Current Work
Chair
Chair of the Board
Wellcome is a global charitable foundation which supports science to solve urgent health challenges. Three focus areas for Wellcome are: the effects of mental health issues, escalating infectious diseases, and climate change. Wellcome endeavours to improve health for everyone by funding research, leading policy and advocacy campaigns, and building global partnerships.
The Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at Kings College London (KCL) and
Australian National University Canberra (ANU)
Inaugural Chair
Launched in April 2018, the Global Institute for Women's Leadership brings together rigorous research, practice and advocacy to better understand and address the causes of women’s under-representation in leadership positions across sectors and countries, and the way gender negatively impacts the evaluation of women leaders. A sister institute has now been established at the Australian National University in Canberra.
Academic
Honorary Professor
An alumnus, Ms Gillard joined the University of Adelaide as an Honorary Professor in 2013. She now enjoys delivering an annual public lecture at the University, as well as regular guest lectures to students in the Department of History and Politics. She also hosts interns from the University in her office each year. Ms Gillard received an Honorary Doctorate of the University in April 2019.
Distinguished Fellow, Center for Universal Education
The Center for Universal Education is one of the world’s leading policy centres focused on universal quality education in the developing world.
Patron
Beyond Blue
Patron
Beyond Blue provides information and support to help everyone in Australia achieve their best possible mental health, whatever their age and wherever they live. Ms Gillard became a patron after stepping down as Chair in 2023.
Patron
CAMFED (Campaign for Female Education) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to eradicating poverty in Africa through the education of girls and the empowerment of young women.
Patron
The John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library recognises the contribution to Australian society of wartime prime minister and international statesman, John Curtin (1885-1945). It is Australia’s first prime ministerial library and is situated on the Bentley campus of Curtin University in Perth, Australia. Ms Gillard has served as Patron since January 2015.
Patron
Western Chances believes in the power of education to transform lives. Western Chances gives young people in Melbourne’s west the chance to fulfil their potential and overcome barriers to success by providing scholarships, opportunity programs and ongoing support.
Patron
The McKinnon Prize is an independent, non-partisan award which advocates for democracy by awarding outstanding and encouraging good political leadership across the political spectrum.
A Monument of One's Own
Patron
A Monument of One’s Own calls for gender equality in the memorialisation of Australian women’s actions, achievements and contributions to civic culture. In a country where there are more statues of animals than women, it aims to achieve monumental change, one statue at a time. Ms Gillard became the founding Patron in 2022.
Museum of Australian Democracy (MOAD)
Patron
The Museum of Australian Democracy is located at Old Parliament House. Through exhibitions, events, community, and education programs, MOAD aims to improve understanding of democracy and how to take part in it. Ms Gillard became a Patron in 2022.
Werribee Football Club
Patron
The Werribee Football Club, nicknamed the Tigers, is an Australian rules football club based in Werribee, which is located within Ms Gillard's former electorate of Lalor. The club was formed in 1964 and currently plays in the Victorian Football League.
Ms Gillard became the Club Patron in 2005.
Scholarships
The Julia Gillard Next Generation Scholarship is awarded to future progressive women leaders and is administered by Emily’s List, a financial and political support network for progressive Australian Labor Party women candidates
The Julia Gillard Women in Leadership Scholarship has been established to encourage and support women develop the required skills to become leaders in their field. Academically gifted female students of the University who display leadership qualities and have the desire to develop themselves as a leader are eligible to be nominated for this scholarship.
Business & Commercial
Board Member
Andela was founded in 2014 to build a network of technology leaders on the African continent and bridge the divide between the U.S. and African tech sectors.
Adviser to Amplo
Amplo is a global venture capital firm that helps build innovative companies.
Board Member
CVS Lane Capital Partners is a boutique property investment and finance house.
Member of Global Leadership Council
LeapFrog invests capital, people and knowledge in purpose-driven businesses, helping them to grow, to be profitable and to have real social impact.
Previous Work
Chair of the Board of Directors
Beyond Blue provides information and support to help everyone in Australia achieve their best possible mental health, whatever their age and wherever they live. Ms Gillard served as Chair from 2017 to December 2023.
Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education & Care South Australia
Commissioner
The Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care released its final report in August 2023. You can read a copy of the report here. The Commission delivered 43 reccomendations to the South Australian government on how it can be a leader in early childhood education and care. The reccomendations were based on three lines of inquiry set by the Commission's terms of reference. These were:
1) How South Australian families are supported in the first 1000 days of a child’s life, with a focus on opportunities to further leverage early childhood education and care to improve outcomes for South Australian children.
2) How universal quality preschool programs for three and four-year-olds can be delivered in South Australia, with a goal to achieve this in 2026.
3) How all families can access out of school hours care at both preschool and primary school ages, including accessibility, affordability and quality. The benefits of increasing workforce participation from parents through improved access to childcare, early childhood education, and out of school hours care.
Chair of the Board of Directors
Ms Gillard served as Chair since February 2014 until September 2021. The Global Partnership for Education is a global funding body that works to ensure that every child receives a quality school education, prioritising the poorest, most vulnerable and those living in countries affected by fragility and conflict. In July 2015 Ms Gillard was also appointed to the Commission on Financing for Global Education, a high level commission tasked with identifying more effective and better coordinated ways to deploy resources to ensure that children are in school and learning.