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Wendy McCarthy

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 held many significant leadership roles including eight years as Deputy Chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 12 years as Chair of Plan Australia, and eight years as Chair of headspace, the National Youth Mental Health Foundation. Wendy currently chairs Circus Oz, Australia’s leading circus and is Deputy-Chair of Goodstart Early Learning, Australia’s largest early learning provider. She is also a non-executive director of IMF Bentham, the world’s most experienced and successful litigation funder. Wendy was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for outstanding contributions to community affairs, women’s affairs and the Bicentennial celebrations, and received a Centenary of Federation Medal for business leadership. Most recently she was an inaugural inductee of the Women’s Agenda Hall of Fame for her contribution to the lives of Australian women.