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012 IN HIGH PLACES ALEX MALLEY PHOTOS DAMIAN BENNETT Hard-won voice of experience Early independence followed by feminist influences helped high achiever Wendy McCarthy take control of her own life. STORY HELEN PITT FROM HEADING UP FAMILY PLANNING in the 1970s to chairing the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in the 1980s, Wendy McCarthy has learnt to juggle a host of skills – which comes in handy in her present role on the board of Circus Oz. McCarthy’s professional life reveals a tapestry of talents. The former secondary school teacher first rose to prominence as a change agent for the women’s movement in the 1970s. She has been chancellor of the University of Canberra, a sex advice columnist, and held executive and non-executive director roles in many private and public institutions, including the Australian Federation of Family Planning Associations; the Australian Bicentennial Authority; the National Trust; Star City; the Australian Heritage Commission; and Symphony Australia. She found her political voice through a resident action movement. After living overseas for three years and realising that women gave birth in different ways, she decided she wanted to be awake and aware in childbirth. So she joined the Childbirth Education Association, learning to work with the media on abortion law reform and the Women’s Electoral Lobby. She’s written a biography called Don’t Fence Me In and set up McCarthy Mentoring to match young “high potentials” with experienced executives. Now a working grandmother at 70, she chairs Circus Oz, Headspace (Australia’s National Youth Mental Health Foundation) and real estate agency McGrath. McCarthy discussed her brand of practical empowerment with CPA Australia CEO Alex Malley. Malley: In the 1970s you were one of 80 women to put their name on a full-page advertisement about illegal abortion. Was this a sign of your independence and need to be open about issues of the day? If you want someone to perform McCarthy: I think it was a sense of outrage that people were intimidated a role in the same old way, don’t not to use their voices. For me it was a deeply buried thing. I had had a ask Wendy McCarthy to do it. termination in 1964. The only person I had ever shared that with > ITB September 2011 cpaaustralia.com.au ITB September 2011 013 014 IN HIGH PLACES ALEX MALLEY was my husband, who was my partner at the time. I lied when I went to McCarthy: Back in the beginning of the women’s movement we were the doctors and they asked if I had been pregnant. Then the women’s not sure how to handle the issue of leadership and we’re still not there. movement came along and it said the only way to change things is to We were opposed to traditional leadership models in the 1970s; we validate your own experience and make it a strength. You had to be wanted everything to be flat because we thought that’s how you could brave about it. Intellectually I could see that made sense, but I had do it. But the only place I know of that works co-operatively like that is never told my mother or anyone else [about having an abortion]. So Circus Oz. They have a board and three or four independent directors. when people read it in the newspaper some were pretty shocked. It They share decision-making between an artistic director, a founding was illegal, people still died from abortions then and were charged director and a general manager. They are on equal status – they work with criminal offences. together as a trio. On the board we have one of the major acrobats, we Malley: How did people react to that disclosure? have a musician, and they are all totally integrated into the life of the McCarthy: There was a mixture of reactions. Some people never company, and it works. mentioned it. Some people bailed you up to talk. Fortunately the police Malley: Do you think it would work in other places? never came to arrest me. But when you tell the truth, no one can use it McCarthy: It would if people wanted it to. This is such a core belief against you. If I have had an abortion and I talk about it – where’s the of Circus Oz that they make it work because they want non-hierarchical weapon? You’ve already disclosed it. That’s when I first understood it’s judgements. Even among the performers, there’s no-one who is just an powerful to be who you are. acrobat: you’ve got to sing and dance and do hula hoops as well, you’ve Malley: You’ve taken that approach into various leadership roles, but got to be multi-talented. So it’s a completely different way of seeing there’s a lot of evidence out there to suggest people don’t do business the world. We thought in lots of organisations, like Family Planning, that openly. we could work this way, too, but mostly it didn’t last long. We ended McCarthy: How can you be a mature person without acknowledging up with some form of hierarchy with management more at a pyramid these things happen? If you don’t – as a leader – you paint yourself level. What you need is vision. It doesn’t matter where it’s coming from. as some sort of person for whom life has always been perfect. It’s At Circus Oz, the visionaries are probably the performers or the artistic unobtainable for others. I find it really upsetting when people say I don’t director who creates the show. want to ever disclose anything like that. That’s their issue. I’m happy to Malley: Wendy, you’ve woven a rich tapestry throughout your be there warts and all. professional career. But two things stand out: you’ve been chancellor Malley: How do you think women lead differently from men? of a university and the author of a sex advice column in Cleo magazine. “To have an education is the most precious of gifts and STRAIGHT TALKING one of the few things no one can take from you.” ADVICE FOR How to GET MORE womEN ON BOARDS. That’s a combination I don’t think I’ve seen in academia. How did that McCarthy: The only serious woman I knew who had ever talked about come to pass? her career had been in the air force and was a community nurse in the McCarthy: Someone saw me on a television program where I was bush. I was mesmerised by the stuff she did, she was an early mentor. teaching sex education in NSW schools and asked me to write a sex Nobody had ever gone to university in my family, so I never thought advice column for the Sunday Mirror. I got sacked because I was told I about it. But I had great teachers who told my parents they should give wasn’t funny enough. Ita Buttrose called and asked if I would write the me a chance at university and let me apply for a teacher’s scholarship. “Dear Wendy” column for Cleo, which was wonderful for building Family I learnt that to have an education is the most precious of gifts and Planning’s profile. When I went on to the board of the ABC I was one of the few things no one can ever take away from you. I am the Family Planning CEO and I was writing the sex column. I was told this world’s original natural teacher. For me, walking into the classroom the was not the sort of thing someone on the ABC board does. I said, “this first time was like coming home. I still love it. Mentoring is what great one does”. I was still writing it when I became a university chancellor teaching is about. and somebody said that’s not what the chancellor does. I said, “this Malley: You’ve had a range of leadership and CEO roles. When you one does”. When I take a role I’m not going to be defined in a way that look back at your career, what do you think you did to bring about somebody else has done it. If you want someone to keep doing it the old positive change? way, don’t ask me. McCarthy: In the late 1960s and early 1970s I added to the energy of The ABC’s board of directors at its change from Malley: You grew up on a farm that was 35km from Forbes and went to the time, which enabled women to find their voices. We changed the “commission” to “corporation” in 1983, from left: Wendy a one-teacher school for your early years. Then you left home at 11 to go game in family planning, in child care, and education for women. I think McCarthy, Ken Myer, Robert Raymond, Jan Marsh, Sister off to a boarding house in Forbes to go to high school. How much do of all the women whose hands I shook as chancellor graduating from Veronica Brady, Neville Bonner and Richard Boyer. you think that experience has been part of creating your independence university in their 60s and 70s. To have their prior experience recognised and confidence? and their voices heard was a wonderful accomplishment. There should be a 50- Australian Government You’ll be a token until women. Where was to get more women managers running the McCarthy: Growing up 35km from Forbes with no school bus, there Malley: I’m wondering about your perspectives on the vision of 50 (female-male) quota was targeting women it’s normal.

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