Authenticity is empowering to lead your best life.
Maree Davenport is a passionate advocate for women's equity. She holds a Master of Leadership in Gender Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion. She is a member of Chief Executive Women and Women on Boards, and she speaks nationally at International Women’s Day, leadership summits, and conferences on women's health, diversity, and disability, as well as at corporate events.
Maree authored "The Australian Guide to Living Well with Endometriosis," published by Wiley.
From March 2023, Maree served as Chief Executive Officer of Endometriosis Australia for a year. During her tenure, she boosted media coverage and government engagement, leading to successful awareness campaigns and resulting in Federal Government funding and Medicare subsidies. Previously, she chaired and was a member of the Board and the Federal Department of Health Endometriosis Expert Advisory Group. She is also on the organising committee for the 2025 World Congress on Endometriosis in Sydney and chairs the Patient Liaison Committee.
Appointed an Ambassador for Carlton Football Club in 2013, Maree is also an Ambassador for the Housing Industry Association (HIA) Building Women and an accredited Mediator (NMAS). She served as President of an adult disability service for many years.
With over 30 years in media, Maree has experience across editorial, radio, and all commercial television networks, including SBS, ABC's 7:30 Report, The Drum, The House of Wellness, and various morning shows and news programs. She is a sought-after public speaker, delivering keynotes and panel presentations at events like the Chief Executive Women Leadership Summit and national Women in Leadership events, including the Public Sector Women in Leadership.
For seven years, until 2020, Maree Davenport served as the Chair of the Victorian Minister for Planning's Building Advisory Council, allowing her to influence policy and practice in the building and construction industry. She was also a Member of the Victorian Building Authority Building Appeals Board. Maree's additional experience includes the Ministerial Roundtable Industry Skills Consultative Committee, the Critical Incident Protocol Working Group (DJCS), the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) Industry Leaders Consultative Group, and the Building Confidence Report Steering Committee, along with the Victorian Swimming Pool and Spa Safety Committee.
Maree is a strategic advisor, community activist, and the founding and Managing Director of Regs and Corporate Advisory Pty Ltd. Her clients span various sectors, including health, housing, aged care, community services, building and construction, large iconic charities, health services, property development, pharmaceutical, and health technologies. She serves on the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) Practitioner Panel. She specialises in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), with extensive experience in workplace mediation and strata building and construction disputes.
Maree was the youngest woman elected to the Parliament of Victoria at age 28 and the first to have a baby while serving. She held senior policy roles, including Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Housing, Community Services, and Aged Care. She also holds tertiary qualifications in property, communications, risk (GIA), and governance (AICD).
Talking Points
Women’s health & Work Wellbeing
Maree Davenport has expertise in the age and stage challenges faced by women through endometriosis, infertility treatment, pregnancy loss and neonatal death, peri and menopause.Women’s health & Work Wellbeing
“Employers who support women to manage age and stage female + health and wellbeing challenges reap the financial benefits, with empirical evidence that flexibility and increased ability to self-manage their worktime leads to increased productivity.”
Gender Equity - Not Tick a Box
Maree Davenport supports using a gender lens to normalise an inclusive culture, modelling strong, authentic female leadership in the Not-for-Profit, for purpose, government and private sectors, as fundamental to sustainable change in gender equality across masculanised industries “Going through the motions of Workplace Gender Audits and Gender Equality Action Plans ‘ticking boxes’ is disrespectful and costs the economy in productivity, skills and experience.”
Gender Equity - Not Tick a Box
Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC)
Social procurement frameworks, building equality policies and corporate social responsibility plans are LIVING documents, not for an annual review and file.Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC)
Maree Davenport specialises in GRC, required by government, regulators, procurement managers, clients and customers. Giving a helping hand up to those less advantaged is a shared responsibility. It is also good business. Genuinely delivering on and demonstrating commitment to more than the 'bottom line' is not just 'ticking a box'.
“I facilitate the development of leadership programs to empower enterprises to tackle intersectional disadvantage. I facilitate meaningful partnerships between businesses and Not-for-Profit, for purpose organisations who support individuals living with disability, women facing homelessness, victims of family violence, women and girls through gender equity, safety and respect for all people regardless of gender identification, sustainability of our environment and resources. Impact needs to last beyond the tender. Impact changes lives. ”
Video
Endometriosis Australia at 7NEWS, The Latest
Maree is one of the most positive, energetic, and driven people I know. Her energy and enthusiasm is infectious! In the time I have known her she has overcome hurdles, both personal and prof ... keep reading Kidsafe
Maree is an engaging speaker with a unique perspective from a government, peak body, charity and community perspective. I have known her for over 25 years. I served with her on the Building Advisory Council from 2013 until its completion in 2020. In this role, Maree provided strong leadership and collaboration between a large group of appointed representatives on the Council. She understands stakeholders’ perspectives and intuitively draws the conversation on panels to a point where each is well represented. Maree is outcomes focused and always ensures clear goals and outcomes are established from the outset.
The ‘Talking science with business, government and the public’ was very informative and helpful. I was peppered with lots of great feedback – the only constructive criticism was that they wished it was longer!
Maree is committed to empowering first nations people and has personally supported me through career transition. She is developing leadership and mentoring programs to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in their career, professional life and governance development. She is a motivational, engaging and inspiring keynote speaker and would enhance any panel.
Maree has solid and effective communication skills as evident by her work promoting a positive culture particularly around her charity work and has empowered members others so to achieve their goals and strategic Her critical thinking and problem solving skills provide solutions. She has a strong entrepreneurial spirit. I endorse her 'take charge' leadership qualities without hesitation and am fortunate to have worked with her and hope to work with her again in the near future.
Maree has worked with Women’s Housing Ltd for over 15 years and organised our highly successful Women’s Futures Conference, the National Housing Conference with the Community Housing Federation and has MC’d, ‘s facilitated sessions and taken part in panels. I cannot speak more highly of Maree’s professionalism and strategic management.
