Announced at the 2015 Gala event in Sydney on Thursday evening celebrating The Australian Financial Review and Westpac 100 Women of Influence awards, Ms Sherry was named overall winner from more than 500 entrants across 10 categories. 

"Women from all walks of life across Australia know of Ann Sherry. They know of her sustained work for women, minority groups, business and the arts and her outstanding reputation of making a real difference,” BHP director and 2015 Awards judge Carolyn Hewson said. “She is a woman of great influence and we thank her.”

Ms Sherry’s career in Australia has included work developing after school care programs and employment programs for people with disabilities in Victoria, a stint as First Assistant Secretary of the Federal Office of the Status of Women and CEO of Bank of Melbourne. 

Through her senior roles in Westpac she pushed to introduce paid maternity leave and flexible working practices, and created the influential social enterprise project Jarwun.

She told the Financial Review that of all her lessons, she would tell her younger self to take more risks. “Try new things, grab opportunities,” she said. “Be tenacious. The world will change, things will go wrong. Life is messy.” 

In 2007 she took the reigns at Carnival Australia - beleaguered by falling profits and repetitional damage - to revitalise the company and the broader cruise industry. 

“And be yourself,” she said. “Trying to change who you are to fit in doesn’t work and is very stressful.”

Federal minister for women and employment, Michaelia Cash, Korn Ferry International executive chairman Katie Lahey, Fairfax chairman Nick Falloon, 2014 overall winner and former Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick and media personalities including the ABC’s Caroline Jones, Melissa Doyle and Tracey Spicer joined the celebration at Sydney’s Town Hall where the 10 categories winners were announced. 

Professor Lesley Chenoweth was named overall influencer in the Local/Regional category for her work as head of Griffith University’s Logan campus where she has created new pathways to encourage young refugees and others from the disadvantaged local community to enter university. 

Jane Burns was awarded for her work in the Social Enterprise category, as head of Melbourne’s Young and Well Cooperative Research Centre, bringing young patients together with innovators and researchers to develop new technology to improve their own mental health care.

“Fairfax proudly champions the most influential, visionary and inspirational women in Australia through the Awards. We celebrate [these] 100 women who will shine bright as true leaders by sharing their stories, achievements and triumphs to inspire others to embrace change for the better,” Fairfax chief executive Greg Hywood said.

Jenna Tregarthen, Young Leader category recipient set aside work on her PhD to build the mobile health platform Recovery Record, for people with eating disorders to access private and instantaneous therapy sessions online. 

In the Innovation category, Professor Veena Sahajwalla has been recognised for her work transforming manufacturing waste products into new industrial resources such as Green Steel. 

Diane Grady was named for Board/Management because of her work as an independent director since 1994, wholeheartedly pushing to move female talent into boardrooms, while Melbourne litigation lawyer Janet Whiting was recognised in the new Culture category for her extraordinary work both on numerous arts boards, and to raise the profile and respect of arts, film, fashion and food events in Victoria. 

“We have a responsibility to encourage and recognise the influential women of Australia … who are each in their own way shaping the future of our nation,” Westpac chief executive Brian Hartzer said of the 100 winners who add their names to the 300 alumni from past years. 

“By celebrating these 100 women and recognising their achievements, we are helping to create role models that will inspire and give confidence to the next generation of influencers to come.”

Internationally renowned advocate for disadvantaged people, Pat Anderson has focused on indigenous public health work, and as founding chair of the Lowitja Institute was named as the Public Policy category recipient for 2015. 

Ros Moriarty, who co-founded indigenous strategy and design company Balarinji, famous for the Aboriginal designs on Qantas aircraft, took out the Business Enterprise category, while UNSW professor Jane McAdam was given the top gong in the Global category for her work shaping international policy relating to climate change, forced migration and human displacement.