Sharon Callister
Master of Business Administration, 1999
Sharon Callister is a nationally recognised leader in not for profit and community services organisations. Joining Mission Australia as CEO in 2022, Sharon has a strong strategic focus, is passionate about ensuring the best possible outcomes for clients and is committed to Mission Australia’s vision of hope and possibility for all.
Under Sharon’s leadership, Mission Australia has championed affordable housing projects, securing partnerships across government and private sectors to deliver safe, secure homes for low-income families. She remains committed to advocating for wholesale systems change to better support the most vulnerable in Australia.
I'm Sharon Callister. I did an MBA at UTS and I graduated in 1999.
Winning the School of Business award it means a great deal to me because I never ever expected it. It was a really tough time.
Doing a really intensive course, had family, a young baby, a full-time leadership role. So for me, just to finish the MBA was really important. It was almost like the cake. Getting the award. It's like the icing on the cake.
So, there are a number of key lessons while I was at UTS. I learned a lot about negotiation, how to collaborate with people. Those skills that I learned during my MBA, they've actually carried through in my business career since that time. I came in with a very possibly naive and one-dimensional view of the world. But through the learning materials, the resources, the other students, the lecturers, I learned to see so many different points of view on one particular subject. So it really broadened my horizons and it actually helped me in my decision- making beyond university and in my business career.
To my fellow UTS alumni, I would absolutely encourage you to continue on with your lifelong learning attitude because that is how you get better in your life every single day.
Sharon Callister adopts a servant-leadership style, and is an honest, accountable and authentic leader.
She has fostered a culture of diversity and inclusion within Mission Australia, ensuring that both staff and clients feel valued and supported. Her efforts have inspired sector-wide improvements and positioned Mission Australia as a model for effective, compassionate service delivery.
Prior to joining Mission Australia, Sharon also held multiple other CEO roles in the Christian education, aged care and human services sectors.
In her spare time, Sharon loves to take part in ultramarathons and triathlons. The challenges and rewards from competing in these events have helped her develop a mindset of strength and resilience- both key ingredients needed for performance and success in her day job.
UTS gave me the strategic lens and ethical foundation to lead with purpose. It was where I learned that business can—and should—be a force for good.