Gail Kelly

The first female CEO of a major Australian bank on her heroes

MY MOTHER

Some of my earliest memories as a young girl are of baking scones in the kitchen with my mother, Pat. She loved to cook, but didn’t enjoy domestic work at all. I can’t sew because she couldn’t sew – she didn’t ever want to. My mother was a very independent woman. She was a stay-at-home mum, but she hated to be called a housewife.

Mum’s biggest regret was not completing her schooling. She made sure my brother and I had equal access to the best education. She encouraged me to go to university, follow my dreams and be the best I could be in my chosen field.