Kirstin Ferguson
Kirstin Ferguson | |
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| Born | Melbourne, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Writer, columnist, leadership expert |
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Kirstin Irene Ferguson is an Australian writer, columnist, and authority on leadership and organizational culture, recognized by Thinkers50 as one of the world’s top 50 management thinkers. She is the originator of the #CelebratingWomen initiative and previously served as an officer in the Royal Australian Air Force.
In September 2018, following the removal of ABC Managing Director Michelle Guthrie and the resignation of Chairman Justin Milne, Prime Minister Scott Morrison appointed Ferguson as Acting Chair of the ABC Board. When Ita Buttrose assumed the role of ABC Chair in March 2019, Ferguson moved into the position of Deputy Chair.
Early life and education
Ferguson was born in Melbourne and relocated to Sydney during her childhood, growing up near the Royal National Park. Her early education included Bundeena Primary School, followed by boarding at Hurlstone Agricultural High School, before completing her secondary studies at SCEGGS Darlinghurst in 1990.
She obtained a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in History from the University of New South Wales in 1994. Later, she earned a Bachelor of Laws with Honours from Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in 2002.
Ferguson completed her doctoral studies at QUT’s School of Business in 2015, concentrating on "Safety Leadership and Safety Governance for Board Members and Senior Executives." Her academic work was recognized with the Colin Brain Governance Fellowship from QUT and the Dr Eric Wigglesworth Medal awarded by the Safety Institute of Australia for her impact on corporate governance and workplace health and safety.
In 2020, she was honored with the QUT Business School Outstanding Alumni Award, followed by being named UNSW Alumni of the Year for Professional Achievement in 2024.
Military career
Ferguson joined the Royal Australian Air Force in 1991, attending the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) as a cadet between 1991 and 1994, where she also completed a Bachelor of Arts. Graduating as dux of her ADFA cohort, she was assigned to RAAF Base Amberley holding the rank of flying officer.
Executive career
During her RAAF service, Ferguson pursued legal studies at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). She departed from the Air Force in 1998 to take up a role as Director of Corporate Services at law firm Deacons (currently Norton Rose Fulbright). After eight years there, she was appointed CEO of Sentis in 2006, a global consultancy focused on cognitive safety training within mining and resources industries. Under her leadership, Sentis was ranked fifth among Australia’s Best Places to Work by BRW Magazine in 2010.
While still leading Sentis, Ferguson joined the board of SunWater in 2008 before shifting fully into governance roles. In 2011, she broke new ground as the first woman director on the board of the Queensland Reds Rugby Union team. Her board experience extends to organizations such as CIMIC Group, the Queensland Theatre Company, and Layne Beachley’s Aim For The Stars Foundation. She served as Deputy Chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation until November 2020. Other board memberships include SCA Property Group, EML Payments, Hyne & Son Timber, PEXA Ltd, and Envato.
In 2022, Ferguson was named to the Nomination Panel responsible for ABC and SBS Board appointments.
She holds fellowship status with the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and has completed both its Company Directors and International Company Directors programs. Additionally, Ferguson is affiliated with Chief Executive Women.
#CelebratingWomen initiative
In 2017, Ferguson introduced the #CelebratingWomen campaign on social media as a response to the online disparagement of women. Each day, she showcased two women from various global backgrounds, advocating for "increased recognition and decreased disparagement of women."
This initiative highlighted 757 women representing 37 nations and led to Ferguson's nomination for the Our Watch/Walkley Award for exemplary social media use. The campaign also sparked numerous related initiatives across different sectors worldwide.
Publications
In 2018, Ferguson collaborated with journalist Catherine Fox to write Women Kind, a work emphasizing the strength found in women's networks and their mutual encouragement. The book garnered acclaim from commentator Jamila Rizvi and Australia's Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins, and it secured the Management & HR Book of the Year award at the 2019 Australian Business Book Awards.
Her follow-up book, Head & Heart: The Art of Modern Leadership (2023), entered Australia's top 10 non-fiction bestseller list upon release. Adam Grant described it as "a timely, practical guide," while Thinkers50 included it among the top 10 best new management books, and it received the Royal Society of Arts Career Book Award.
Ferguson's third publication, Blindspotting: How to See What Others Miss, was released in 2025.
Since 2021, she has penned the weekly advice column "Got A Minute?" featured in both The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, offering insights on workplace issues, career development, and leadership.
Distinctions and accolades
- 1993 Chief of Defence Force Air Force Prize awarded as the highest-ranking Air Force cadet graduate at the Australian Defence Force Academy
- 1998 Australian Defence Medal
- 2003 Recipient of the Sir Winston Churchill Fellowship to explore innovative approaches supporting Australian Defence Force families after the loss of service members
- 2012 Awarded the QUT Colin Brain Corporate Governance Fellowship
- 2014 Recognized among Australia's 100 Women of Influence by the Australian Financial Review
- 2015 Honoured with the Dr Eric Wigglesworth Medal from the Safety Institute of Australia for contributions to safety in board governance
- 2018 Recipient of Queensland Award for Excellence in Women's Leadership from Women & Leadership Australia
- 2020 QUT Business School Outstanding Alumni Awardee
- 2021 Included in Thinkers50 Radar List as one of the top 30 global management and leadership thinkers
- 2021 Finalist for Thinkers50 Distinguished Achievement Award in Leadership
- 2023 Appointed Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for notable contributions to business and advancing gender equality
- 2023 Winner of Thinkers50 Distinguished Award for Leadership
- 2024 Honoured with UNSW Alumni of the Year Award for Professional Achievement