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Wendy McCarthy is an experienced manager and company director who began her career as a secondary school teacher. She moved out of the classroom into public life in 1968 and since then has worked for change across the public, private and community sectors, in education, family planning, human rights, public health, overseas aid and development, conservation, heritage, media and the Arts.
Wendy was a founding member of Women’s Electoral Lobby, Chief Executive Women and The Sydney Community Foundation Women’s Fund and continues to advocate for women in public life. From September 2018 to October 2018 she chaired the successful by-election campaign to elect Dr Kerryn Phelps AM as the Independent Member for Wentworth. She continued that role in the subsequent Federal election which Dr Phelps lost by a narrow margin. She has a long track record of campaigning and fundraising for women’s issues. Recently, she led the successful NSW Pro Choice Alliance campaign to remove abortion from the criminal code. The new legislation was enacted on October2, 2019. Wendy has held many significant leadership roles in key national and international bodies including eight years as Deputy Chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ten years as Chancellor of the University of Canberra, and 12 years of service to Plan Australia as Chair, with three years as Global Deputy Chair for Plan International. In 2016 she completed eight years as chair of headspace, the National Youth Mental Health Foundation and in 2017 she completed nine years as Chair of Circus Oz, Australia’s leading circus. She has established several businesses, including the national consulting practice McCarthy Mentoring which is now owned by her daughter Sophie McCarthy. Her career has been publicly recognised in many ways:
Wendy McCarthy is an experienced speaker and facilitator, and is regularly asked for comment on social and political issues. She enjoys writing and is the author of several books including her memoir Don’t Fence Me In published by Random House in 2000. Her updated memoir Don’t Be Too Polite, Girls was published in 2022. To contact Wendy McCarthy for radio, television, corporate or presentation engagements contact Peter Wall at Wall Media on 0408 489 057. Topics of some of Wendy McCarthy’s recent speeches include:
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