Member Spotlight: Lara Husselbee
“Pride, to me, is…a time to honour the joy, resilience, and dazzling brilliance of our LGBTQIA+ communities…but also to remember that we're still pushing against systems that don't see us, protect us or want to take our rights away.”
Celebrating Pride and championing the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion year-round, we spoke to Lara Husselbee, Head of Learning Experience and Research at Macquarie Group, about what it means to lead with courage and compassion. From challenging the status quo to lifting others up, Lara shares how she lives her values every day—and how being part of Women in CX has given her a genuine sense of belonging, connection, and space to show up as her whole self.
To begin, could you tell us a bit about yourself and what your company does?
Lara Husselbee PTY is my independent Service Design, CX and facilitation practice, built to help organisations of all shapes and sizes create meaningful change. I work with individuals, teams and businesses to clarify their strategic direction, design more inclusive and impactful experiences, and uplift their ways of working - whether that's through co-design workshops, coaching, in-depth CX or L&D projects or broader transformation initiatives.
At its heart, the work is about aligning what organisations do with what their customers and their people need, using empathy, systems thinking, and practical design tools. From NFPs to Corporates, I support teams in finding clarity, building confidence, and delivering experiences that truly make a difference.
How did you get where you are today?
It's been a mix of curiosity, community, courage and a bit of luck! Looking back, my early career in hospitality is likely where I developed my ability to identify people patterns quickly and adapt. And probably my love for understanding people.
Whilst studying Visual Communication and International Studies at the University of Technology, Sydney, I was lucky to stumble across a customer research project with one of their industry partners, Westpac Group. It's here, I found out about the wonderful world of Customer Experience, and thanks to that original team (many of whom I am still in touch with), my eyes were opened to a whole new career path. No longer destined to be a suit in advertising, I was keen to sink my teeth into the world of human-centred design.
Since then, I've always been drawn to roles that let me connect the dots between strategy and empathy, between systems and the people they serve. Be it working in a UX or Agile agency, Australia's largest insurer, or setting up my small practice 9 years ago - I've continued to say "yes" to opportunities that have stretched me.
I've also had a strong support network and mentors who have championed me, just like that original Westpac Design team. This community around me has helped to navigate the tough stuff, the bully bosses, the unexpected market twists, and keep me on course, grounded in my values.
Where I am today is a reflection of wanting to curate experiences, taking intentional steps, backing myself, staying deeply connected to my purpose and people.
“This community around me has helped to navigate the tough stuff, the bully bosses, the unexpected market twists, and keep me on course, grounded in my values.”
What were the main challenges you faced as a woman in CX?
There have been many challenges, but a big one has been navigating credibility in environments that weren’t built with people like me in mind. Working in financial services, I’ve often had to prove my value twice—first as a woman, then as a queer woman leading in spaces that are still catching up in terms of inclusion. I still remember three men stepping into an elevator, telling me to smile or a previous boss asking me if the contextual inquiry we were going to was "actually a date" because it was with another queer woman.
I’ve also experienced the more painful side of leadership—like working under female bosses who didn’t support or uplift other women. That had a lasting impact, especially when paired with the impostor syndrome that so many of us carry, even when we’re more than qualified.
The intersectionality of being a woman, queer, and in leadership means I’ve had to become fluent in navigating coded language, performative allyship, and power dynamics that don’t always favour authenticity. But it’s also where I’ve found the most strength—by building community, setting boundaries, and learning how to lead in a way that’s values-driven, not ego-driven.
“The intersectionality of being a woman, queer, and in leadership means I’ve had to become fluent in navigating coded language, performative allyship, and power dynamics that don’t always favour authenticity.”
Tell us about a moment that shaped you into the woman you are today.
One of the most transformative moments in my career was a project in Durban, South Africa, with IAG and Coles Financial Services. I was brought in to lead the Customer Experience and Learning strategy ahead of significant price increases to their general insurance products—a particularly sensitive and high-stakes shift for both teams and customers.
Through observational research and call listening with the local contact centre team, it became clear that traditional, top-down training approaches weren’t working. The current model was disengaging, limiting people’s ability to shine—and many team members felt disconnected from the products, which they themselves would likely never afford.
So I flipped the model. Rather than delivering content through formal classroom sessions, I co-designed a peer-to-peer learning program that placed high-performing team members running practical sessions for their peers, building their confidence, capability and connection from the ground up. Not only did this dramatically increase engagement and retention of the material, but it created a sense of shared ownership that helped teams navigate through the tough transition.
Meaningful learning and change come when we design with people, not at them. And the best solutions are often already in the room—we just need to create the space for them to emerge.
What makes a woman courageous / collaborative / inclusive / authentic?
I live by 'The behaviour you walk past, is the behaviour you accept'. To me, a courageous woman is someone who speaks up, even when her voice shakes. She challenges the status quo, not for attention, but because she believes in something better.
A collaborative woman brings others with her. She's quick to share the mic, the credit, and the learning. She knows that real progress isn't a solo act - inviting others in to see her team and those around her success.
What does Pride mean to you?
Pride, to me, is both a celebration and a protest. It's a time to honour the joy, resilience, and dazzling brilliance of our LGBTQIA+ communities - but also to remember that we're still pushing against systems that don't see us, protect us or want to take our rights away.
What is your experience of feeling welcome and included in WiCX?
I've been lucky to know Clare since 2018, and I have to say from the moment I met her, a little flame leapt at having someone so passionately advocating for women in our professional space. And Women in CX has been no different - I have a sense of belonging, a space where we don't need to code-switch or prove worth.
It's also been great to see their active presence in intersectional inclusion, whether it's online events, podcasts or learning forums, or even spotlight opportunities like this, WiCX has created spaces for real connection, shared learning and demonstrated active allyship.
About Lara
Lara Husselbee (she/her) is a passionate human-centred design leader and facilitator who is driven by the belief that a little empathy goes a long way. With over 15 years of experience across Financial Services, Health, Tech, Gov, Hospitality and Not-for-profit sectors, she brings deep expertise in Customer Experience, Design Thinking, Agile and Learning Design to everything she does. Currently, Lara is the Head of Learning Experience and Research at Macquarie Group, helping to lead the design of learner-centric skilling strategies whilst also running their Reverse Mentoring program for their Pride Employee Network Group (which just won Employee Network Group of the Year (second year running!).
She also runs her own Service Design, CX and facilitation practice, Lara Husselbee PTY, which partners with businesses of all sizes to set strategic direction and uplift the experience they deliver to their customers and people. Her career has taken her across the globe - including India, the US, South Africa, Iceland, the UK, New Zealand and all across Australia - helping organisations transform how they connect with their people, their customers and their purpose.
Lara is equally passionate about inclusion and advocacy. She served as the President of Wear it Purple, an Australian charity focused on creating supportive and inclusive environments for rainbow youth and continues her work in DEI through Macquarie Group's Pride network and broader community engagements.
Outside of her professional and advocacy work, Lara is an avid adventurer. In 2025, she is hiking over 500km through Australia (Larapinta Trail and Snowie Alpine Hike), Greenland (Arctic Trail) and Wales (Snowdonia National Park) to raise funds for Project Futures, supporting women impacted by trafficking and abuse.
Lara's work is anchored in genuine curiosity for people, a love of community, and a belief that design, when done with care, can spark real-world change.
