Julia Banks

Author, Businesswoman, Lawyer

Julia has extensive experience in the corporate and legal sector and served as a Federal Member of the Parliament of Australia. Her bestselling book Power Play: Breaking through bias, barriers and boys clubs contains practical advice and anecdotes revealing the unvarnished realities of any workplace across all sectors where power disparities and gender politics collide; From the unequal opportunities, casual sexism and systemic misogyny, to pressures around looks, age and family responsibilities and the consequences of speaking out.

Julia's extensive experience is across the private and public sectors, having worked as senior corporate counsel and executive director roles for global companies for over 20 years prior to being elected as a Federal Member of Parliament in 2016. Julia's key areas of expertise and leadership experience are in the areas of governance, workplace culture risk, issues and crisis management.

Julia has held leadership positions such as General Counsel, Executive Director, Company Secretary and Head of Risk and Compliance for some of the world's most recognisable blue-chip companies, including Kraft Foods, GlaxoSmithKline and GWF (Associated British Foods). She is also formerly a Director of the "Australian Made" company and a Member of the Advisory Council on Intellectual Property ("ACIP").

During her Parliamentary term, Julia launched and was Chair of the inaugural committee for Womens' Health, Chair of the Social Policy and Legal Affairs Committee, UNICEF, and overseas country groups and a member of the Economics Committee during the Banking Inquiry. Julia Banks graduated in Arts & Law from Monash University in Melbourne Australia, is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Fellow of the Australian Governance Institute.

Social links
Twitter: @juliahbanks