Ita Buttrose

Journalist, author and TV presenter

Ita Buttrose, AO, OBE, has forged a path for women in the media, yet she admits that all her own mentors were men.

“There were no women at my level when I was starting my corporate climb,” she explains. “My first role model and mentor was my father. I used to make his breakfast when he was the Editor of an afternoon newspaper and we’d talk about his work and read the papers together.”

Other mentors followed, including Sir Frank Packer and his sons Clyde and Kerry. The most valuable lessons Ita learnt from them were, “Go for it. Don’t hesitate. Make up your mind. Love what you do. They all loved what they did. It’s really important that your work makes you happy and fulfilled.”

Ita’s advice to our Women of the Future is not too different. “Be prepared to put your hand up,” she says. “Keep pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and keep learning. No woman should ever be afraid to go after her dreams. There’s an excitement in finding out how far you can push yourself and in realising that you can make a difference.”