Business Women Australia Podcast Show: The Role of the C-Suite in Change Leadership with Tracy Cooper

For Australian purpose-driven organisations, the winds of change are stronger than ever.

Between rising governance, regulation, and reporting demands, workforce shortages, escalating cost pressures, and an urgent need to demonstrate effective management.

Quality service, care, and excellence in delivery with these challenges means the C-suite has never had a heavier or more demanding mandate.

Recent research for Australia’s NFP sector reveals:

1. Boards and executives are under deep regulatory, governance, and risk-oversight pressure - especially on cyber/AI governance, client voice in decision-making, and merging or strategic restructuring.

2. Workforce supply chain issues and staff retention are acute, forcing leaders to rethink work design, culture, and development pipelines.

3. Revenue growth is failing to keep pace with rising costs: across the sector, expenses are growing while funding remains constrained, making the ability to pivot and adapt essential.

4. The shift from “doing good and delivering service” to “delivering a sustainable organisation that meets multiple stakeholder needs ” is demanding new models, partnerships, and change leadership capability.

In this episode, Change Specialist Tracy Cooper joins National Director Lyn Hawkins to explore how today’s C-suite must lead change that engages their people and change that sticks: cultivating adaptive culture, managing regulatory and governance complexity with authenticity, protecting people from burnout, and converting insight into action.

Tune in to hear practical pathways for Australia’s NFP and for-purpose organisations that leaders and management teams should be prioritising right now.

Whether you’re an executive, line manager, or board member committed to building a relevant, resilient, and trusted organisation for the long term, this conversation is for you.

Be inspired with fresh perspective, clarity, and the confidence to start your change journey the right way.

About Tracy Cooper

Tracy Cooper is a Change Specialist who supports senior leaders to tackle the challenges of implementing change in their organisations. With her combined expertise in leadership, change management, and facilitation, she utilises theory and turns this into a proven practical approach to guide you in your transformation processes.

Whilst her early career was in agricultural science, she transitioned to delivering leadership programs in rural and regional communities of Qld via the Department of Primary Industries ‘Building Rural Leaders Program. Based on this learning and experience of delivering leadership programs, in 2001, Tracy became one of the founders of SeeChange Consulting.

Using their action learning approach, underpinned by their enviable expertise and accreditation in Prosci Change Management methodology, they created programs that have brought major change to the lives of individuals, regional communities and businesses in the financial services, agribusiness, local government, childcare, aged care and the broader not- for- profit sectors for 23 years. Utilising all the experience, techniques and tools developed over those two decades, in early 2024 Tracy commenced her individual journey as Tracy Cooper Change Specialist. She is passionate about helping those who wish to lead themselves to learn, thrive, embrace change and make a difference in their world.

Tracy is a Leader member of Business Women Australia and a regular guest on the Business Women Australia Podcast Show.

Business Women Australia Podcast Show - Wisdom Rising: Turning Life Experience into Leadership Gold with Vida Carlino

Are you a woman in leadership, business, or at a pivotal point in your journey, and wondering how the chapters of your life can elevate your leadership?

In this episode of the Business Women Australia Podcast, Wisdom Rising, transformation and inspiration coach Vida Carlino invites women to explore a deeper kind of leadership, one grounded in lived wisdom, embodied truth, and authentic impact.

Behind every confident decision, every breakthrough, and every bold pivot is a woman who has walked through the fire of experience and emerged with gold.

This is not just another leadership talk. It’s an excavation into how your lived experiences, both celebrated and silent, can shape a new kind of power.

Vida will share her deep wisdom and insights, exploring how to:

1. Transform your past into a purposeful compass for future decisions

2. Access your inner authority and lead with emotional depth and intelligence

3. Rewrite the stories that no longer serve your leadership

4. Unlock authenticity as your strategic advantage

5. Step into leadership that resonates, influences, and inspires from the inside out

If you’re yearning to align your work with your wisdom, values, and vision.

Then this conversation is your invitation.

Tune in to the Business Women Australia Podcast Show — available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.

About Vida Carlino

Transformational leadership coach, author & founder, Inspiration Source

Vida is a transformational leadership coach, speaker, and author known for catalysing profound shifts in the way people lead, live, and connect. As Founder & Director of My Vida and the Inspiration Source, she brings over three decades of experience in business ownership, human behaviour, and leadership development. Vida's extraordinary work sits at the intersection of conscious leadership, emotional intelligence, and wellbeing, helping professionals align their inner and outer worlds and lead with authenticity and impact.

About Lyn Hawkins

Lyn Hawkins is the National Director of Business Women Australia and Principal of Hawkins Marketing. With decades of experience advising organisations from startups to enterprises, Lyn is a highly sought-after strategist, facilitator, and executive coach. Her expertise spans business growth strategy, leadership development, cultural change, marketing and business development.

Passionate about creating opportunities for women, Lyn leads Business Women Australia’s national community, fostering collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and peer-to-peer support. She is dedicated to helping women elevate their careers, businesses, and influence.

About Business Women Australia

Business Women Australia (BWA) is a vibrant national collective of women from all sectors, industries, and professions. With a fast-growing group of more than 20,000 followers, BWA provides access to:

1. A supportive network of professionals, entrepreneurs, and leaders.

2. Professional development programs, leadership masterminds, and retreats.

3. Inspiring podcasts, webinars, and thought-leadership events.

4. Opportunities to collaborate, connect, and grow.

BWA’s vision is to elevate women with knowledge, influence, and connection, helping members achieve their full potential both professionally and personally.

👉 Join today and be part of a national movement of women making an impact.

🔗 businesswomenaustralia.com.au/membership

Tune in to this important episode of the Business Women Australia Podcast Show as we explore how growth-focused businesses align HR strategy with culture, performance, and purpose.

Are you leading a growing business without a dedicated HR manager?

You’re not alone, and you don’t have to navigate the complex world of people, compliance, and culture on your own.

Business Women Australia National Director, Lyn Hawkins, chats with Elisia Coetzee, Founder and Director of Strategic HR Australia, to unpack how business owners and managers can develop and improve their business with practical, people-focused strategies that support sustainable growth.

With over 26 years’ experience across Human Resources and Industrial Relations, Elisia has supported organisations across Australia to build compliant, high-performing, and values-driven workplaces. Her consultancy, Strategic HR, provides tailored, fractional HR support - offering everything from compliance frameworks and performance management systems to leadership development and team culture programs.

Imagine having access to the best strategic HR support without the overhead of a full-time HR manager.

If your business is scaling, your team is growing, or your workplace challenges are becoming more complex, this conversation is for you.

Tune in to learn:

• When and why growing businesses need fractional HR support

• How to balance compliance with culture for long-term success

• The most common HR blind spots in small to mid-sized businesses

• How to turn your people strategy into a competitive advantage in 2026

• Why proactive HR planning sets the tone for a strong year ahead

Elisia shares real stories, practical steps, and deep insight into the human side of business growth. Hear how she helps her clients build confidence, clarity, and capability in their team management and leadership.

Whether you have a team of ten or sixty, this episode will help you create a thriving workplace where people perform at their best, and your business grows with integrity and purpose.

Listen to this episode to discover how Strategic HR Australia can support you, wherever you are in Australia, to simplify your people systems, stay compliant, and develop a strong, positive culture that drives success.

*Check out the Special Offer for our Podcast Listeners below

Meet Elisia Coetzee

Elisia Coetzee is a highly experienced Human Resources and Industrial Relations specialist with over 26 years’ experience supporting organisations across Australia and across industries. She holds an MBA, postgraduate qualifications in Human Resource Management and Industrial Sociology, and is a qualified Mediator and executive coach, with extensive experience in workplace investigations and complex people matters.

Elisia has led HR functions in complex operational environments and has spent the past 13 years consulting across a broad range of industries. As Founder and Director of Strategic HR Australia, she partners with growing businesses to build compliant, high-performing, and people-centred workplaces — providing senior fractional HR support without the overhead of a full-time hire.

Known for her practical, grounded approach, Elisia supports leaders to navigate people matters with confidence and care, balancing structure with humanity and compliance with culture. Her work is focused on helping businesses move from reactive people management to intentional, sustainable leadership.

* Special Offer for Podcast Listeners

As part of this episode, listeners are invited to access a free HR Compliance Audit and Report - head to the website: Strategic HR | HR Services and Solutions in Perth. The audit is designed to help business owners and leaders get a clear snapshot of how their current HR practices stack up across five key areas:

1. Contracts & Industrial Relations Compliance

2. Pay & Record Keeping

3. Policies & Procedures

4. Workplace Practices & Development

5. Culture