Madonna King Travels from QLD
Fee Range: POA
Madonna King's Biography
Madonna King is an award-winning journalist, author and commentator. She has long been known as the voice of current affairs in Queensland, heading the top rating current affairs program on the ABC for six years, and winning several national ABC awards for her journalism. Madonna’s ninth book is called Fathers and Daughters and it follows her award winning book Being 14. She has also authored biographies of former federal treasurer Joe Hockey, and Australian of the Year and inventor of the cervical cancer vaccine, Ian Frazer.
Madonna writes a weekly column – That Thinking Feeling – for Fairfax, and appears also in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Weekend magazine. Previously, she wrote a popular Saturday column for Brisbane’s The Courier-Mail.
She has regularly appeared on television, – on breakfast programs, the Drum and Q & A, and spent many years in the Canberra press gallery reporting and interpreting politics. With her more than 25 years’ experience across newspapers, radio and television, Madonna is a sought-after facilitator, Master of Ceremonies and speaker. Thinking on her feet in an interview with the prime minister, calming the anger of a talkback caller or interviewing leading CEOs are skills she has used to advantage in traveling around Australia moderating hypotheticals or facilitating conferences on topics as varied as leadership, education, politics, business, resources, the law, tourism and the environment.
Her experience in the media and politics allows Madonna to provide a fascinating yet entertaining keynote about what goes on behind-the-scenes in politics and the decision-making process. She has also been an in-demand speaker for school communities, particularly focused on the challenges faced by teen girls.
A fellow of the prestigious World Press Institute, Madonna has served as a visiting fellow at the Queensland University of Technology, and on the Walkley Advisory Board for Journalism. She has completed a Diploma in Company Directorships, through the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is currently on two not-for-profit boards. She is chair of the Queensland anti-cyberbullying taskforce.
As a facilitator Madonna believes that a good facilitator’s strength is to listen and encourage those in a debate to use their expertise to identify answers that often evade them. Madonna’s experience in corporate Australia is wide and varied. Regularly for the last four years, she has questioned Australia’s top CEOs over business lunches.
Some of those include:
Mr Richard Goyder, managing director and CEO of Wesfarmers Limited,
Mr Matthew Quinn, managing director of Stockland,
Mr Alan Moss, CEO of Macquarie Bank,
Mr Wal King, chief executive of Leighton Holdings
Mr John Mulcahy, CEO of the Suncorp Group
Mr Terry Davis, group managing director of Coca-Cola Amatil,
Mr Geoff Dixon, managing director and CEO of Qantas
Ms Sue Morphett, CEO of Pacific Brands,
Mr Mike Smith, CEO of the ANZ bank,
Mr Peter Ritchie, former deputy chair of the 7 Network and chief executive of McDonald’s Australia,
Dr Ken Henry, Federal Treasury secretary,
Mr Tom Albanese, chief executive of Rio Tinto,
Mr David Stewart, CEO of Leighton Holdings Ltd.