Olivia Ruello joins Future Women as Head of Employer Partnerships

Olivia Ruello will join Future Women as Head of Employer Partnerships from September 2023. This appointment marks the former Business Chicks CEO’s return to media, events, and professional development for women, as well as signalling a new chapter for Future Women as it celebrates its fifth year of operation. 

Future Women’s founder and Managing Director, Helen McCabe said, “Olivia brings a wealth of experience, knowledge, and connections to this important new role. She is a rare content creator who understands the needs of clients as well as she does the audience”.  

“Olivia will lead a new pillar at Future Women, managing the relationships with Australian employers which are absolutely fundamental to what we do. Olivia and her team will play a critical role in supporting more Australian employers to recruit, retain and promote women, in turn building a more gender equal workforce,” said McCabe. 

Ruello joins Future Women from the NSW Government, where she held senior roles in talent management and acquisition. This experience will be essential, as Future Women expands its ground-breaking Jobs Academy program, which connects women who are out of work, with employers that are recruiting. 

Ruello was the CEO of Business Chicks from 2016 to 2021 and before that, worked in culture and strategy at CommBank – now a major partner and collaborator of Future Women’s. A long-time champion of women, and advocate for gender equality, Perth-based Ruello will bring new energy and expertise as Future Women expands its operations across Australia.

Future Women’s Deputy Managing Director, Jamila Rizvi said, “I’ve wanted the opportunity to work with Olivia for a long time and am excited by the enormous possibilities that lie ahead. Olivia is smart and strategic, with the necessary experience to take Future Women’s multifaceted relationship with Australian employers to the next level”.

“Australian employers’ understanding of women’s safety and gender inequality has evolved significantly in the past five years. Future Women is determined to keep our country’s collective foot on the accelerator, so that more Australian women can access work that is flexible, fair, and meaningful,” said Rizvi.

Ruello said “I am honoured to join Helen McCabe and Jamila Rizvi, to establish, develop and lead this new employer partnerships division at Future Women. I look forward to contributing to the next stage of the company’s impressive growth by building partnerships with leading corporate and government organisations that are serious about making work actually work for Australian women. 

Future Women provides professional development for women, trains the men they work with and the organisations they work for, to become gender equal. Through content, online learning, events and strategic partnerships, Future Women is proud to be helping tens of thousands of Australian women to connect, learn and lead.