Michelle Baltazar, publisher of The Australian Filipina, is one of the two inaugural recipients of the prestigious Maureen Kerridge AM Scholarship, a new scholarship to inspire Australian women leaders working in media, television and advertising.
Baltazar is an award-winning writer, journalist and editor with more than 20 years’ experience in financial services media and community affairs. She is the editor-in-chief of Money and executive director – media at Rainmaker Group, which publishes Financial Standard, FS Sustainability, Industry Moves and Money.
Passionate about keeping the Filipino heritage alive for future generations of Filipino-Australians, she is also the publisher of online publication The Australian Filipina.
CEW Scholarships Chair Deidre Willmott said, “We are delighted to recognise emerging women leaders in media, who will honour Maureen’s remarkable leadership and achievements. The generosity of the Kerridge family will allow the winners to gain the skills they need to continue growing their careers in the industry.”
Baltazar said, “I can’t thank CEW and the Kerridge family enough for this amazing opportunity. To learn about the latest in technology at a prestigious university is beyond my wildest dreams and it wouldn’t have been possible without this scholarship.”
Asked why she applied for the program, Baltazar responded: “I want to help in the economic empowerment of migrant communities, particularly the Philippine-Australian community. By exploring the cross-section between media and the latest in technologies, I’m hoping to be part of the solution to make financial literacy accessible to all.”
The other scholarship recipient is Nadine Rabah, Media Manager for the Australian Football League where she leads the communications, media and public relations for the men’s and women’s elite competitions. Nadine has chosen to study at Harvard Business School in Boston, undertaking the Authentic Leader Development Program.
“I aim to make a difference in football and, more importantly, use sport as a vehicle to connect with communities across the country. I am determined to progress the game on and off the field and pride myself on being a strong but fair leader who values hard work and honesty,” she said in a press statement.
Keith Kerridge, the husband of the late Maureen Kerridge AM, said, “Maureen would be thrilled by the ‘finance and football’ focus of the first scholarship winners. She was passionate about supporting women stepping into leadership roles and she revelled in mentoring younger women in all spheres. She never did anything by halves, so we hope Michelle and Nadine bring this same energy to their scholarships.”
Among her many accomplishments, CEW Member Maureen Kerridge AM was the first woman to run an Australian television network, Seven, and the first woman CEO of a free-to-air television network globally.
Successful scholarship candidates will become CEW Scholars and be part of Chief Executive Women’s alumni community, CEW Connect, alongside more than 200 women who have been awarded scholarships to business schools in Australia and internationally since the CEW executive program commenced in 1992.
Chief Executive Women’s (CEW) shared mission is ‘women leaders enabling other women leaders’. The organisation’s 640 members hold leading roles in private and public organisations. According to latest CEW data, they oversee more than 1.3 million employees and $749 billion in revenue.