Interview for the Influence Unlocked podcast with Samantha Dybac – Listen HERE
Kerry Chikarovski, or Chika as she’s widely known, rose to prominence as one of the first women to hold a leadership role in Australian politics and the first woman to lead a major political party in New South Wales. Despite a lack of female role models, Kerry was determined to become a politician from a young age. She began her career as a solicitor and won pre-selection against the odds for a safe Liberal seat in Sydney in 1991. In 1998 she became the leader of the New South Wales Liberal party, a position she held until her resignation in 2002. Since then Chika has built a highly successful career as a government relations consultant through her company, Chikarovski & Associates, as well a sought-after board director with current board position with the NSW Waratahs, Our Watch, Adopt Change and the Humpty Dumpty Foundation.
You might have seen Chika on the small screen as a commentator for programs like Ch 7 Sunrise, ABC Weekend Breakfast, Sky News The Bolt Report and ABC The Drum, and she certainly knows how to tell a good story. Tune in to hear how a chance encounter with US Senator Robert Kennedy sparked Chika’s career ambitions at the age of 13, how breaking down over the ironing board finally pushed her to pursue her dreams, why she is a rugby tragic and her secret passion for trash TV.