Women in Leadership & The 5 Most Influential People in Penny de Valk's Life

S04 EP06 - Penny de Valk

In this powerful episode of People Are Everything, Julia Duthie sits down with leadership coach and former CEO Penny to explore the five most influential people who shaped her life and career.

From her resilient mother widowed at 32, to a transformative teacher who changed her academic path, to a Māori probation officer who embodied quiet authority and “mana,” Penny shares the people who shaped her values, leadership philosophy, and commitment to women in leadership.

They explore:

• The double bind of female leadership
• Why friendship should be taught in schools
• The difference between taking care and taking charge
• How good leadership benefits both men and women
• The resilience that comes from loss

Penny’s 5 Most Influential People

1. Her mother, Barbara Mary Foy – resilience, optimism, resourcefulness
2. Claudia Wysocki (Sister Wysocki) – educational belief, quiet support
3. Her ‘Girl Gang’ – courage, ballast, lifelong friendship
4. Tuk Waititi – Māori probation officer embodying “mana” and grounded authority
5. Great Aunt Madge – independence, quiet living, intellectual refuge

This is a thoughtful, deeply human conversation about power, purpose, courage, and the people who leave their fingerprints on us.

 

Full episode available now on YouTube and all major podcast platforms.

Watch or Listen on your favourite podcast platform:

• Youtube: https://loom.ly/nb-WD3Q
• Apple: https://loom.ly/EgwKsWk
• Spotify: https://loom.ly/GHo0lEo

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If you can’t wait, all three previous seasons are ready and waiting — the perfect way to wind down

Watch Season 1,2 and 3 here ..

• Season-1 - https://loom.ly/AhznB6k
• Season-2 - https://loom.ly/XGH2jt0
• Season-3 - https://loom.ly/t1h2EQ8

 

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