Ros Grady, Partner, Banking & Finance, Elizabeth Proust, Non-Executive Director and Joanne Cameron, Partner, Dispute Resolution

Melbourne hosted its second Mallesons Engaging Women function for the year with Elizabeth Proust as guest speaker. Elizabeth has held leadership roles in private and public sectors in Australia for almost 25 years and is currently on the board of Perpetual. She is also a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a mentor with Merryck & Co.

Prior to the above roles, Elizabeth spent 8 years at ANZ as Managing Director, Esanda and Managing Director, Metrobanking. Before banking, she worked for the government in the role of Secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet in Victoria. Other positions she has held have included Chief Executive Officer of Melbourne City Council, Secretary of the Attorney-General's Department (Victoria) and Deputy Director-General of the Department of Industry, Technology and Resources. She also spent seven years with BP Australia and BP International Limited.

Mallesons have recently become the official Legal Partner of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, of which Elizabeth is Chairman. The partnership presents an exciting opportunity for us to be associated with a premium arts organisation with a high profile amongst senior business leaders.

Elizabeth shared her views on why mentoring plays a critical role to overall career success, her insights into being a board member and tips on managing work life balance.