Gail Kelly Quotes

#1. If I'm watching my son play soccer, that's what I'm doing. If I'm going to a school concert, that's what I'm doing. I turn the phone off. I actively tune into whatever I'm doing. I walk every evening with one of my sons and for that half an hour, 45 minutes, that's what I'm doing.

Gail Kelly

#2. When I got to be a CEO, I said: 'Right. I'm now going to tackle gender inequality head-on. I'm going to make a difference and lead by example and actively put in place policies and practices to support women.'

Gail Kelly

#3. Nelson Mandela was an outstanding leader and a mentor for me. I was in South Africa at the time he was released. I was in South Africa when he was inaugurated as the first president.

Gail Kelly

#4. I'm a very consistent leader, and people won't find me different day to day. You won't have to have the sort of conversation that says, 'How is she today? Is this a good day to have this conversation?' You won't find that situation with me. I treat people with respect.

Gail Kelly

#5. You should choose organisations that are going to be flexible and supportive and recognise people are going through different stages in their careers and actually need different sorts of support.

Gail Kelly

#6. I have a very genuine care for individuals; I have a very genuine sense of the power of individuals to make a difference, a very genuine belief that people matter, a very genuine belief of wanting the very best for individuals.

Gail Kelly

#7. 42% of our management team are women. So we've reset the goal to 50% by 2017. Because that's when Westpac becomes 200 years old as an institution - the oldest bank, and indeed the oldest company in Australia. So that's a lovely point to reflect on.

Gail Kelly

#8. One of the joys of being at St. George is you were operating under the radar screen a lot of the time, and you could actually get on with things a lot more quickly and easily.

Gail Kelly

#9. Whatever you are doing, give it all of your attention. Prioritise what you're going to do carefully, and then be in the moment.

Gail Kelly

#10. I grew up in a very strong, nuclear family. My father was a sportsman. He represented South Africa in a couple of sports, so he was a very positive person and someone who encouraged you to be your best and give your best with everything that you do.

Gail Kelly

#11. Often really what you need is someone who will believe in you, who will encourage you to believe in yourself.

Gail Kelly

#12. If you believe in practising generosity of spirit, at heart you believe in the power of an individual to make a difference and at heart you treat individuals with deep respect and want to see others flourish.

Gail Kelly

#13. I don't waste time. I move. I finish things. I don't try and do things to the nth degree. I know what's important and what's not. I've really learned that. That's a judgement I've learned, what really matters.

Gail Kelly

#14. You can choose not to sit on the fence. You can choose not to criticise. You must stand as guard at the door of your own mind and choose to be positive.

Gail Kelly

#15. I'm a big believer you should design work around a vast majority of people who want to do the right thing rather than around the tiny minority who might take advantage.

Gail Kelly

#16. I have certainly been very front footed about increasing our gender representation at Westpac.

Gail Kelly

#17. Living in South Africa has had a very profound impact on my career.

Gail Kelly