Sandra Yates AO

Sandra Yates AO is a prominent and influential consultant to business and government, specialising in media, communications, arts and education. With a distinguished career spanning publishing, marketing, media and the arts, Sandra brings a unique and authoritative perspective on contemporary communication challenges and organisational leadership.

She was Chair of Saatchi & Saatchi Australia (1996–2004), leading two national election campaigns for the Australian Labor Party. As Publisher of Time magazine (1990–1994), she propelled it to become Australia’s number one news and business publication, growing circulation, readership and advertising revenue by 50%.

Sandra has also made a significant impact in education and the arts. She served as Chair of the NSW TAFE Commission Board (1997–2007) and Sydney Writers’ Festival (2000–2011), helping the Festival become the largest literary event in Australia with annual attendances exceeding 80,000. She was a founding board member of the National Art School and has held board positions with the University of New South Wales Press, UNICEF, Musica Viva, Taronga Foundation and the NSW Major Events Board.

Earlier in her career, Sandra co-founded Matilda Publications Inc. in New York, launching Sassy magazine and guiding Ms. magazine to record circulation, securing $20 million on Wall Street in the process — the second woman-led LBO in US corporate history. She has served as President of Chief Executive Women and YWCA Sydney, advocating for gender equity across business and society.

In recognition of her exceptional contributions, Sandra was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2002 for services to women’s organisations, vocational education, training and the advertising industry.