What happens when leadership is forged in environments where authority is absolute — and later tested in workplaces where culture is far more complex?

In this first guest episode of Culture Capital, Mundanara Bayles and Prabha Nandagopal are joined by cybersecurity leader and former military officer Jacqui Kernot. Drawing on nearly three decades across defence, intelligence, technology and government, Jackie shares what she’s learned about power, allyship, high-performance teams and why workplace culture is not a “soft” issue — but a leadership risk with real consequences.

Together, they unpack the hidden pressures faced by women in leadership, the uncomfortable work required to build truly inclusive teams, and how emerging technologies like AI are reshaping both risk and opportunity inside organisations. It’s a conversation about courage, clarity and what it really takes to lead when the stakes are high.

Resources & Links

Females in Information Technology & Telecommunications (FITT)
https://fitt.org.au

Australian Information Security Association (AISA)
https://www.aisa.org.au

UNICEF Australia
https://www.unicef.org.au

eSafety Commissioner (Australia)
https://www.esafety.gov.au

Further Reading — Brené Brown (Leadership & Vulnerability)
https://brenebrown.com

If this conversation resonated with you, make sure you follow or subscribe to Culture Capital on your favourite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. Share this podcast with colleagues, leaders, and anyone passionate about building stronger workplace cultures.

Co-host Prabha Nandagopal is the founder of Elevate Consulting Partners, providing expert consulting on workplace culture, positive duty compliance, and human rights. Learn more at elevateconsultingpartners.com.au

Prabha also founded SafeSpace@Elevate, Australia's first trauma informed workplace reporting platform. Learn more at safespaceelevate.com.au

This episode of Culture Capital is brought to you by BlackCard, Australia's leading Aboriginal owned cultural capability training organisation. Learn more at theblackcard.com.au

Culture Capital is produced by the BlakCast Network