Turia Pitt to keynote Women in Finance Summit 2026

Designed for leading women across accounting, banking, broking, lending, financial advice, fintech, and professional services, the Women in Finance Summit 2026 brings together women from across the financial services space to strengthen their business performance, enhance their leadership skills, and connect with like-minded individuals.

Taking place on Friday, 13 November 2026 at the Hyatt Regency, Sydney, the Women in Finance Summit this year features an agenda reshaped around four core pillars:

• Resilience

   

   

• Leadership

• Growth

• Partnership

Moving away from heavy theory, the event promises honest conversations on navigating industry change, making tough decisions, backing yourself, and expanding your footprint as a leading player in the financial services industry.

Turia Pitt to speak on resilience

Leading the line-up for 2026 is best-selling author, coach, and athlete Turia Pitt, who will deliver a keynote focused on resilience.

After surviving severe burns to 65 per cent of her body during an ultramarathon, Pitt has gone on to coach over 40,000 people through her digital programs, author three bestselling books, complete the Ironman World Championship, and sail around French Polynesia.

In her session, she will share practical mindset strategies on overcoming extreme adversity, adapting when plans shift, and building the mental fortitude needed to navigate complex environments.

Joanna James on building your personal board

Covering the themes of both partnership and growth is Joanna James – chief development officer of the Finance Brokers Association of Australia – who will help delegates identify and form their own personal board.

James actively leads initiatives through the Artemis Forum to drive education, advocacy, and career opportunities for women in finance and is a pioneering entrepreneur, architect, and builder recognised for creating the world’s first “Bio” home, authoring Mind Body Spaces, and building high-growth enterprises like the Mortgage Ezy Group.

In her session, she will guide attendees on auditing their skill sets and taking decisive action to accelerate their career growth in financial services.

James will provide a practical blueprint for building a high-impact “personal board of directors” made up of informal mentors, coaches, and strategic allies.

Introducing the Business Exchange Network

Delegates can put James’ blueprint into action during the brand-new structured networking session at the end of the day: the Business Exchange Network.

Recognising that valuable opportunities often stem from stepping outside traditional silos, the summit is setting aside dedicated time at the end of the day for a tailored, hands-on networking session designed to facilitate meaningful, structured connections.

Designed to bypass forced small talk and business card collecting, the Business Exchange Network aims to help delegates intentionally expand their “personal board” – connecting attendees with potential clients, referral partners, future collaborators, advisers, and mentors from complementary parts of the financial services landscape.

Lessons from across the financial services ecosystem

Delegates of the Women in Finance Summit 2026 will also hear from industry leaders and former winners of the Women in Finance Awards, who will reveal the strategies, techniques, and attitudes they have implemented to lead award-winning financial services businesses.

The industry panel will also unpack what career advice they wish they were given sooner – and what they think makes the financial services industry so successful.

Attendees will leave with fresh perspectives from leaders, actionable takeaways to strengthen business performance, and direct access to an expanded professional network across the sector.

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To learn more about the summit, including the speakers and agenda, click here.

The Women in Finance Summit will be followed by the Women in Finance Awards 2026.

The winners will be announced in a black-tie ceremony on the evening of Friday, 13 November 2026, at the Hyatt Regency, Sydney.

The highest-scoring individual winner will walk away with the coveted Excellence Award.