What do Business Council of Australia Chief Executive Jennifer Westacott, Origin Energy Chief Operating Officer Karen Moses, Kraft Foods Chief Rebecca Dee-Bradbury, philanthropists Layne Beachley, Carol Schwartz and Debbie Dadon, and Reconciliation Australia Chief Executive Leah Armstrong have in common? These strong-willed and leadership-capable women have been included in the first ever conducted 100 Women of Influence awards by the Australian Financial Review newspaper and Westpac Bank.

Handpicked from a list of 350 nominees, the final 100 were chosen based on their attained success in their chosen careers, plus influence in trying to shape up a better and improved Australia, not just economically but also socially. The finalists were selected from across the economy by a panel of leading Australians, the AFR reported.

"Influence often seems so wishy-washy when compared with the assumptions that power is absolute," Wendy McCarthy, judge and director of the 100 Women of Influence awards, said. "Influence is what women can have when they do not have power. If we want to change the world we need both . . . influence can be powerful and change culture."

The women were judged based on 10 categories, including board/management, innovation, public policy, business entrepreneur, diversity, young leader, global, social enterprise, philanthropy and local/regional.

"Women to date haven't spoken out with an open voice in the community and the awards are part of the pathway of encouraging women to be active," Jillian Segal, ASX Director and one of Australia's 100 Women of Influence, said.

"Women are often criticised for not putting their hands up for recognition and are often too busy keeping their heads down doing their job. There are more and more models out there to show women can and need to play a significant role in society."

"It's part of having a dynamic and mature society to have women, who represent half the population and the majority of decision-makers as consumers, to have a voice and play a leading role in different fields and seek to shift society for the benefit of all," Ms Segal noted.

The overall 2012 Woman of Influence as well as the winners of the 10 categories will be revealed on Friday at a ceremony at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney .

Category

Woman of Influence

Title

State/Country

Young Leader

Abdel-Magied, Yassmin

Founder, President, Youth Without Borders

QLD

Board & Management

Argaman, Rachel

CEO, Toga Hospitality

NSW

Public Policy

Armstrong, Leah

CEO, Reconciliation Australia

NSW

Social Enterprise

Badcoe, Carey

CEO Australian Business and Community Network

NSW

Philanthropy

Beachley, Layne

Founder, Aim for the Stars Foundation

NSW

Diversity

Beazley, Margaret

Judge, NSW Court of Appeal

NSW

Young Leader

Briody, Felicity

Water Resources Engineer, AECOM

QLD

Public Policy

Bruniges, Michele

Director-General Education and Communities, MD TAFE, NSW

NSW

Innovation

Burns, Jane

CEO, Young and Well Cooperative Research Centre

VIC

Local/Regional

Burns, Maggie

Co-Founder and Director, Appin Hall Children's Foundation

TAS

Social Enterprise

Callister, Sharon

CEO, Salvation Army Aged Care Plus

NSW

Business Entrepreneur

Cameron, Christine

Co-owner and director, Rockcote Enterprises

QLD

Public Policy

Casey, Dawn

Director, Powerhouse Museum

NSW

Philanthropy

Chauncy, Annabelle

Co-founder and Managing Director, School for Life Foundation Ltd

NSW

Young Leader

Cheng, Marita

Founder and Director, Robogals

VIC

Innovation

Clark, Megan

Chief Executive CSIRO

NSW

Board & Management

Cobley, Lyn

Group Treasurer, CBA

NSW

Local/Regional

Conway, Deborah

Artistic director and musician

QLD

Board & Management

Cook, Sharon

Managing Partner, Henry Davis York

NSW

Innovation

Cory, Suzanne

President, Australian Academy of Science

VIC

Young Leader

Cran, Samantha

CEO, One Disease at a Time

NSW

Philanthropy

Crawford, Annie

Founder and Director, Can Too Run and Swim

NSW

Philanthropy

Dadon, Debbie

Director, Highpoint Property Group and Executive Officer, Besen Family Foundation

VIC

Business Entrepreneur

Davenport, Liz

MD Liz Davenport Pty Ltd

WA

Board & Management

Dee-Bradbury, Rebecca

CEO Kraft Foods Australia

VIC

Global

Dodd, Moya

Vice-President, Asian Football Confederation, Partner, Gilbert and Tobin Lawyers

NSW

Social Enterprise

Donnelly, Merinda

Indigenous program officer, Australia Council for the Arts

NSW

Global

Dvorak, Suzanne

CEO, Save the Children

VIC

Local/Regional

Eastland, Elizabeth

Director Commercial Research and Tech Transfer, University of Wollongong

NSW

Innovation

Elliott, Elizabeth

Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Sydney

NSW

Global

Exel, Audette

Founder and CEO, ISIS Group

NSW

Local/Regional

Fitzpatrick, Lesley

CEO, Australian Rural Leadership Foundation

ACT

Diversity

Flood, Nadine

National Secretary, CPSU

NSW

Board & Management

Foley, Marianne

Principal, Sydney Office Leader Arup

NSW

Board & Management

Gillies, Helen

General Manager, Risk SKM and Corporate Counsel

NSW

Public Policy

Goldie, Cassandra

CEO, Australian Council of Social Service

NSW

Business Entrepreneur

Gunn, Catherine (Kate)

Founder and Director, Balance! Healthcare Pty Ltd

NSW

Local/Regional

Hansen, Justine

Promotion Co-ordinator, Women's Health Service (Tom Price)

WA

Diversity

Harley, Felicity

Editor, Women's Health

NSW

Public Policy

Hodges, Jacky

Regional Director WA, Australian Bureau of Statistics

WA

Social Enterprise

Honor Lloyd, Elizabeth

Member, Ministerial Council of Asylum Seekers, Chair of Violence Against Women Advisory Group

ACT

Philanthropy

Hosch, Tanya

Consultant and director

SA

Public Policy

Houghton, Megan

CEO, CitySmart Pty Ltd

QLD

Global

Jinks, Barbara

Vice-Chair Gas marketing committee, International Gas Union

QLD

Local/Regional

Johnson, Alana

Founder, Rural Women's Network

VIC

Social Enterprise

Kahn, Ronni

Founder, Oz Harvest

NSW

Board & Management

Kelly, Cassandra

Joint CEO Pottinger

NSW

Diversity

Lewitan, Rachelle

Judge, County Court of Victoria

VIC

Young Leader

Long, April

National Manager, National Indigenous Youth Leadership Academy

NSW

Board & Management

Lumlock, Becky

Vice President, QGC Asset Management, BG Australia

QLD

Board & Management

Madew, Romilly

CEO Green Building Council of Australia

NSW

Social Enterprise

Mahlab, Karen

CEO, Pro Bono Australia

NSW

Global

Maiorano, Serafina

CEO, Advance

US

Board & Management

Mather, Kerrie

Chief Executive, Sydney Airport

NSW

Board & Management

Matton, Janet

Vice President Operations, IBM Australia/NZ

VIC

Business Entrepreneur

May, Tammy

Director MyBudget

SA

Board & Management

McFadden, Vikki

Director Skilled Group

NSW

Board & Management

McGrath, Lyn

Executive General Manager, Retail Sales, CBA

NSW

Public Policy

McGregor, Carmel

Deputy Secretary People Strategies and Policy, Department of Defence

ACT

Diversity

Medd, Ruth

Joint Founder and Chair, Women on Boards

NSW

Board & Management

Moses, Karen

Executive Director, Finance and Strategy, Origin Energy

NSW

Board & Management

Mostyn, Sam

Director Virgin Australia, Transurban, Citigroup Australia, AFL Commissioner

NSW

Young Leader

Orsini, Bianca

Territorial Oasis Schools Liaison, The Salvation Army

NSW

Social Enterprise

Owen, Jan

CEO, Foundation for Young Australians

VIC

Social Enterprise

Parker, Kirstie

Managing Editor Koori Mail

NSW

Philanthropy

Pratt, Jeanne

Co-founder, The Pratt Foundation, Chair The Production Company

VIC

Business Entrepreneur

Preston, Leanne

CEO, Wild Child (WA) Pty Ltd

WA

Global

Randell, Shirley Kaye

Founder and Director, Centre for Gender, Culture and Development (KIE) Rwanda

NSW

Young Leader

Ransom, Holly

Business Analyst, Rio Tinto

WA

Public Policy

Raper, Judy

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) University of Wollongong

NSW

Diversity

Raymond, Fran

Director, Defence Bank and UN Women, General Manager Corporate (COO and CFO) Rural Industries and Research Development Corporation

ACT

Local/Regional

Raymond, Melanie

Chair, Youth Projects Ltd

VIC

Public Policy

Reynolds, Fiona

CEO, Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees

VIC

Public Policy

Rubenstein, Kim

Director, Centre for International and Public Law, ANU

ACT

Philanthropy

Schwartz,Carol

Chairman, Qualitas and director Stockland

VIC

Social Enterprise

Scott, Rebecca

Founder, CEO STREAT

VIC

Board & Management

Segal, Jillan

Director NAB Ltd, ASX Ltd

NSW

Board & Management

Shanahan, Brenda

Director

VIC

Public Policy

Sheil, Margaret

Provost, University of Melbourne

VIC

Local/Regional

Shewring, Fiona

Founder and President, Supporting and Linking Tradeswomen

NSW

Diversity

Silva, Miriam

Former GM Commercial Operations, Elders; Deputy chair SA Training and Skills Commission

SA

Public Policy

Silver, Helen

Secretary Dept Premier and Cabinet, Victoria

VIC

Global

Sisia, Gemma

Founder and Director, The School of St Jude

Tanzania

Social Enterprise

Sizer, Jodie

National director, Ingenuity Australia

VIC

Board & Management

Skira, Eva

Chairman, Water Corporation; Deputy Chancellor, Murdoch University

WA

Public Policy

Staib, Margaret

Former Commander Joint Logistics Australian Defence Force; incoming CEO Air Services Australia

ACT

Public Policy

Stutsel, Melanie

Director, Health, Safety, Environment and Community Policy MCA

ACT

Local/Regional

Thompson, Clare

Director, Aboriginal Women's Legal Education Trust

WA

Global

Torres, Vanessa

VP Group Planning, BHP Billiton

VIC

Innovation

Visvader, Jane

Joint head, Division of Stem Cells and Cancer and the Breast Cancer Laboratory, Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research

VIC

Board & Management

Wakefield-Evans, Nicola

Partner, King & Wood Mallesons, Director Toll Holdings Group Ltd

NSW

Social Enterprise

Walker, Natalie

CEO Australian Indigenous Minority Suppliers Council

NSW

Business Entrepreneur

Waterhouse, Gai

Gai Waterhouse Stables

NSW

Board & Management

Westacott, Jennifer

CEO, Business Council of Australia

VIC

Local/Regional

Whitehead, Janelle

CEO, Murdi Paaki Regional Enterprise Corporation Ltd

NSW

Board & Management

Whiting, Janet

Partner, Corrs Chambers Westgarth

VIC

Business Entrepreneur

Whitlam, Anna

Director, Anna Whitlam People Pty Ltd

VIC

Local/Regional

Wilkes, Deb

Executive Manager Community Development, Shire of Ashburton

WA

Board & Management

Wilson, Jane

Director Sonic Healthcare Ltd, Universal Biosensors Inc, CathRx Ltd.

QLD

Diversity

Young, Nareen

CEO, Diversity Council of Australia

NSW