Annika Freyer was appointed as the inaugural CEO of the Champions of Change Coalition in 2016.
As CEO, Annika has led the strategy and evolution of the sustainable and scalable model enabling the Champions of Change Coalition to grow from its Australian Founding Group of 10 CEOs to the internationally recognised Coalition of more than 250 CEO-level leaders, with a strong focus on innovative and disruptive actions to shift systems of inequality – many of which are now considered global standards for organisations aspiring to be employers of choice.
Annika spent 15 years working in both the public and private sectors in Australia and internationally. She has held policy and program leadership roles for the US government, the United Nations Development Program, Earth Institute Columbia University, and multiple international NGOs.
As a McKinsey & Company consultant Annika worked across private equity, government and the retail sector. She was also engaged as a strategic advisor and consultant designing several programs for Chief Executive Women and financial services clients.
Annika was a contributor to the Australian Human Rights Commission’s ‘Supporting Working Parents: Pregnancy and Return to Work National Review’, and a consultant to UN Women’s Private Sector Leadership Advisory Council, convened by Under Secretary General Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. She served on the Global Summit of Women Steering Committee (2018).
Annika is a Member of Chief Executive Women and serves as a Member of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Women in Leadership Steering Committee.
Annika holds a BSc (Foreign Service/International Politics), Georgetown University, Washington DC and LLM (International Law), University of Sydney.
About the Champions of Change Coalition
The Champions of Change Coalition includes CEOs, secretaries of government departments, non-executive directors and community leaders who believe gender equality is a major business, economic, societal and human rights issue. Established in 2010 by Elizabeth Broderick AO, our mission is to achieve inclusive gender equality across our workplaces by 2030 and a significant and sustainable increase in the representation of women in leadership.