Dame Therese Walsh and Dame Joan Withers reflect on the summit’s unlikely beginnings – and how it has evolved into a platform for ambition and impact today. 

Before it became Aotearoa’s largest women’s leadership summit, Bold Steps began not in a boardroom, but in the back of a taxi.

That unlikely starting point became a fitting metaphor for its purpose: proving that bold ideas can grow from anywhere, and so can the women who lead them.

The annual conference is just one event held by OnBeingBold, an initiative that aims to reshape how women lead in Aotearoa by affirming that leadership and personal fulfilment can go hand in hand.

The idea was sparked during a fateful taxi ride in 2017, as Dames Therese Walsh and Joan Withers discussed the growing number of women approaching them for career advice. 


 Dames Joan Withers (left) and Therese Walsh (right)


 “We were talking about how it gets really hard, because you don't have time to speak to everybody. We said to each other, ‘why don't we create something where we could all have a group conversation?’” says co-founder Walsh.

“We got some other senior businesswomen together, nine of us in total. We asked some people if they'd like to come to our group, and that first time, we had 400 [attendees]. It's just grown and grown, and now we have an annual hui called Bold Steps.”

The highly sought-after event now attracts 1200 attendees to Auckland’s Spark Arena each year, including 120 leading CEOs and Chairs from across the country. While it attracts many of the country’s top leaders, the event is designed to inspire women at every stage of their careers – from those just starting out to those already in the boardroom.

The event, emceed by Walsh, is organised and facilitated solely by the nine founders who make up the OnBeingBold collective, ensuring it’s “run by business leaders, for business leaders”.

Fellow co-founder Withers says the summit is a great opportunity for women to gain career advice and inspiration from a diverse lineup of high-calibre speakers. Each summit features a range of local and international guests, including the current Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. Former speakers include British actor and businesswoman Jane Seymour, former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, former Australian Rugby Union CEO Raelene Castle, Dr Lucy Hone, and prime ministers John Key and Jacinda Ardern.

“There are so many things that come up on that stage that make people reflect, give them insight, or give them some inspiration. At the end of the day, we all wander around and the buzz is amazing – hearing directly from women about what the experience has meant for them,” Withers says.

While there is an emphasis on practical advice, the discussions also focus on how things feel, not just how they are. Speakers share their own personal stories, sparking thought-provoking conversations about the challenges and hurdles women face in their careers and personal lives.


Left to right: Frances Valentine, Dame Joan Withers, Alison Gerry and Dame Therese Walsh.

 

Another component of the summit is “Meet the Leaders”, a new feature that was first introduced in 2024. Attendees split into groups and meet with 100 of the top CEOs and Chairs in the country, giving them the opportunity to ask questions in an intimate setting. 

Quirkiest highlight? The handbags. A big red button on the stage is pushed by each speaker throughout the day, spotlighting an attendee at random who receives a free bag.

“That actually may be why 1200 people come!” Walsh laughs.

The theme for Bold Steps 2025 is “Realising Your Ambition” – with an emphasis on owning ambitiousness instead of hiding it. The word should be synonymous with determination and perseverance, says Walsh – not ruthlessness. For Withers, ambition is deeply personal and accounts for values as well as goals.

“For me, ambition is about being the best I possibly can be without compromising the things that are most important to me, which is my family and friends,” Withers shares. “It's about understanding where your skills and experience are best suited, and to be flexible to the opportunities that are offered to you.”

A key piece of advice to women wanting to further their careers is that you are “as good as anybody else”, says Walsh. Her top three tips? Be uniquely you, find your voice (“make sure you speak during that meeting”), and do what you say you're going to do.

Withers’ advice is simple: “Never compromise your integrity.”

“In every career, there will be times where you may be asked to do something you're not comfortable with. Don't do it.”

Bold Steps 2025 will be held on December 4 at Spark Arena. Tickets, which sell fast for this one-day-only event, are available via onbeingbold.co.nz.

Meet the OnBeingBold collective:

  • Dame Therese Walsh: Chair – Air NZ, ASB Bank
  • Dame Joan Withers: Chair – The Warehouse Group; Director – Sky, ANZ, Origin Energy Australia
  • Dame Paula Rebstock: Chair – NZ Post, Asia Pacific Healthcare Group; Deputy Chair – AIA Insurance, NZX; Director – Vector, Auckland One Rail, SealLink
  • Alison Gerry: Chair – Infratil; Director – ANZ Group
  • Jolie Hodson: CEO – Spark
  • Cathy Quinn: Chair – Tourism Holdings Ltd, Fertility Associates; Director – Fonterra, Fletcher Building; Pro-Chancellor – University of Auckland
  • Royal Reed: Partner – Meredith McConnell
  • Silvana Schenone: Managing Director, Co-Head of Investment Banking – Jarden
  • Frances Valintine: Founder, Board Director – academyEX