The Drinks Association is proud to welcome Zara Seidler as the keynote speaker for the 2026 International Women’s Day Lunch. Zara is one of Australia’s most exciting young media leaders – the co-founder of The Daily Aus, a platform that makes news accessible and relevant for the next generation.
Zara represents exactly what our International Women’s Day Lunch is all about: fresh thinking, bold conversations and practical ideas to create lasting change. Learn more about this inspiring young woman and why you’ll want to be in the room for her keynote on Friday, 6 March 2026.
The voice of a generation
As co-founder of The Daily Aus, Zara leads one of Australia’s fastest-growing news platforms, speaking directly to younger audiences about politics, culture and current affairs.
“I always say, if the media had stayed as it was, there’s no way The Daily Aus could have existed,” Zara shared. “You can now build a media company with just a social media account. That creates huge opportunities for new voices – young voices, female voices, diverse voices – that never had a platform before.”
The perspectives Zara will share in her keynote are invaluable. She brings not only insight into the issues younger Australians care about, but also an understanding of how they consume information and what they expect from leaders.
Why International Women’s Day matters
For Zara, International Women’s Day is more than a moment of celebration. It’s a catalyst for action. “Right now, to me it is a place to hold space to celebrate women in the first instance, but also to bring men along for the journey on why it is so important to empower the women in all of our workplaces,” she said.
She is particularly attuned to how younger generations view the day. “Gen Z have grown up with International Women’s Day as a fixture in the calendar,” she explained. “They’re looking for really meaningful change to come about. One of the things that young people can see straight through is when something is inauthentic. They want industries and governments to really walk the walk.”
Zara’s message? Failing to turn inspiration into action risks disengaging the very people our industry needs to attract and retain.
Leading with compassion and strength
Zara’s own leadership philosophy reflects the balance she believes is needed in workplaces today. “Anyone that says they’ve nailed their leadership style is possibly lying,” she said of her view that leadership is ever evolving. “I’ve always loved Jacinda Ardern’s approach because she speaks often of matching compassionate leadership with strong leadership. I think that’s when we see the best results for not just colleagues, but the work itself.”
“I am the person I’m trying to serve,” she explained. “That means I can show up as my whole self at work, and that really translates to our audience. Transparency is also something that’s very important to me – taking people through why decisions are made and bringing them along on that journey.”
Don’t miss your chance to be in the room
The Drinks Association’s International Women’s Day Lunch is always one of the most inspiring dates in the industry calendar. With Zara headlining, 2026 is shaping up to be unmissable. This is your opportunity to hear first-hand from a media leader who is shaping the conversation for a new generation and to take away ideas you can put into practice in your workplace.
Tickets are on sale now – don’t miss out!