An evening with the woman shaping Australia’s business conversation

Posted on 28 October, 2026

Forbes Australia Editor-in-Chief Sarah O’Carroll is joining Women in Media ACT at Verity Lane for a candid conversation about leadership, influence and succeeding in a male-dominated field.

At the helm of one of the world’s most recognisable business-media brands since taking up the editorship in Australia in 2022, Irish-born Sarah O’Carroll has helped determine which founders, executives, investors and innovators are placed in the spotlight – and how their influence is understood.

On Tuesday, 10 November, Sarah will join Women in Media ACT at Verity Lane Market for an intimate in-conversation exploring her career, the realities of leading a major publication and the responsibility that comes with shaping the national business narrative – including which leaders deserve our attention, and whose stories come to define power and success in Australia.

Sarah brings extensive editorial, management and entrepreneurial experience to the role. Before joining Forbes Australia, she was Editor-in-Chief of Yahoo Finance Australia, which she launched in 2018 and grew to a peak audience of more than two million monthly users. There, she also developed initiatives including the Women’s Money Movement, The New Investors Show and the All Markets Summit.

Forbes Australia Editor-in-Chief Sarah O’Carroll

Earlier roles at News Corp and Private Media, together with running her own content-strategy consultancy, gave her a broad view of an industry being transformed by technology, shifting audiences and new commercial pressures.

That experience matters at Forbes Australian in a crowded digital environment. Forbes also carries cultural weight – a cover is not simply a photograph on a magazine but a declaration that a person, company or idea warrants attention. That makes Sarah’s perspective especially compelling.

At Verity Lane, the conversation will move beyond the headlines. Hosted by former Nine News Director Kate Muller, expect a candid discussion about selecting cover subjects, balancing commercial realities with editorial judgement, resisting the pull of clickbait and maintaining the authority of a legacy magazine across multiple platforms. It will also examine what it takes to lead confidently when many of the industries, institutions and power structures being covered remain overwhelmingly male.

For emerging journalists, communications professionals and media leaders, Sarah’s career offers a timely case study in combining ambition with substance. For the broader audience, the evening offers a rare chance to hear directly from someone helping to define how Australian business leadership is seen.

Kate Muller from Women in Media

Presented by Women in Media ACT in partnership with Isentia, the event will pair an engaging Q&A with drinks, gourmet canapés and time to connect with colleagues from across the sector. Raffle tickets will also be available, with profits supporting the annual Caroline Jones Award and its work empowering early-career women in journalism.

The invitation extends to everyone, including male colleagues and allies who want to support women in media and contribute to a more inclusive industry.