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IWD2018 reading list: Jablko, Connick, Dwyer and more

To celebrate International Women’s Day, all week bluenotes will be guest edited by respected journalist and author Catherine Fox. We’ll be publishing content on women, their experience in the workplace and the future of equality. We hope you enjoy it.

True diversity goes beyond just gender – it includes diversity of thought and experience. We asked some of our most-senior women to share what they’re reading, watching and listening to so we can broaden our horizons this IWD.

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Michelle Jablko – Chief Financial Officer, ANZ

  • At the moment I’m reading Stronger by Jeff Bauman which is the story of a Boston Marathon bombing survivor.
  • I’m also reading Unbreakable by Jelena Dokic.
  • I’m enjoying watching La Mante on Netflix, a story about a French serial killer.

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Lynwen Connick – Chief Information Security Officer, ANZ

  • George Orwell’s 1984 had a significant impact on me as I was growing up. Some may find this surprising given a large part of my career was in Government Intelligence and Security - but it inspired me to work where I might be able to help make the world a better place and safeguard our freedoms and rights.
  • More recently I have read The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood - a reminder that we have to guard carefully the freedoms we have and ensure society respects us all.
  • As I spend a lot of time travelling I enjoy listening to podcasts and the ABC’s Boyer LecturesFast Smart and Connected : What it is to be human and Australian, in a Digital World by Genevieve Bell was a favourite for me last year.
  • It is hard to find many spare moments so my favourite quick read is a page whenever I can of Catfulness - A Cat’s Guide To Achieving Mindfulness by Paolo Valentino which my daughter gave me for Christmas.
  • As a member of #WomenInSTEM, I love previously untold stories of women who have done amazing work in science, technology, engineering and maths such as Hidden Figures. We need more!

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Paula Dwyer - Non-Executive Director, ANZ & Chairman, Tabcorp & Healthscope

  • Two books I’ve recently enjoyed include Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari which is a seriously thought provoking read and Solar Bones by Mike McCormack which was wonderfully poignant.
  • I have also watched and enjoyed series two of The Crown which makes me appreciate the amazing civic duty of an incredible female role model - our Queen.

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Cherelle Murphy – Senior Economist, ANZ

  • I’m mostly watching my eight-year-old twins! However, in a spare moment I’m watching Outlander for my Scottish roots (not for Sam Heughan, of course).
  • The books I love include anything by Gore Vidal but also The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood - a raw Australian story with globally relevant messages.
  • I used to read The Economist magazine regularly however I must admit I am listening to the podcast more often these days.
  • I love podcasts – some of my favourites include A’n’Z of Economics (I promise I’m not biased!) but also Devils and Details by Business Insider Australia – a great podcast by Colgo and Scutty which often features our own Jo Masters. I also like The Party Room with Kelly & Karvelas – a good politics wrap.

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Fiona Smith – Freelance journalist and bluenotes contributor

  • I listen to Richard Fidler’s Conversation hour when I go for a walk, drive or paint at the easel. The wonderful thing about it is, I’ll see the content description and think 'harrumph, that looks dull' and then it ends up being fascinating and stays on my mind for a week.
  • I rarely watch TV these days but The Good Place, built around an exploration of ethics, hooked me in.
  • I love Beyonce's Lemonade so much, I have to ration it. I love the courage it took Beyonce to use her personal pain as the inspiration to roar through the fury, sadness and eventual resolution of her fractured marriage.
  • When Lucy Culliton told me her next exhibition would be portraits of her sheep, I was a little worried. But when I saw them all hung together, I got where she was coming from. It taught me something about the value of taking the time to look and see the individual, and needs to be seen to be believed.

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Sharon Zollner – Chief Economist New Zealand, ANZ

  • I’m currently reading Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff and Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer in which the author spends a year completing memory training and eventually finds himself in the finals of the U.S. Memory Championship.
  • I’m enjoying the TV series 3% which is a Brazilian dystopian thriller series on Netflix about an island paradise inhabited by the elite.
  • I also listen to Freakonomics in my spare time.

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Diane Smith-Gander - Director at AGL Energy, Wesfarmers & Henry York Davis

I’m currently reading Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens A Brief History of Humankind and J D Vance's Hillbilly Elegy.

I loved Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri which has Frances McDormand and Woody Harrelson doing what they do best

I recently saw the U-theatre of Taiwan's Beyond Time at the Perth Festival – a mesmerising blend of martial arts, drumming and reflection

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Jill Campbell – Group General Manager Investor Relations, ANZ

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Enjoy this list? You can see our recommendations from the 2017/18 holiday break here.

The views and opinions expressed in this communication are those of the author and may not necessarily state or reflect those of ANZ.

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