The Menzies Leadership Foundation warmly congratulates our Board Director Tony Surtees AM on his appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours List, recognised for “significant service to the support and advocacy of technological and charitable entrepreneurialism.” Tony is a visionary leader whose career bridges technology, entrepreneurship, public […]
By Dr. Aiden M.A. Thornton “The leadership we need will not happen by chance. There needs to be ever-stronger purposeful support and development.” This quote from Leading in Complexity: An Initial Enquiry in Tasmania highlights a concern familiar to many leadership scholars and practitioners: effective leadership does not simply emerge from good intentions or coincidence
Future-Ready Leadership – Why Intentional Development Matters Read More »
Episode 1, A Purposeful Edge: Leading in Uncertainty When old certainties collapse, leadership must become something more than operational, it must become deeply transformational. In this first episode of the A Purposeful Edge: Leading in Uncertainty podcast series, Dr Peter Collins is joined by Professor Rufus Black, Vice Chancellor of the University of Tasmania, to
Exploring new governance models through participatory grantmaking. At the Menzies Leadership Foundation, we believe leadership must evolve to meet the complexity of the challenges we face—climate uncertainty, social disconnection, and growing mistrust in our institutions. This evolution calls for bold, experimental models that shift power, foster civic agency, and invest in local capability. As part
Leadership in Practice: Power, Participation and Place Read More »
By Dr. Aiden M.A. Thornton “Generational changes are always a challenge… there are many older leaders at sea to understand how to approach leadership with the younger generations.” This quote from Leading in Complexity: An Initial Enquiry in Tasmania vividly illustrates a tension that many leaders are feeling: how to lead across difference in a
Bridging Generations – Leading in a Shifting Social Landscape Read More »
The Menzies Leadership Foundation, in partnership with Global Voices, is proud to announce the inaugural cohort of the Sir Ninian Stephen Law Delegation Fellows. These three emerging legal leaders—Samar Batool Athar, Tiarna Williams, and Nashita Pasha—have been selected to represent Australia at the United Nations General Assembly Sixth Committee (Legal) in October 2025. This prestigious
Announcing the 2025 Sir Ninian Stephen Law Delegation Fellows Read More »
By Dr. Aiden M.A. Thornton “My complexities as a leader relate to organisational culture and introducing and managing change…”. This quote from Leading in Complexity: An Initial Enquiry in Tasmania captures a reality that many leaders feel acutely: the pressure to manage change at the pace it is unfolding. It’s where good intentions collide with
Culture, Change and Complexity – Aligning for Impact Read More »
Overview Over four years, from 2020 to 2023, the MedTech Actuator, in partnership with the Menzies Leadership Foundation, delivered two national science entrepreneurship programmes. These initiatives were designed to bridge the gap between scientific research and commercialisation by equipping researchers with essential entrepreneurial skills. The programmes offered robust and practical training, one-on-one mentorship, and facilitated
Unlocking the potential of science commercialisation: from training to systemic change Read More »
By Dr. Aiden M.A. Thornton “System complexity is an ever-increasing challenge for leaders… I feel like the level of overwhelm being experienced by leaders is increasing.” This powerful quote from Leading in Complexity: An Initial Enquiry in Tasmania expresses something many leaders are feeling but perhaps struggling to articulate: the creeping weight of complexity, and
The Weight of Complexity – Leading Through Overwhelm Read More »
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.
