Beaumont People Blog

Engagement Australia Conference, July 2026

(By Alma Raheem) When I asked Cleola Anderiesz what people often underestimate about being a CEO, she described it as "the weight of knowing." The responsibility of carrying information that can't always be shared. Understanding challenges, risks and difficult decisions before they become visible to others. Continuing to lead with confidence and clarity while holding realities that your team, stakeholders or community may not yet be aware of. It was a perspective I hadn't heard articulated quite like that before. As CEO of the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF), Cleola brings more than two decades of leadership experience across research, government and the not-for-profit sector. Throughout our conversation, we explored executive readiness, leadership capability, AI and the challenges facing the sector.  Our conversation covered everything from strategic thinking and organisational performance through to technology and leadership development, but a common thread ran through much of what Cleola shared: the responsibility leaders carry when navigating complexity while remaining anchored to purpose. As I continue this series, I'm including a few self-reflection prompts throughout each conversation. The intention is not only to share the perspectives of experienced leaders, but also to create space for readers to think about how these ideas might relate to their own leadership and career journey.

(By Alma Raheem) One of the things I value most about working in executive search is the chance to spend time with leaders outside of a live recruitment process. More often than not, we meet CEOs at very specific moments, whether that’s appointing a new executive, navigating a period of change, or thinking about succession. Those conversations are important, but they’re usually quite focused on a particular outcome. What we don’t always get the opportunity to do is step back and have a broader conversation about leadership itself. As part of our Leadership Conversations series, I recently sat down with Susanne Legena, CEO of Plan International Australia. Susanne is widely respected in the global social change space, with deep experience across climate justice, gender equality and international development. Alongside her CEO role, she is Chair of the Emergency Action Alliance, a Board Director at CommUnity Plus, and has recently joined the board of the Australian Conservation Foundation. I asked Susanne five questions about leadership, executive readiness and where the for-purpose sector is heading. We covered a lot of ground, from AI through to feedback, but what stayed with me most was how often the conversation came back to the same idea: leadership really starts with how you lead yourself. As we spoke, I found myself reflecting on how much of this applies more broadly, so I’ve included a few questions throughout for anyone who wants to pause and consider their own leadership along the way.

How to make the most of unused recruitment budget before EOFY

Article written by Jo Brown, General Manager, Associations and Memberships, Beaumont People

Supporting the next generation of women leaders in PR and communications

How Advancement and Development Teams Are Evolving Across the Australian Education Sector 

This International Women's Day, we talked to Robyn Riddle, our Meaningful Work & Inclusion Manager , on the barriers women continue to face in today’s job market and, importantly, what we can do to help remove them.