Institute of Public Administration Australia (ACT) Limited

Claire Thomas is the CEO and Founder of Empact Group, one of Australia’s fastest-growing consultancies and the overall AFR Best Place to Work 2025. Guided by Empact’s purpose to Empower to Act, Claire leads a team working across government, corporate and community sectors to deliver complex transformation, workforce uplift and human-centred change. A former public servant with more than a decade of experience across central agencies and national policy roles, she brings a deep understanding of the opportunities and pressures facing leaders navigating reform, delivery and systems change.  

As a late-diagnosed 2E ADHD leader, Claire brings both professional expertise and lived experience to conversations about neuroaffirming leadership, workplace design and inclusive cultures. She is a strong advocate for creating environments where diverse ways of thinking are recognised as a strategic strength, not a deficit to be managed.  

Under Claire’s leadership, Empact has built a reputation for combining high performance with deeply human leadership practices grounded in its values of Trust, Care, Curiosity, Courage and Impact. Her work focuses on helping leaders navigate complexity, build psychologically safe and high-performing teams, and create systems where people can contribute at their best.  

Claire is a sought-after speaker and facilitator on leadership, public sector transformation, neurodiversity and the future of work, with a practical focus on how organisations can move from awareness to meaningful action.