leaders from business, government, academia, civil society and community life to examine what leadership now requires.

Across the year, the Forum established itself as a national thought leadership platform curating multi-sector dialogue through the lenses of complexity, culture, purpose, ethics and leadership development. Collectively, these conversations advanced the Foundation’s central belief that leadership is human-centred, values-driven and shared.

What began as a convening space has grown into something broader: a living platform for leadership learning, reflection and activation.

A defining strength of the Forum in 2025 was the depth and range of its podcast programming. Each series explored leadership from a different vantage point while contributing to a coherent national narrative.

Talking Leadership Development, hosted by Dr Toby Newstead, framed the year by examining how leadership must evolve beyond traditional models toward collaboration, adaptability and systems change. It positioned the Foundation as a serious convener in the field of leadership development.

Leadership: Navigating Complexity, hosted by Dr Aiden M. A. Thornton, translated complexity theory into practical leadership insight, bridging scholarly rigour and applied relevance. It strengthened the Forum’s intellectual credibility and linked the Foundation to emerging global leadership science discourse.

Leadership: Cultivating Organisational Cultures for the Greater Good, hosted by Michelle Bloom, explored organisational culture as a lever for ethical leadership, accountability and performance. Through this series, the Forum extended the Foundation’s reach into corporate and philanthropic leadership audiences.

A Purposeful Edge: Leading in Uncertainty, hosted by Dr Peter Collins, became one of the Foundation’s most resonant public-facing series. Across conversations spanning migration, Indigenous reconciliation, governance, mental health and social cohesion, the series showed how purpose helps leaders navigate turbulence while remaining connected to people and the common good.

Beyond content, the Forum significantly expanded the Foundation’s national footprint. Strong digital performance, growing podcast listenership and integrated thought-leadership campaigns helped position the Menzies Leadership Foundation as a trusted source of leadership insight and practical wisdom. Communications reporting across 2025 recorded substantial growth in impressions, website traffic and audience engagement.

Importantly, the Forum also strengthened the Foundation’s ability to convene across difference. Senior executives, researchers, educators, community practitioners, emerging leaders and philanthropists were brought into shared conversation as peers. In a fragmented environment, this capacity to connect sectors and perspectives has become increasingly valuable.

The Menzies Leadership Forum is not designed simply to comment on leadership trends. It exists to build capability, elevate better examples and help Australians think differently about what leadership can be.

As the platform continues to grow, so too does its relevance. Australia does not need more noise about leadership. It needs more honest conversations, stronger pathways and practical examples of people leading where they are.

The Menzies Leadership Forum exists to help meet that need.

Because when leadership is shared, examined openly and grounded in service, it becomes more than a concept. It becomes a force for national renewal.

Australia does not need more noise about leadership. It needs honest conversations, stronger pathways and practical examples of people leading where they are. In 2025, the Menzies Leadership Forum continued to meet that need — bringing rigorous ideas into accessible public conversation through five distinct podcast series, live convenings and integrated thought-leadership campaigns on complexity, culture, purpose, ethics and the future of leadership development.

What makes the Forum distinctive is not only what it publishes, but what it makes possible — connection across sectors and perspectives that rarely share the same room. If you believe that leadership, when shared, examined openly and grounded in service, becomes a force for national renewal, we invite you to stay connected with the Menzies Leadership Foundation and the conversations shaping the future of leadership in Australia.

Natasha Eskinja

Digital Communications Coordinator

Natasha is driven by a profound passion for both creativity and analytics, a synergy that fosters authentic storytelling in the digital realm with both innovation and integrity. 

Throughout her career, she has consistently integrated the overarching marketing and communications narrative with the emotional connections of audiences. She is currently pursuing a Certificate in Society and the Individual from Flinders University, furthering her exploration of human behaviour and the critical importance of connectedness between organisations, individuals, and communities.

LinkedIn | natasha.eskinja@menziesfoundation.org.au

Sarah Jenkins

Strategic Communications Manager

Sarah has more than 18 years’ experience in communications and marketing leadership across a range of sectors.

Communications strategy and organisational growth is a continuing theme in Sarah’s career. Most recently, she leads the development of a Leadership Movement, evaluated by Menzies Viral Co-efficient Model; a contribution to the NFP. 

Sarah’s early career centred around best practice in marketing and communications which later culminated into the establishment of her very own agency. This work extensively spanned across PR, traditional media, event management, strategy, digital marketing, graphic design and business development consultancy. 

In 2019, Sarah joined the lean and robust team at the Menzies Foundation. She has since crafted the Foundation’s narrative and communication strategy. The development of this strategic communications platform is essential for ‘movement building’ and requires a strong strategic, management and communication skills set. Sarah has brought so much to this important work, which sits at the forefront of communication practice. 

Sarah continues to contribute to the NFP sector through her commitment to Purpose; as she reflects on her own leadership, builds her own leadership capability and contributes to the greater good. 

LinkedIn | sarah.jenkins@menziesfoundation.org.au | 0401 880 071

Rohan Martyres

Director, Strategy and Partnerships

Rohan has 15 years’ experience in facilitating cross-sector collaborations to address complex social and health challenges.  He has worked with the World Economic Forum in Australia, led an international conflict resolution field team in Nepal, and directed a 10-year £40m initiative to reduce health inequity in London.

Most recently, Rohan was Major Grants Development Manager at the Ian Potter Foundation.  He refined the foundation’s major grants strategy, and co-developed a series of large scale initiatives, including joint philanthropic-government funding for a new national organization to support place-based approaches across Australia.

Rohan has held several non-executive roles, including with an international NGO and with London Funders, the peak body of independent foundations in London.  He holds several qualifications including a graduate degree in innovation and strategy from the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.

When Rohan isn’t exploring Melbourne’s creeks with his partner and 6yo daughter, he’s working on his currently weak Australian accent (after 15 years in the UK).

LinkedIn | rohan.martyres@menziesfoundation.org.au | 0404 505 954

Trudy Morrison

Operations Manager

A marketing and communications specialist with over 20 years experience in government, corporate and consumer marketing, Trudy brings her adaptive and organisational project management skills to the Menzies Foundation team. 

With a BA degree in Public Relations, Trudy began her career with the City of Melbourne and in magazine publishing, before moving into marketing communications consulting. She has worked in strategic marketing leadership roles with retail brands and enjoys juggling many projects and tasks simultaneously. Her skills were further enhanced when managing her own communications business representing industries across private education, financial services, aviation, government and the health industry. 

Trudy is passionate about leadership and all people being encouraged to reach their full potential through research and educational initiatives and opportunities throughout Australia. A skilled and accomplished writer and editor Trudy is enthusiastic about bringing her variety of skills to the Menzies Foundation team. 

LinkedIn | trudy.morrison@menziesfoundation.org.au | 0402 361 878

Liz Gillies

Chief Executive Officer

Liz Gillies has had over 25 years experience in a range of fields focused on initiatives for social impact. She has held roles in multiple sectors and academia.

In 2018, Liz was appointed CEO of the Menzies Foundation which aspires to build a leadership movement that supports Australians to pivot to purpose, build their leadership capability and contribute to the ‘greater good’.

Liz joined the Melbourne Business School in 2009 and was instrumental in establishing the Asia Pacific Social Impact Centre (APSIC) and The Centre for Ethical Leadership. In November 2011 she was appointed as research fellow to lead a partnership focused on strategic philanthropy which culminated in the release of the reports: Philanthropy: Towards a Better Practice Model (2018) and the Philanthropy: The Continued Journey to Real Impact and better Practice (2021).

Liz has extensive governance experience, having served on the Board of the Publish Galleries Association of Victoria, Social Firms Australia, Uniting Care Community Options, United Way Australia and the Development Committee of the Towards a Just Society Foundation. She is currently on the Philanthropy Reference Group of Barmal Bijiril and a Director of Philanthropy Australia.

LinkedIn | liz.gillies@menziesfoundation.org.au | 0416 112 703

Natasha Eskinja

Digital Communications Coordinator

Natasha is driven by a profound passion for both creativity and analytics, a synergy that fosters authentic storytelling in the digital realm with both innovation and integrity. 

Throughout her career, she has consistently integrated the overarching marketing and communications narrative with the emotional connections of audiences. She is currently pursuing a Certificate in Society and the Individual from Flinders University, furthering her exploration of human behaviour and the critical importance of connectedness between organisations, individuals, and communities.

natasha.eskinja@menziesfoundation.org.au