Doing the Impossible with Dr Laura Ryan

In celebration of International Women’s Day, we’ve brought in Dr Laura Ryan, Head of Research and Development at Ardea to sit down with us and discuss her lived experiences as a woman in finance. We talk about the unique challenges women faced in a male-dominated industry and strategies to overcome these hurdles, why it’s ok to ask for what you want, juggling a professional career and building an off-grid house in inner-city Sydney, and how Australia compares to the rest of the world on the gender equity front. 

Dr Ryan led a joint research project on behalf of the CFA Institute with a grant from ANU on the role of gender, in promotion rates, in the financial services industry.  One of the key findings was just asking for a promotion was worthwhile. This eye-opening research provides quantifiable insight into gender bias.

You can find the full study here: 

https://www.ardea.com.au/new-study-indicates-gender-identity-an-important-factor-in-likelihood-of-promotion/ 

Dr Ryan was also featured in Grand Designs in late 2024 with her aptly titled Impossible House, an ambitious project which has seen her convert a 104m2 2-bedroom Newtown workers cottage into a fully off-grid, sustainable (and extremely liveable) home. 

Visit her website: 

https://theimpossiblehouse.com.au/

Watch her Grand Designs episode: 

https://iview.abc.net.au/show/grand-designs-australia/series/11/video/FA2214H010S00

Visit Laura’s house on Sustainable House Day on Sunday 4 May 2025:

https://sustainablehouseday.com/2025-featured-homes/