Ariane Barker is CEO of Scale Investors Ltd, based in Melbourne, which invests patient capital in female-founded Australian early stage businesses. She has had a long career in global finance, including roles in investment banking in the US, Europe, Japan and Australasia, and in 2011 was identified as one of seventy high potential board-ready women after being awarded an AICD board diversity scholarship. She holds a variety of Board roles including the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation and at a variety of not-for-profits in the education, healthcare and the arts.

Our discussion begins with Ariane’s early instincts for finance and investing, which started in high school, and how she translated that into a fast-paced global career. She talks about her move to Australia, and what motivated that, and how Scale Investors presented the perfect opportunity to unite her broad skillset to empower the next generation of founders. We talk about her passion for education and some of the exciting challenges ahead for that sector. And we have a frank discussion about juggling career and family, and how compromises take shape and pan out.