Summary - Illawarra Breakfast | M.A.D about Menopause – Making a difference in your workplace

The CPA Illawarra Branch, in collaboration with the Australian HR Institute (AHRI), warmly invites you to join us for a breakfast session at the Wollongong Golf Club.

What does it mean to be M.A.D About Menopause, and how can it create positive change within your organisation?

With millions of Australian women experiencing menopause during their peak leadership and career years, the impact on workforce participation, productivity, wellbeing, and talent retention is significant, yet often overlooked.

In this practical and thought-provoking session, Karen Stein, Executive Coach and Certified Menopause Coach, will challenge traditional perceptions of menopause and position it as an important leadership and business issue. Moving beyond awareness, Karen will explore how menopause can influence energy, confidence, wellbeing, and workplace performance, and why addressing these challenges matters for leaders committed to building high-performing, inclusive workplaces.

Key Takeaways

By attending, you will gain:

Greater confidence to lead and influence meaningful conversations about menopause in the workplace.
Practical strategies to support employee wellbeing, reduce presenteeism, and maintain performance.
Insights into strengthening leadership capability and creating supportive workplace cultures across all genders.
Clear, actionable steps to foster a more inclusive, sustainable, and productive organisation.

This conversation is about more than policies and compliance. It is about leadership in action. Being M.A.D About Menopause means making a difference that employees can feel and organisations can benefit from.

Who Should Attend?

This session is ideal for leaders, people managers, HR professionals, and anyone responsible for workforce strategy, leadership development, employee wellbeing, and inclusion.

If you are focused on retaining experienced talent, creating supportive workplace cultures, reducing presenteeism, and strengthening leadership capability, this session will provide practical insights and actionable strategies.

Individuals personally navigating menopause are also encouraged to attend and will gain valuable knowledge, support, and understanding from the discussion.

Learning Outcomes:

Examine the organisational impacts of menopause on workforce capability and talent retention.
Explore leadership strategies that support employee wellbeing and workplace inclusion.
Identify practical measures to improve workplace support, productivity, and employee experience.
Develop a framework for creating menopause-aware and inclusive workplace cultures.

Karen Stein is a recognised Menopause Champion, Certified Menopause Coach, and the founder of M.A.D about Menopause where she is making a difference at work. She works with organisations to assist them with navigating managing menopause in their workplace.

An international keynote speaker, Executive (ICF PCC) and Group Coach, and award-winning author, Karen brings more than 30 years of professional services experience, including 24 years as a Partner at Deloitte. One of her more recent roles was to lead Deloitte’s Menopause Working Group where she had a key role in their success in becoming Australia’s first accredited Menopause Friendly Employer. Since then, Karen was appointed as a panel member assessing accreditation for Menopause Friendly Australia.

Her commercial credibility allows her to speak confidently at the intersection of leadership, wellbeing, and sustainable performance. With a Master of Science in Coaching Psychology and + 2,500 hours of coaching experience, Karen blends evidence, lived experience and practical strategy in every session.