Kathy Hirschfeld

Experienced chair and non-executive director of listed (ASX, NZX, NYSE) and government companies in manufacturing, energy and utilities industries. NFP board experience in education & gender equality. Executive coach & mentor. Currently Chair, Powerlink Qld, leading the energy transition through connection of renewables and storage to the Qld transmission system. Board member at Sims Ltd & Central Petroleum. Foundation committee member at QAGOMA & QRU. Previously served as President, UN Women Australia and was a member of Senate of the University of Queensland. As a CEO and senior executive with BP in oil refining, logistics and exploration and production in Australia, Turkey and the UK, I established a track record of creating value in complex, global manufacturing businesses. An enthusiastic leader with a commitment to developing people and building teams, I successfully led & transformed large organisations in a highly regulated industry to deliver outstanding performance. Passionate about improving the representation of women in leadership and engineering based on my career as an engineer in a very male dominated field. Awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Engineering by the University of Queensland in 2023. Appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2019. Became the 9th female Honorary Fellow of Engineers Australia in 2014. Recognised in the AFR/Westpac 100 Women of Influence 2015 & by Engineers Australia as one of Australia’s Top 100 Most Influential Engineers 2015. She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Academy of Engineering and Technology.