The Scholars Podcast - Conversations with Inspiring Leaders

Hosted by Media & Capital Partners

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Dec 2024

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Hosted by Media & Capital Partners' Justin Kelly, The Scholars Podcast features scholars from the General Sir John Monash Foundation. Justin interviews the best, brightest, boldest and bravest across all fields of academia, business, science, humanities, and the arts. The John Monash Scholarships are amongst the most important postgraduate scholarships currently available. They are awarded to outstanding Australians whose leadership, talent and vision across all sectors will have an enduring impact on our future.

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December 19, 202421 min

Leading for Impact: Dr Karen McConalogue on Empowering Australia’s Brightest Minds

In this episode of The Scholars Podcast: Conversations with Inspiring Leaders, host Justin Kelly interviews Dr Karen McConalogue, Executive Director of the General Sir John Monash Foundation Leadership Academy. With over 20 years of experience as an academic and executive, Karen shares her journey of transitioning from biomedical research to leading an innovative program designed to empower Australia's brightest postgraduate scholars. Discover how the Leadership Academy supports over 280 John Monash Scholars throughout their careers, fostering leadership skills and community impact. Karen discusses the Academy's groundbreaking approach to lifelong learning, its focus on inclusivity across diverse disciplines, and innovative programs like mentoring initiatives and the national John Monash Leadership Series. Karen also reflects on the challenges and triumphs of her first year in the role, the Academy's unique partnerships with corporate sponsors like BHP and Deloitte, and plans for 2025, including a robust impact framework to measure and amplify the scholars' contributions. This episode provides an inspiring glimpse into how education and leadership converge to shape Australia's future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

December 10, 202424 min

Stephanie Pow on Redefining Financial Wellness for Parents

This episode features Stephanie Pow, recipient of the NSW Premier’s John Monash Scholarship. The award enabled Stephanie to pursue dual master’s degrees—an MBA from the Wharton School and an MPA from Harvard Kennedy School—broadening her expertise beyond finance into public policy and mission-driven leadership. From her early days as a top-performing investment banker at UBS to becoming the founder of Crayon, Stephanie shares the inspiring journey that led her to create a platform to reduce financial stress during life’s most pivotal moments. Stephanie discusses the challenges of launching Crayon, a startup that supports parents with verified parental leave data and financial preparation programs. She highlights how Crayon partners with over 300 employers in New Zealand to provide transparency on parental leave policies and empower employees navigating parenthood. With plans to expand into Australia, Stephanie reveals her broader vision for addressing financial stress across other significant life events, including aged care and family transitions. Throughout the conversation, Stephanie offers a candid look at balancing startup life with raising young children and the unique insights she brings as a parent and entrepreneur. She reflects on the challenges women face in building businesses post-motherhood and how her lived experiences were instrumental in shaping Crayon’s mission. Stephanie also shares her take on global parental leave trends, calling for Australia and New Zealand to adopt more progressive policies like those in Europe and Asia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

November 27, 202429 min

Dr Dilani Kahawala: Embracing change and new challenges

When Dr Dilani Kahawala (2008 John Monash Scholar) headed to Harvard University to complete a PhD in theoretical particle physics, her purpose was to unravel the mysteries of the universe. But living in Boston between Harvard and MIT, she found a burgeoning startup scene and soon embraced the emerging tech sector, bringing with her the logic and systems-level thinking she refined over the course of her PhD. In this episode of The Scholars Podcast, Dilani shares the twists and turns in her remarkable career, which has taken her around the world and back, and the leadership qualities she practices and cultivates in her role at Atlassian. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

November 20, 202434 min

Unravelling the mysteries of our DNA: Dr Davis McCarthy’s journey towards a scientific cure

Each year, thousands of people in Australia are diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis – an incurable condition of the lung that scientists have struggled to understand. The work of Dr Davis McCarthy (2011 John Monash Scholar), a renowned statistician and genomic scientist, is helping to generate the pathway towards an eventual cure. Collaborating with a global community, Davis’s research searches DNA for answers to some of life’s biggest biological mysteries. We speak to Davis about his work leading the bioinformatics and cellular genomics group at St. Vincent's Institute in Melbourne, what he sees as some of the biggest opportunities in preventative health care and some of the barriers faced by medical research globally. He reflects on his Scholarship's impact and explains why his time at Oxford helped shape his career trajectory. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

November 13, 202424 min

From Cambridge to the High Court of Australia, Zelie Heger SC shares her career highlights

Fresh from her appointment as silk by the NSW Bar, barrister Zelie Heger SC sat down with host Justin Kelly to discuss her relationship with the law and the cases that have shaped her career. A barrister at Eleven Wentworth, Zelie has acted for environmentalists pursued by Santos following a failed campaign to stop its Barossa gas project and represented a landmark case arguing for the protection of transgender women from discrimination on the basis of their gender identity. She holds a Master in Law from Cambridge University and a Bachelor of Arts in Law from the University of Sydney, where she was awarded the University Medal in Law. Zelie has served as an Associate to the Hon Chief Justice French at the High Court of Australia and the Hon Chief Justice Black at the Federal Court of Australia, and has extensive experience in Administrative, Constitutional and Title law from her time at the New South Wales Crown Solicitor’s Office, In September 2024, Zelie was appointed silk by the NSW bar and took on the post-nominal SC – the equivalent to King’s Counsel or KC in Victoria, Queensland and South Australia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

October 31, 202433 min

Future leaders in aerospace, quantum physics and cancer research among eighteen Australians named as 2025 John Monash Scholars

The CEO of the General Sir John Monash Foundation, Paul Ramadge, joins host Justin Kelly to explore the stories and aspirations of the 2025 John Monash Scholars. Named in honour of General Sir John Monash, the prestigious postgraduate scholarships are awarded annually following a highly competitive nationwide selection process. The 2025 John Monash Scholars were selected from a record number of applicants for their academic excellence, leadership potential and commitment to public service. They plan to study at highly-ranked institutions in China, Germany, England, Scotland and the US. The John Monash Scholarships are made possible by the support of Australian companies, governments, universities, and individuals who share a commitment to education, leadership, and service. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

October 22, 202434 min

Professor Mark Scott AO on leading unmanageable organisations and dealing with rapidly changing environments

A highly respected and successful senior leader of large and complex institutions in public service, education, and the media, Professor Mark Scott AO recounts invaluable lessons from his dynamic leadership career in this episode of The Scholar’s Podcast. Interviewed by Grattan Institute CEO Dr Aruna Sathanapally (2006 John Monash Scholar), Mark draws upon his time as Managing Director of the ABC, Secretary of the NSW Department of Education and an editor at Fairfax Media. Through humorous and insightful storytelling, Mark recalls with humility the lessons and perspectives one can only come to understand in retrospect. Now, as Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Sydney, Mark is leading an ambitious 10-year strategy, with immediate commitments to more than double scholarship support for under-represented domestic students. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

October 9, 202445 min

Leadership lessons from world-renowned burns surgeon Professor Fiona Wood AO

Recognised for her pioneering 'spray-on skin' technique and support for victims of the Bali bombings, Professor Fiona Wood AO has been at the forefront of international wound care and research for over 30 years. As one of Australia’s most respected surgeons and researchers and Australia of the Year in 2005, she recounts the experiences that have shaped her as a surgeon and leader in a compelling conversation with Dr Sam Brophy-Williams (2012 John Monash Scholar). Decisive, determined and compassionate, Fiona urges those aspiring to become innovators in their field to cultivate their fellowship as much as their leadership. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

September 25, 202447 min

ABC Chair Kim Williams AM tackles truth, trust and knowledge in the media

In a timely address, ABC Chair, Kim Williams AM, argues strongly that the role of the media is to preserve and protect democracy. The speech was delivered at the 13th annual John Monash Oration hosted by the General Sir John Monash Foundation and the Commonwealth Bank. The intimate evening brought together a distinguished assembly of Foundation members, friends, supporters and Scholars to reflect on the vital role of leadership in shaping Australia’s future. Kim has had a distinguished career in the arts, entertainment, and media industries. He has held executive leadership roles within organisations, including News Corp Australia, FOXTEL, Fox Studios Australia, and the Australian Film Commission. A passionate advocate for the arts, he has served as Chairman of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Sydney Opera House Trust and was appointed Member of the Order of Australia in 2006 for his services to the arts. Zelie Heger (2010 John Monash Scholar) follows with a thoughtful response, underscoring the media’s significant role in the justice system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

September 10, 202432 min

Breaking down biotechnology for TV: Dr Matt Baker on making science cool

Scientist and educator Dr Matt Baker (2005 John Monash Scholar) sat down with Justin Kelly to discuss his remarkable career, which has taken him from Uzbekistan to Greece and in and out of the worlds of competitive fencing, media and academia. Matt, who is a Scientia Associate Professor in the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences at the University of New South Wales, studies the bacterial flagellar motor that makes nearly all bacteria swim. His latest research seeks to expand our understanding of the origins and evolution of this motor to fuel future applications in synthetic biology. In this episode, Matt shares his passion for making science accessible, ambitions for the future and his advice for scientists starting out in the field. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices