EventsNews
IPAA Victoria celebrates the winners of the Top 50 Women Awards 2026
12 Aug 2026
Last week marked the successful conclusion of the 2025 Senior Executive Integrity and Ethical Leadership Program (IELP), a signature leadership offering from IPAA Victoria that brings together senior leaders from across the public purpose sector for an immersive learning experience.
Held across four intensive workshops in May and June, this year’s IELP cohort engaged with the real challenges of ethical leadership, systems thinking, and public accountability. Through case studies, leadership stories, practical frameworks and peer reflection, participants explored what it truly means to lead with integrity in today’s complex public sector environment.
Day 1 opened with Jane Brockington, IPAA Victoria Fellow, who presented a compelling case study on the Robodebt inquiry, prompting honest and critical conversations around accountability and systems failure. Marlo Baragwanath, Victorian Ombudsman, followed with a candid reflection on her own leadership journey, highlighting the ethical complexities of public service and the importance of principled decision-making.
On Day 2, systems thinker Cass Spong guided the cohort through tools like the quadrants framework, enabling participants to explore how internal culture, perspectives, and structure affect ethical choices. The session created strong links back to the Robodebt case study and asked participants to consider: What gets in the way of frank and fearless advice? Peter Collins then introduced behavioural ethics, highlighting how unconscious bias and human behaviour can impact ethical choices. His session helped participants reflect on how decisions can be shaped by more than just rules and policies.
The day concluded with an inspiring session from John Merritt, former CEO of VicRoads, WorkSafe and the EPA, who shared real-world leadership lessons and examples of integrity in action.
Day 3 welcomed Dr Tim Dean from The Ethics Centre, who led a thought-provoking session on values-based decision-making. Through group dialogue and real-life examples, Tim challenged leaders to slow down, acknowledge blind spots, and examine the “shadow leadership” that can unconsciously shape behaviour and culture.
On Day 4, Div Pillay, CEO of MindTribes, delivered a powerful workshop on inclusive leadership. Exploring themes of diversity, equity, and intersectionality, Div challenged participants to consider how ethical leadership is inseparable from inclusive leadership. Through honest discussion and guided reflection, participants demonstrated their understanding of how to lead with empathy, awareness, and courage.
Across all four days, the 2025 IELP cohort attended with openness, curiosity, and a shared commitment to building a stronger, values-driven public purpose sector. The sessions were a mix of deep thinking, honest reflection, and practical application, leaving participants with enduring questions:
What stories are we telling in our organisations? And are they shaping the culture we want to create?
We extend our thanks to our expert facilitators and to the public purpose leaders who took part in this year’s program. Your insights, courage and collaboration have made the 2025 IELP a program to remember.
Reach out to our learning and development team if you have any questions about Senior Executive IELP, or any of our other courses.
