Kristina Keneally
Senator for NSW, Former NSW Premier, Business Woman and Keynote Speaker
The Hon Professor Kristina Keneally is best known as the first woman to hold office as the 42nd Premier of New South Wales, and also as Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate since 2019. She has also enjoyed a highly successful career in business, and performed senior roles in academia and with not-for-profit organisations.
An articulate keynote speaker, Kristina Keneally draws on her broad experience in business and politics to empower audiences, speaking on a wide variety of topics from leadership to motherhood and work-life balance, sport, politics and religion.
Kristina Keneally enjoyed a long career in politics. She was the Member for Heffron in the New South Wales Parliament between 2003-2012 and served in Cabinet in various roles including; Minister for Disability Services, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Planning, Minister for Infrastructure and Government Spokesperson for World Youth Day. In 2009 she was elected Premier of New South Wales, a position she held until 2011.
Following her time in NSW State politics Kristina was appointed to the role of CEO of Basketball Australia, a position she held from 2012-2014.
Kristina was the Director of Gender Inclusion/Adjunct Professor at the Macquarie Graduate School of Management and a regular columnist. She served as a Director of Souths Cares, Patron of the Stillbirth Foundation Australia and Ambassador for Opportunity Australia International.
Kristina was appointed to a casual vacancy in the Senate in 2018, before being selected as Deputy Senate leader in the shadow cabinet after the 2019 leadership election.
Kristina Keneally holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Science and an MA in Religious Studies, both from the University of Dayton. She is also a Political Commentator and regularly presents To The Point and Credlin Keneally on Sky News.
Kristina Keneally speaks on topics that include:
- Leadership in adverse times
- Women in Leadership
- Work-life balance
- Motherhood
- Religion & Catholicism
- Elite and recreational sport
- Politics
- Public policy
- Change management
- Cracking the glass ceiling