Queen's honours for women in charge of blokey operations
It was hugely important to build bridges between business and the community, she said.
On Monday, two trailblazers for Australian businesswomen, Ms Ridout, pictured left, and the first female chief executive of the Business Council of Australia, Katie Lahey, right, are being appointed Officers of the Order of Australia.
Ms Ridout was the respected face of industry for years, arguing the case of businesses in a range of industries, from manufacturing and mining equipment to call centres. "I was somewhat surprised when I ended up being leader of the organisation," she said of the position she held for eight years.
"I was fortunate to be in an organisation that was incredibly industrial and male dominated but at the same time was enlightened and gave me the opportunity to end up being the very first female chief executive.
"[The] group had a very big role in those big public policy debates and my interests were hugely aligned with the job: the economy; industrial relations; the environment; skills formation and infrastructure."
The lot of women in business improved greatly in her 30-year career with the organisation, she said, but it still had a long way to go because she was the sole female board director in recent years.
Ms Ridout is still deeply involved in public policy formation, as a director of the Reserve Bank and Australian Super, and she sits on the board of listed company Sims Metal.
Fellow AO recipient Ms Lahey has lobbied for minimum numbers of women on the boards of the top companies because it is not happening quickly enough.
Many Australians did not know how lucky they were in faring better economically than most of the rest of the world, Ms Fahey said, but the non-resources parts of the economy had to step up.
Ms Lahey was the Business Council's chief executive for a decade until 2011. She rose to the top of Australian business circles after coming to Australia on a working holiday as a 21-year-old.
Today, Ms Lahey is managing director of executive search firm Korn/Ferry International Australasia. On the way to leading the BCA, she was chief executive of Sydney City Council and the Victorian Tourism Commission.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
The article reports that Heather Ridout and Katie Lahey — two trailblazing Australian businesswomen — were being appointed Officers of the Order of Australia. Ridout was the first woman to lead the Australian Industry Group and Lahey was the first female chief executive of the Business Council of Australia.
According to the article, Heather Ridout remains active in public policy and corporate governance: she is a director of the Reserve Bank and AustralianSuper and sits on the board of listed company Sims Metal. These roles reflect her ongoing influence on economic and corporate matters.
The article says Katie Lahey is managing director of executive search firm Korn/Ferry International Australasia. She was chief executive of the Business Council of Australia for a decade until 2011 and previously headed Sydney City Council and the Victorian Tourism Commission — experience that underpins her standing in Australian business circles.
The article highlights board representation because progress has been slow. It notes that Katie Lahey has lobbied for minimum numbers of women on the boards of top companies, arguing quotas are needed because change isn’t happening quickly enough.
Ridout said the lot of women in business improved greatly during her 30‑year career with the Australian Industry Group, but she also warned there was still a long way to go — at one point she was the sole female board director in recent years.
The article draws attention to leadership, board representation and public‑policy experience — all governance factors investors commonly watch. It highlights respected figures such as Ridout and Lahey who influence corporate boards and advocate for better board diversity, which may shape governance practices at companies investors hold.
The article mentions several organisations relevant to investors: the Australian Industry Group, the Business Council of Australia, the Reserve Bank, AustralianSuper, listed company Sims Metal (where Ridout sits on the board), and executive search firm Korn/Ferry International Australasia (led by Lahey).
The article quotes Ms Fahey saying many Australians were faring better economically than most of the world, but it also notes her view that the non‑resources parts of the economy need to step up — a point investors may consider when assessing sector exposure.
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