CEO and Founder, Aya Leadership | Board Member Women in STEM Leadership | Leader of the Year
Dr Susan McGinty is the CEO and Founder of Aya Leadership. She is an award-winning scientist and global STEM leadership development expert, speaker and author, who is inspired to transform the profile of leadership in STEM and Security to achieve innovation sustainability, uplift women in STEM and Security into leadership roles, and enable diversity and equity in these sectors.
Susan was awarded the 2023 Women in STEM Leadership Leader of the Year Award for her work supporting the leadership development of women in STEM globally. She was a finalist in the 2023 Women’s Agenda Awards Emerging Leader in Tech and the 2023 Recalibrate Gender Equity Awards, CEO/Board. Aya Leadership’s tailored female leadership development programs have been recognised as a finalist in the 2024 Australian Defence and National Security Workforce Awards, the 2024 Australian Defence Industry Awards, and the 2023 Australian Women in Security Awards.
In 2024, AWSN (Australian Women in Security Network) and Aya Leadership won the prestigious ‘Best Industry Initiative That Supports Diversity, Inclusion & Equity’ at the Women in Security Awards. This impactful initiative, co-founded by Jacqui Loustau and Dr McGinty, began three years ago and has since made significant strides in advancing diversity and inclusion across the industry.
Susan is a specialised leadership development partner for STEM and Security organisations that prioritise diversity. She works with organisations to attract, retain and develop outstanding female talent, develop a sustainable and diverse leadership pipeline, and increase the representation of women at all leadership levels; so they can focus on business sustainability, growth, and innovation through diversity. She works with leaders of all genders globally to strengthen their leadership skills and develop high-performing and resilient teams and organisations.
Susan has a PhD in Medicinal & Organic Chemistry, a Master of Leadership, and 25 years’ experience in STEM, Defence and National Security, and STEM leadership development. Her thought leadership and tailored leadership programs have global impact. She authors leadership articles and undertakes research in female STEM leadership. She speaks globally about the challenges for women navigating STEM leadership, tailored leadership development approaches for STEM women, and how organisations can increase the diversity of gender representation in their leadership. As a certified coach, Susan has fifteen years’ experience in adult education, coaching and mentoring across a range of STEM and Security sectors.
Susan is a member of the Advisory Board of US-based Women in STEM Leadership. She is also a strategic partner of the Australian Women in Security Network. In 2022, as part of her Master of Leadership, she undertook research into Female STEM Leadership, for which she won the Deakin University Dean’s Prize.
In 2023, Susan co-authored the #1 international best-selling book ‘Women Transforming the Landscape of Science and Tech’. In 2021, she was identified by The Australian Business Journal as one of the 20 Australian leadership experts to watch.
