Introducing Bonnie Boezeman AO - Founding Member of CEW

Bonnie Boezeman AO is an experienced board member across funds management, insurance, IT, and retail.  Committed to philanthropy, Bonnie supports the Australian Golf Foundation, the Olympic Committee, the Order of Australia Foundation, and is a Patron of Pacific Opera Studio, just to name a few.

As a founding member, Bonnie has been actively involved in CEW since its inception, and sponsors the 'Bonnie Boezeman AO Leadership in Nursing Scholarship'.

Today, CEW supports over 1,400+ women leaders and continues to expand its impact through scholarships, mentoring, and advocacy.  To read Bonnie's full bio, click here.

In hour of CEW's 40th Anniversary, Bonnie generously shared her reflections - along with some fantastic photos! - and answered questions about her journey with CEW over the past 40 years.

A little backstory from Bonnie Boezeman...

I was born and raised in upstate New York.  Early on in my career I worked as a childcare worker and teacher for children with special needs before leaving in 1972 to backpack around Europe as a hippy with long blonde hair and a guitar.

My hitch-hiking adventures began in Manchester, England.  I then boarded a ship to Amsterdam, where I fell in love at first sight with a Dutchman.  We dated for nearly a month before it was thumbs up again to hitch for a ride to Belgium and beyond.  During my time in Germany, I worked at a counterintelligence former Nazi Luftwaffe airforce base outside of Munich.

Having explored many countries, I eventually returned to Amsterdam in 1973 and married my handsome Dutchman.  I got a job with Time Inc. at the European headquarters, started working for Time Life.  10 years later in 1983, I was transferred to Sydney, Australia to run the South Pacific for Time Life Books, Music, and Video. You should read the magazine!  Time Inc. became Time Warner in 1989.

Bonnie, can you share some memories of how you came to be a founding member of CEW?

I received a call from Barbara Cail in early 1985.  She’d seen me in a few newspaper and magazine articles as a trailblazer,  first as a Managing Director, and then a few years later, Chairman of a US subsidiary of a big corporation. She asked if I was interested in starting a group for women in business, and I said absolutely!  Why? Because I thought Australia was scarily chauvinistic and I needed to meet other like-minded women, who faced the same challenges to being respected.

This is me on the cover of Portfolio magazine in 1986. By this time, Barbara Cail had already sold Portfolio to Fairfax who approached me to be on the cover of the relaunch. 

I'd totally forgotten about it all until I recently found a copy of the original magazine, which was smelling very musty and damp! But it was so much fun to see the story and photos inside the magazine! Let the record show, they had a hairdresser who did not do my hair the way I normally do it!

The first meeting I attended was in March 1985.  It was groundbreaking, I just loved it.  I met women I had never met before, and they were fun, dynamic and could not wait to share and network.  As CEW developed and grew, naturally, not all members totally agreed about all matters, but we compromised happily.

Of course we hoped CEW would grow but I never thought it would grow to over 1,400 in 40 years.  We weren't thinking that far in the beginning.  I remember telling my husband that I bet things will start to change, now that I’d become a member of this wonderful dynamic business women’s group. 

What was one of the most impactful  or memorable CEW events you attended?

For me, the most profound CEW event I attended was the CEW conference held at Imelda Roche’s Nutrimetics auditorium in 1991. It was at this event we raised the funds for our very first MBA Scholarship.  I was one of the 4 speakers, and together we shared a message of empowerment to a full house of women wanting to meet us, network, and learn.  That first MBA scholarship was awarded in 1992 to Helen Conway.  Today, Helen is the CEW President. We have truly come full circle!

Can you tell us about some of the meaningful relationships you have formed through CEW, and why the CEW is community is special to you.

Since the foundation of CEW 40 years ago, I have been, and continue to be, an active member.  For the first 13 years, I served on the council and CEW dinner committees, where I also acted as dinner MC for 2 years.  I was a part of the inaugural governance committee for six years and sat on the STEM committee initiated by Barbara Cail.   I then served another 10 years on the council, representing the founding members, until a restructure saw the CEW board absorb the role of the council.  But the founding members (and a few other CEW members) have continued to meet for dinner or lunch as a group of fun trailblazers for the past 15 years!

CEW has meant a lot to me.  It has been life changing.  One of my closest friends on the planet is Barbara Cail. We have seen each other for 40 years on a regular basis and share our lives and friendship.  I have many more great CEW friends and colleagues.  I know I can always pick up the phone and call them for a chat or advice.

I was especially proud to have worked with CEW to launch a scholarship for women nurses to meet the desperate need for women in the nursing industry to be supported to upskill their leadership capabilities.  The Bonnie Boezeman AO Leadership in Nursing Scholarship has now run for the past 7 years, and produced 7 amazing winners!

CEW’s mission is ‘Women Leaders Empowering All Women’ - What does this mean to you, and how do you think CEW carries out this mission today and into the future? 

To me, it means exactly what it says. We all should use our collective experiences and influence to help all women succeed in their dreams and endeavours through leadership and knowledge sharing.

CEW is so well placed to continue to contribute to progress gender equality.  If we compare the C-suites or companies with women CEOs today compared to 40 years ago, it is like night and day.  Today, we have many CEW members who are now sitting at the table of power, and they will use their positions wisely to support and advance other women into leadership positions - fingers crossed!

From the archives

Check out this segment from 1985, with TV presenter Terry Willesee, featuring Bonnie Boezeman and fellow founding CEW member, Leonie Still!