Ann Burns GAICD

Ann is a wise woman having worked as an Executive for over 30 years. She has an insatiable curiosity for leadership development and is highly regarded for the bespoke programs she now designs and delivers with executive teams, diverse women leaders and in 1:1 executive coaching. She founded her advisory business ‘Triumph & Adversity’ to provide leaders with frank and fearless advice where it counts and when and where it matters.

She is renowned for her strengths to think strategically, bring new ideas into reality, navigate through disruption and develop compelling narratives that inspire and drive transformational change. These strengths were crafted through 25 years as a Senior Executive at Accenture. She held numerous executive roles and was a member of both the ANZ Executive Committee and the Global Leadership Council. She believes that great leadership is forged in experiencing the good, the great and sometimes ugly of our working lives and that there is no triumph without adversities to teach us along the way.

She led the business portfolio across multiple industries including Utilities, Energy, Mining, Consumer Products, Retail, Life Sciences, Aviation and Construction / Engineering. She advised clients on their strategic responses to complex market dynamics, seismic changes in digital technology and the pressures of new business models. She re-designed and was the Global Sponsor of Accenture’s Leadership Development Program for three years focused on the development of 1,800 of the top performers across 50 countries. She worked extensively across Asia Pacific and was often asked to engage with clients at an executive level to act as a coach through complex transformation programs as a trusted advisor. Her advice is always fearless, simple and straight forward.

Ann has always advocated for sustainability, learning and true inclusion. She is widely published on her views on ‘TRIPLE ZERO’ (zero loss, zero harm and zero waste) and is a regular commentator on inclusion and diversity driving tangible (and sometimes tough) progress in the equality agenda. She is a proud member of Chief Executive Women (CEW) and re-designed and re-launched the CEW Leaders Program and the Executive Leaders Program to empower the next generation of women leaders. Her podcast ‘Driving The Equality Agenda’ reached the top quartile in performance for Series One. She is also a Non Executive Director for Fitted For Work a not for profit entity that supports women suffering disadvantage find sustainable employment.

Prior to coming to Australia, she was an Architect and worked in construction and international business development. She has an MBA, is a qualified GALLUP and IECL Coach and is also a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Corporate Directors (GAICD). At home, she is married and is a proud custodian of one of the nation’s oldest Hill Station Gardens in the beautiful surroundings of Mount Macedon, Victoria.