Libby Lyons

Libby Lyons is an Australian former public servant who served as the Director of the Australian Government's Workplace Gender Equality Agency. She was appointed Director in October 2015 and completed her term in April 2021. As Director, Lyons played a key role in promoting and improving gender equality in Australian workplaces.

A picture of Libby Lyons.
Lyons in 2023

Early life

Lyons was born in Tasmania and grew up in Melbourne. She was educated at Sacré Coeur School in Glen Iris.

After completing school, Libby trained as a primary school teacher and started her working life in the outer northern suburbs of Melbourne.

Career

Lyons has previously worked in senior management roles across the corporate and government sectors in the energy, resources and telecommunications industries.

She headed Corporate Affairs for BHP's Olympic Dam Project and has held senior roles at Atlas Iron, CITIC Pacific Mining, Alcoa of Australia and Western Power.[1] She was also corporate relations manager at Telstra[2] and Acting Chair and Non-Executive Director of Perth-based Reclaim Industries.[3]

Lyons has chaired a number of not-for-profits. She took on the position of Executive Chairman for Kalparrin,[4] a Perth-based charity that supports families of children with special needs, in June 2013. She was also on the Board of Directors and the Chair of SIDS and Kids WA.[5]

Lyons stood for Liberal Party preselection prior to the 2008 Western Australian state election, losing to Bill Marmion in the seat of Nedlands. She also contested preselection for the House of Representatives prior to the 2010 federal election, losing to incumbent Tangney MP Dennis Jensen.[6] In 2021, Lyons ruled herself out of Liberal preselection for the federal seat of Pearce prior to the 2022 federal election.[7]

Director, Workplace Gender Equality Agency

In her position as the Director of the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, Lyons advocated to close the gender pay gap and break down occupational gender segregation in Australia.[8][9]

Lyons is a strong advocate for ensuring flexible work practices are normalised for men, as well as women.[10]

In both 2019 and 2018, Lyons was named in Apolitical's Gender Equality Top 100.[11][12] Lyons featured in the book 200 Women[13] and was awarded Woman of the Decade for Gender Policy by the Women Economic Forum in 2019.[14][15]

In November 2016, Lyons presented Australia’s gender equality scorecard, based on the Agency’s latest data from employers, at the National Press Club in Canberra. In the address, Lyons called on Australian employers to take urgent action to address the gender pay gap.[16]

Later life and consulting work

In 2020, Lyons became the inaugural Chair of Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) Ltd,[17] a not-for-profit that works with Australian higher education and research institutions to address systemic barriers to gender equity, diversity and inclusion.[18] She is also a national board member and WA Chapter Chair of Chief Executive Women.[19]

Following the conclusion of her term as Director of the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, Lyons was appointed as the inaugural Chair of the Aged Care Workforce Industry Council (ACWIC).[20][21] In February 2023, Lyons announced her resignation from the role.[22]

In 2021, Lyons became a member of the Australian Government's National Aged Care Advisory Council.[23]

Lyons was appointed Adjunct-Professor at Australian Catholic University in 2021.[24]

In 2022, Lyons was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters by Curtin University for "distinguished service to the social sciences through outstanding and influential advocacy for gender equality in the workplace, with impacts in Australia and internationally".[25]

Lyons holds the position of Strategic Council at Perth-based consultancy firm ReGen Strategic.[15]

Family

Lyons comes from one of the prominent political families of Australia. She is the granddaughter of former Australian Prime Minister Joseph Lyons and Dame Enid Lyons who was the first woman elected to Australia's House of Representatives, and the first woman appointed to the federal cabinet.[26] Her father was Deputy Premier of Tasmania Kevin Lyons[27] and her brother is Kevin Lyons QC, Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria.

She was married to criminal lawyer, Michael Jones, who died in 2010.[28]

She has since remarried to Dr George Bowen.[29] She has one son, to her late husband.

References
  1. "Lyons moves to BHP". Business News. 1 September 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
  2. "Login". Business News. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  3. "ASX Announcement" (PDF). ASX. 31 October 2008. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  4. "News & Events – Kalparrin".
  5. "Not For Profit Board: SIDS and Kids WA". Business News. 7 May 2008. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
  6. Taylor, Paige (16 August 2009). "Liberal Party has second thoughts about dumping Dennis Jensen". News.com.au. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  7. Hennessy, Annabel (3 December 2021). "Why Libby Lyons won't contest Pearce seat". The West Australian. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  8. Lyons, Libby (14 August 2016). "More men need to be recruited to female-dominated industries". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
  9. Lyons, Libby (11 August 2016). "Time for men to sign up to female-dominated caring and sharing jobs". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
  10. Coade, Melissa (13 October 2016). "Law facing 'brain drain'". www.lawyersweekly.com.au. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
  11. "Apolitical's Gender Equality Top 100 | 2019". Apolitical. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  12. "Gender Equality Top 100: The Most Influential People In Global Policy". 23 May 2018. Archived from the original on 23 May 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  13. "Libby Lyons - 200 Women". 200 Women. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  14. "Libby Lyons | WEF". 19 April 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  15. "Libby Lyons". Business News. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  16. National Press Club: Libby Lyons, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 16 November 2016, retrieved 11 August 2019
  17. Leow, Mei (29 September 2020). "Libby Lyons announced as SAGE inaugural Chair". SAGE. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  18. "Science in Australia Gender Equity". SAGE. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  19. "Articles: Libby Lyons. Chair, WA Chapter". Chief Executive Women. 2 August 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  20. "New Inaugural Chair Announced". Aged Care Workforce Industry Council. 10 June 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  21. Campbell, Eleanor. "Libby Lyons appointed inaugural chair of the aged care workforce industry council". Aged Care Insite. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  22. McKeown, Sean (6 February 2023). "Libby Lyons resigns as ACWIC Chair". Inside Ageing. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  23. "National Aged Care Advisory Council". Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. 24 February 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  24. "Enterprise agreements entrench inequality | ACU". www.acu.edu.au. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  25. "Community recognition | Curtin Friends". Curtin University. 24 May 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  26. "Can this woman close the gender pay gap?". Australian Financial Review. 1 April 2016.
  27. "The Graduate Union Newsletter November 2017, p11". Issuu. 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
  28. "Stalwart crusader against mandatory terms". www.theaustralian.com.au. 25 November 2010. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
  29. Trenoweth, Samantha. "Libby Lyons: 'Reducing the gender pay gap will transform our work and family lives'". Now To Love. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
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