In high-performing teams, the best players don’t just respond to the game in front of them. They anticipate where it’s going next.

Holly Kessler is the kind of teammate others rely on.

As executive assistant to Kieren Perkins, CEO of the Australian Sports Commission, Holly works at the centre of a fast-moving executive environment, reading shifting priorities, navigating competing demands and knowing what needs attention, where she can act autonomously, and when to step in.

Join us for our EA Series finale where she’ll explore how she:

• earns the trust to act with confidence and autonomy
• decides what needs executive attention and what can be handled elsewhere
• stays ahead as priorities shift
• knows when to step in, challenge or push back
• creates a working relationship that allows both people to perform at their best.

Kieren will join Holly to offer the executive perspective: what he values in her approach, why he trusts her judgement and what exceptional executive support enables him to focus on.

As a two-time Olympic swimming champion and four-time Olympic medallist, Kieren also knows that the person in the spotlight never succeeds alone. At the highest level, success depends on having the right people around you, each knowing their role and when their expertise is needed.

Together, Holly and Kieren will offer a rare look inside an exceptional EA and executive team, with Holly leading the conversation on what it takes to earn trust, anticipate what is coming and become a trusted and influential part of the team.

Then we’ll take the conversation off stage. As our 2026 EA Series finale, the evening will continue with canapés, drinks and networking as we bring the series to a close.

Early bird tickets are available until 15 October or until the contingent is exhausted.