Meet UNSW’s 2024 Women in Business Ambassadors

The UNSW Business School is committed to gender equity and inclusion by embracing the principles of UNSW's first Gender Equity Strategy to enshrine inclusive practices and enable students and staff of all genders to feel valued, respected and able to be their authentic selves.

To this end, each year UNSW Business School appoints x5-7 Women in Business Ambassadors (WIBA) to support and uplift female-identifying students across the undergraduate disciplines where females are typically underrepresented:

• Banking and Finance
• Economics
• Information Systems and Technology Management
• Risk and Actuarial Studies

This is an exciting leadership development opportunity for 2nd or 3rd-year female-identifying undergraduate students who are studying either Risk and Actuarial Studies, Information Systems, Banking and Finance, or Economics and have a passion for the promotion of young female participation and educational development in these areas.

UNSW Business School believes it crucial for the student voice and experience to be incorporated into the work the UNSW Business School Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) team carries out throughout the year and the WIBA play a leadership role within our student engagement, representation, and advocacy as part of the UNSW Business Schools 2021+ strategy.

The UNSW Business School EDI is honoured to introduce you to one of our 2024 Women in Business Ambassadors: Lara Murray, Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) / Bachelor of Science (Chemistry).

Dream career or industry to work at: I want to work in the financial services industry.

Why did you choose to a Business Degree? And what led you to study at UNSW?

In high school I enjoyed studying mathematics, but I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do. After attending a UNSW Open Day event, I learnt that a commerce degree has a mathematics component but is also very diverse and can be used in a variety of industries. I also liked how I could complete a double degree in science as I was interested in both fields and both degrees have allowed me to grow and develop my analytical mindset. 

How has your experience helped you make a positive impact in your degree, career and/or community?

Speaking to fellow students who have had similar experiences to me has made me feel a sense of belonging and that I’m part of a community. It has allowed me to connect with students studying different majors and degrees, but having similar lived experiences that deepened our connection and sense of understanding, which has intensified my sense of belonging.

How has UNSW prepared you to lead in the workplace and community once you graduate?

There are many opportunities to network and connect with fellow students and employers. Being a Women in Business Ambassador has allowed me to lead industry panels which has given me the confidence to lead in other student-led workshops and within my work integrated learning work placements.  

How is UNSW Business School helping to improve female representation in business? And who would you like to help improve this? 

UNSW Business School holds an annual Girls in Business camp which is an opportunity for students in years 10, 11 and 12 to learn about a career in business and what studying at UNSW can look like. There are also scholarships available and being a Women in Business Ambassador which I’m grateful to be a part of.

I would like to help improve the representation of females studying business, in particularly in the finance industry, as I can relate to the experience of it being very daunting when you walk into a predominately male-dominated classroom and instantly feel like an imposter. I want to help young women to know that they have a place in the room and that their opinions matter, that their voice matters and they have a right to be there.

What inspires you to champion gender equality and female representation?

I am inspired by the exceptional women who strive to achieve gender equality and it encourages me to do the same. In order to achieve gender equality, I believe it is important to help create a community to help break down these gender norms and I want to contribute to this community by supporting women to help achieve their goals.

Why did you apply to be a Women in Business Ambassador and what do you hope to achieve?

I want to help more young women feel empowered to break down gender biases and feel confident to achieve their goals. Last year at the Girls in Business Camp, I had a year 11 student who was thinking of studying the same degrees as myself and wanted to learn more about it which I found so valuable and empowering. Knowing that I helped to inspire this person’s potential career journey is very rewarding.

When I was in high school, I didn’t know the number of opportunities studying a commerce degree could bring, and as a WIBA, I‘m grateful that I have had the chance to help and encourage young females to want to discover more about the business world, and how they can make a positive impact from the grassroots.

UNSW Business School is committed to identifying and addressing the inequities and challenges facing women in higher education and research. We have implemented several strategies to ensure equity in student recruitment, retention, development opportunities and the promotion of women in both academic and professional staff roles.

Find out more about this and other Women in Business initiatives here.