WOMEN from across the Pacific converged in Suva yesterday for the Women in Media (WiM) Conference 2025, confronting gender representation challenges and pushing for stronger leadership roles in newsrooms and beyond.
Leadership consultant Ana Laqeretabua introduced the concept of “switch mode”, a metaphor for how women navigate complex roles in leadership.
Ms Laqeretabua credited the inspiration to Losena Kaloulia Naisilisili, known as the ‘Switch Queen’, who heads news and TV operations at the Fijian Broadcasting Corporation.
She praised Naisilisili’s ability to juggle multiple demands with precision, a balancing act she said many women in leadership perform daily.
“There are a range of different screens that you’re looking at, the news assignment, the staff meeting, maybe the board meeting for those of you in management, you’ve got a parents and teachers meeting, if you’re a parent,” Ms Laqeretabua said.
“So, you get to choose and pull the shots based on how you read the fields of play and how you choose to engage as a leader.”
She said this decision-making process, rapid, responsive, and intuitive, reflected the way women constantly adjust in both personal and professional spaces.
Ms Laqeretabua also noted that leadership isn’t just about position or title.
“There are so many correlations between the work that ‘Switch Queen’ does and women in leadership,” she said.
“You get to choose and pull the shots based on how you read the field of play and how you choose to engage as a leader.
“You get to see the whole game, you’re sitting there in your position as a leader, and even if you’re not in a position of a leader, you are still deciding how you will engage with the day from where you are.
“And you’re looking at many different screens, it’s showing you different angles, but you get to choose what angle to broadcast.”
