The Gender Index & Makatoa Counsel

Susan Redden Makatoa is the founder of Makatoa Counsel, a practice providing senior issues, crisis, reputation and media advisory to boards, CEOs and executive teams across corporate, government and the not-for-profit sector. She started Makatoa Counsel in July 2023, after more than two decades in strategic communications, including EVP roles at Edelman across Asia-Pacific and senior positions at Ogilvy PR and SenateSHJ. Susan was named one of B&T's Best of the Best Corporate Communicators in 2025. She is also a former chair of Executive Women Australia, and mentors and champions other women building businesses. The Gender Index Australia matters to Susan because it’s the first national, data-led evidence base on female business leadership in this country, work that speaks directly to the funding and growth gaps women founders still face. She is proud to help bring it to life.