30-Second Summary
Sue Barrett builds capability to replace rigged systems with fair ones – in business and democracy. Over 35 years proving fair systems outperform unfair ones across five continents. Founder & CEO of Barrett Consulting Group, co-founder of March4Justice (110,000 people, 200 locations), Campaign Manager for Zoe Daniel’s historic 2022 win in Goldstein, and founder of Democracy Watch AU (2023). Pioneer of human-centred sales and ethical AI integration. Driven by curiosity, fairness, and helpfulness – drawing inspiration from visionaries like David Bowie, Rachel Carson, Kate Raworth, Maria Montessori, Peter Drucker, Albert Bandura, and Vida Goldstein. Systems thinker. Community builder. Not waiting for permission – building what works.
Why I’m Speaking Up About What I’ve Always Known
Business Ethics and Democratic Accountability Are the Same Work
I’ve been told to keep them separate. “Don’t mix business with politics.” “Keep professional work separate from civic work.”
However, I’ve always known business ethics and democratic accountability are connected. Intrinsically connected.
In late 2022, that separation was enforced. A business group for CEOs excluded me from speaking to their members – after 26 years of exceptional results, averaging 9.5/10. Why? Because I was Zoe Daniel’s campaign manager and some members were incensed.
Twenty-six years of proving ethical systems outperform extractive ones. However, the moment I used those same capabilities to help citizens hold power accountable, I was persona non grata.
That’s when I saw it clearly:
The separation isn’t accidental. It’s strategic. Because it’s the SAME vested interests rigging both systems. The same billionaires, executives, lobbyists sitting at tables in boardrooms AND parliaments.
If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.
Many people are turned off by politics and business – the corruption, the extraction, the lies. I understand that. But that’s exactly why we must become active participants, not bystanders.
So I decided to build what’s needed: Capability for people to get seats at tables – in business AND democracy.
Because the skills are the same. The vested interests are the same. The solution is the same.
How I Approach This Work
I’m driven by three things: curiosity, fairness, and helpfulness.
When something troubles me, I don’t just treat the symptoms. I dig to find the source. We’ve become too symptomatic – addressing surface problems while the disease spreads underneath. We debate individual politicians instead of examining who funds them. We react to corporate scandals instead of questioning the systems that reward extraction.
A simplistic answer to a complex problem is always wrong. This is why what’s happening cannot be explained in soundbites – it needs deeper understanding and analysis.
So I read far and wide and ask lots of questions. I’ve worked across nearly every industry sector over 35 years. I’ve listened to and coached tens of thousands of people and thousands of leaders – mostly in the business world, more recently on campaign trails. I pick up weak signals. I join dots. I look at things from multiple perspectives: science, philosophy, sociology, psychology, anthropology, legal, economics, business, communications, neurobiology, democracy, politics, public policy, systems thinking, ethics and morality.
I’m a systems thinker. Always have been.
I have the ability to raise awareness of our interconnectedness as a foundation for empathy, compassion, decency and ethics, which in turn informs our moral cognition – our capacity to ‘do the right thing’ in business and in life. I encourage us to think deeply about how our decisions affect others and the planet, and how to take positive action that affects real change and delivers lasting results.
My Track Record
In Business (Since 1995):
- Founder & CEO, Barrett Consulting Group – Leading the human-centred sales and communication evolution as Industry 5.0 ushers in a new era of human-centricity and sustainability
- Founder, Selling Better Movement – Championing ethical, value-based selling practices globally
- Creator, Sell Like A Woman Project – Demonstrating why mastering ethical sales gives everyone, especially women, more agency and power over careers, earning capacity, and life choices
- Tens of thousands of professionals trained across five continents
- 1,400+ articles published since 1995 (SmartCompany, Top Sales World, Pearls and Irritations, and more)
- 21 e-books on sales, including the Barrett Annual 12 Sales Trends Report (2010 – 2024)
- Got selling its first ever university qualification: 2012, Swinburne University, Diploma of Business (Sales)
- Associate Consultant & Facilitator, Melbourne Business School (Oct 2024-Present) – Designing and delivering programs in Human-centred Sales Strategy, Process, Skills & Culture
- Consultant & Facilitator, Monash Business School (2018-Present) – Designing and delivering Narrative, Presence & Presentation Program; Co-facilitator on Sustainable Enterprise
- Mentor, EnergyLab (2024-Present) – Guiding climate-tech start-ups on ethical, sustainable business practices
- Proven track record: Ethical systems outperform extractive ones – more profitable, more sustainable, more competitive
What business leaders say:
“Sue is simply the best writer on business and sales issues that I’ve ever come across. That reflects her highly organised thinking about business growth strategies, ethics and sales issues, and her drive towards solving real-world problems. She’s also a delight to work with.” — David Walker, Principal, Shorewalker DMS
“Sue is a future thinker who is highly tuned to the operating environment, innovations and disruptors that might influence an organisation’s future; an absolute specialist in sales, proud of the profession, and champion for ethical, customer-centred selling wisdom in self and in others.” Group GM, Rural Banking
“Sue is a true pioneer in the world of sales and business. Her commitment, passion, energy, honesty, and values-based business methodologies have stood the test of time.” Sales Director, Medical & Dental Supplies
In Democracy & Civic Action:
- Founder & Lead Advocate, Democracy Watch AU (2023-Present) – Public initiative monitoring, analysing, and advocating for the health of Australia’s democratic institutions. Non-partisan analysis on electoral integrity, political transparency, and civic engagement
- Co-founder, March4Justice (2021) – 110,000 people, 200 locations across Australia, changed national conversation on equality, justice, respect, and ending gendered violence. 2M+ website hits, 7,000+ unique media impressions
- Campaign Manager, Zoe Daniel (2021-2022) – Led 1,500 volunteers to historic victory in Goldstein, defeating 9-term incumbent. Mobilised $1.5M+ in donations. Co-founded Voices of Goldstein
- Campaign Lead, Goldstein for YES (2023) – Led 500 volunteers who delivered a YES result in Voice referendum. Executed 285+ engagement events, distributed 62,000 leaflets
- Board Member, Chatty Café Australia (2022-Present) – Initiatives to end social isolation, building community engagement through strategic governance
- Former Board Member, Future Business Council (2017-2020) – Representing innovative, sustainable businesses; helped transition into Business Council for Sustainable Development Australia
Key insight: The same skills that build ethical businesses build democratic accountability. Same capabilities. Same conversations. Same goal: fairness.
What volunteers say:
“A mammoth challenge, met with amazing talent and grace. And always with the personal touch. Thank you for being such an inspiring leader.” — Gabe, 2022 Campaign Volunteer
“Sue is a brilliant leader who moves mountains. Many people watching the campaign commented that it seemed to run with military precision. So much of that was due to Sue and her organisational genius. At all times, she demonstrated enormous diligence, intelligence, kindness, grit, and creative flair and inspired everyone around her to go that extra mile.” — Alex Fein, Political Strategist, Senior Insights Advisor, Redbridge
“Sue is a highly competent and effective person – outcomes driven, positive and resourceful. However, Sue’s greatest strengths are in communication, sales, coaching and training. She is able to hone in on what is most relevant and important and articulate it powerfully to others. She cares deeply about the world and human beings. Sue is generous with her knowledge.” — Katerina Gaita, Community Builder and Organiser
In Writing & Thought Leadership:
- 1,400+ articles published since 1995 on business ethics, sales excellence, leadership, democratic governance, and AI regulation
- Barrett Blog (since 2007) – Weekly insights proving ethical systems work better
- Sue Barrett Substack: Every Solution Begins with a Conversation (2024-present) – 111 articles in 2025 exploring fairness across business, democracy, and technology
- Regular contributor to Pearls and Irritations – AI regulation and democratic governance
- Contributor to Australian Women’s History Network – “Our Quest for Goldstein“
- Author: 142 Days of Gratitude that changed my life forever (2019) – A treatise on the positive power of gratitude that delivers a masterclass in resilience
- Keynote Speaker: “The Wild West of AI,” “Building Fair Systems,” “Ethical Influence as Democratic Capability,” “Human-Centred Sales & Leadership”, “Every Solution Begins with a Conversation”
- MediaStable Regular – Excellent track record as proven media performer delivering candid, evidence-based commentary with extensive radio/podcast interviews across Australia
Awards & Recognition
- Telstra & Victorian Government Small Business Award Winner (1997)
- Telstra Businesswoman of the Year Finalist (1998 & 2001)
- Businesswomen’s Hall of Fame Inductee (2000)
- ACE Sponsor & Scholarship Program Facilitator, Victorian Institute of Sport (1992-2024) – Supporting elite athletes in personal and career development
Education & Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science (BSc), Monash University – Majors: Pharmacology, Immunology, Physiology, Biochemistry
- Certificate in Strategic Management – Macquarie Business School
- Blue Ocean Strategist
- Certificate IV – Accredited Workplace Assessor & Trainer
- Accredited Executive Coach
- Advanced Studies in Instructional Design and Psychometric Profiling
Who Inspires Me
David Bowie: A true entrepreneur and innovator who never stopped learning or collaborating. Well-read with deep insights into human nature, philosophy and culture. Always adapting, evolving, developing mastery across mediums, then incorporating collected elements into creative masterpieces. A role model for all entrepreneurs.
Rachel Carson: Ecologist and author of Silent Spring (1962). Challenged the notion that humans could obtain mastery over nature. Questioned the scope and direction of modern science. Initiated the contemporary environmental movement. Showed that speaking truth to power about systems that harm people and planet is both necessary and possible.
Kate Raworth: Creator of Doughnut Economics – the sustainable economic model for 21st century realities. Her work on social and planetary boundaries has influenced everyone from the UN General Assembly to Pope Francis to Extinction Rebellion. Demonstrates that we can design economic systems that serve humanity and the planet, not extract from them.
Maria Montessori: Physician, anthropologist, pedagogue who developed her unique education methodology based on cultivating the ‘Inquiring Mind’ – being curious, probing, inquisitive in seeking facts and finding meaning. A single mother and trailblazer of her time who understood that education empowers people to make informed decisions about their lives and their world.
Peter Drucker: Management thought leader who understood that business exists to serve society, not extract from it. His Management by Objectives showed that aligning efforts creates better outcomes than command-and-control. He championed decentralisation, empowering employees, and treating workers as assets to develop. Most importantly, he proved that customer orientation and ethical responsibility aren’t opposed to profit – they create it. Doing good and doing well are complements, not opposites.
Albert Bandura: Psychologist whose work shaped my understanding of how systems perpetuate harm – and how we build capability to change them. His social learning theory shows how behaviours spread through observation and modelling. His concept of self-efficacy – believing you can succeed – is central to capability building: when people believe they can claim seats and lead change, they do. His work on moral disengagement identified the specific mechanisms people use to justify harm: moral justification, euphemistic labelling, displacement of responsibility, dehumanisation. These mechanisms explain how vested interests justify extraction and exclusion. Making them visible through Democracy Watch frameworks helps us interrupt bad faith and demand accountability.
Vida Goldstein: Australian suffragist who ran for federal parliament five times between 1903 and 1917 – decades before most women could even vote. She understood that real change requires claiming seats at tables where decisions are made, not asking for permission from the sidelines. Her courage and refusal to accept exclusion inspire my work in business and democracy. That her namesake electorate elected Zoe Daniel as its first female and first community independent MP in 2022 feels like historical symmetry: women claiming seats where they’ve always belonged.
What I’m Building for 2026
Since 1995, I’ve been proving that fair systems outperform unfair ones.
Now I’m building capability for people to:
- Get seats at tables where decisions get made
- Lead conversations that create value for everyone
- Replace rigged systems with fair ones
- Deploy the skills they already have – strategically
Not waiting for permission. Not asking nicely. Building what works.
Let’s Build This Together
Every solution begins with a conversation.
Whether you’re building ethical business systems, democratic accountability, or both – let’s talk.