International Women's Forum Australia (IWFA)

What International Women's Forum Australia (IWFA) does

International Women's Forum Australia (IWFA) is a private, invitation-only membership organization established in 2014 as the Australian chapter of the global International Women's Forum network. It serves approximately 200 senior women leaders across NSW, ACT, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, and Queensland, spanning executives, entrepreneurs, professionals, politicians, lawyers, First Nations advocates, and other leaders. The organization is incorporated as IWF Australia Limited (ACN 602 091 609) and operates on a voluntary governance model with a board drawn from its membership.

IWFA's product portfolio centers on leadership development and curated networking. Core offerings include the Emerging Women Leaders Program (EWLP), a six-session leadership curriculum launched in 2019 that uses personal storytelling from established IWFA members; the IWF Leadership Fellows Program, a year-long executive development experience delivered in partnership with Harvard Business School and INSEAD; and a calendar of events including biennial national symposiums, marquee annual events, and intimate Dine Around gatherings hosted by members. Members also participate in two annual IWF World Leadership Conferences spanning 33 countries and 8,000+ women globally.

The business model is membership-fee based subscription revenue, supplemented by event and program participation. GTM is community-led: growth is driven by member nominations, word-of-mouth referrals, and event engagement rather than paid acquisition. No public pricing is disclosed, and there is no proprietary technology stack. The organization markets through its website, LinkedIn page, and a member portal. Partnerships with Harvard Business School (2023) and INSEAD (1994) provide academic depth, while the inaugural IWFA Leadership Fellows Scholarship (2023-24, University of Melbourne connection) extends the talent pipeline into Australian institutions.

Name

International Women's Forum Australia (IWFA)

Legal name

IWF Australia Limited

Website

https://iwfaustralia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

International Women's Forum Australia (IWFA) is an invitation-only membership organization, established in 2014, serving approximately 200 senior women leaders across six Australian states through leadership development programs, academic fellowships, and curated networking events as part of the global IWF network spanning 33 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: IWFA operates as a membership-based organization with annual membership fees. The organization is voluntary and membership is by invitation only.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

IWFA is an invitation-only membership organisation that provides leadership development programs and curated networking opportunities for senior women leaders across Australia. Its core offerings are the Emerging Women Leaders Program (a six-session leadership journey co-founded by members Pam Burton and Chris Gillies), the IWF Leadership Fellows Program (a year-long intensive executive development experience with Harvard and INSEAD academic partnerships), and a calendar of national symposiums, marquee events, and Dine Around dinners supported by access to the global IWF network of 8000+ women across 33 countries.

Product overview

International Women's Forum Australia (IWFA) is a membership organization established in 2014 offering a portfolio of leadership development programs and networking opportunities. The core offerings include the Emerging Women Leaders Program (EWLP), a six-session leadership journey for emerging leaders launched in 2019, and the Leadership Fellows Program, a year-long intensive executive development experience originating in 1994 with Harvard and INSEAD partnerships. The organization also convenes national symposiums, annual marquee events, and intimate Dine Around gatherings, all supported by a global network spanning 76 forums across 33 countries and 8000+ members worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emerging Women Leaders Program (EWLP) A six-session structured leadership development program that empowers emerging women leaders to develop their leadership through personal storytelling from established IWFA members. Co-founded by IWFA members Pam Burton and Chris Gillies, it covers themes including Values, Direction, Mindset, Connection, and Empowerment.
• IWF Leadership Fellows Program A year-long intensive leadership development experience for senior women executives, offering customised leadership training with academic partnerships at Harvard Business School and INSEAD. More than 700 women globally have completed the program since 1994. IWFA also offers a Leadership Fellows Scholarship for Australian women participants.
• Conferences and Networking Events

Quantifiable outcome

• 700+ women globally have completed the Leadership Fellows Program since 1994

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Harvard Business SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Academic partnership providing leadership training for IWF Leadership Fellows Program participants. The program offers customized leadership development for high-achieving women leaders on their path to the C-suite.
• University of MelbourneminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Dr. Ngaree Blow, inaugural IWFA Leadership Fellows Scholar, is the Managing Director of the Wurru Wurru Health unit in the Melbourne Medical School.
• INSEADcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1994Academic partnership for the IWF Leadership Fellows Program, providing global cohort of diverse leaders with customized training from one of the world's leading business schools.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Women in Management (WIM) Australia: Australian organisation supporting women in management through networking, mentoring and events. Comparable as a domestic peer focused on developing women leaders with an event and community-led engagement model.
• YPO (Young Presidents' Organization): Global peer network of senior executives and business leaders with curated membership, forums and leadership development programs. Comparable in exclusivity, event-driven engagement and global chapter structure.
• Ellevate Network: Global professional networking community for women in business, combining curated membership, local chapters and leadership programming. Directly comparable to IWFA in mission (advancing women leaders) and member-led chapter model.
• International Women's Forum (Global): Global parent/affiliate network of which IWFA is the Australian forum. Directly comparable as a peer forum of women leaders spanning multiple geographies with similar programs (Leadership Fellows, conferences) and an invitation-led membership model.
• Chief Executive Women (Australia): Australian membership organisation advancing women into senior leadership across business, government and the professions. Closest Australian analog to IWFA in mission, member profile (executives, directors, politicians) and event-led programming model.
• NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners): US-based membership association for women business owners offering networking, leadership programming and advocacy. Comparable as a mission-aligned membership organisation advancing women leaders through peer connection and education.
• Chief: US-based private membership network for women executives and senior leaders. Comparable as a curated, membership-only community of senior women leaders with events, peer networking and leadership programming.

Emerging players

• Athena Alliance: Membership-based platform supporting senior women executives into board and C-suite roles through curated programs and a digital community. Comparable as an emerging peer targeting the same senior women-leader segment with a more tech-enabled delivery model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInau.linkedin.com/company/iwf-australia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Women's Forum Australia (IWFA)