During her younger years she grew up in the Royal National Park, south of Sydney, living in the small town of Maianbar and attended Bundeena Primary School.

She left the RAAF in 1998, joining the law firm Deacons (now known as Norton Rose Fulbright) as Director of Corporate Services.

[6] After eight years at Deacons, in 2006 Ferguson became CEO of Sentis, an international consultancy offering cognitive-based safety training in the mining and resources industry.

Ferguson has served on the boards of SCA Property Group, EML Payments, Hyne & Son Timber, PEXA Ltd and Envato.

[14] In 2017, Ferguson started the #CelebratingWomen hashtag and social media campaign in response to the denigration women face online.

[18][19] The book was described by commentator and author Jamila Rizvi as "an impeccably researched love letter to those who hold up half the sky" and by Kate Jenkins, Australia's Sex Discrimination Commissioner, as "an essential and timely reminder of the collective power of women".

Adam Grant described Head & Heart as "A timely, actionable book on the virtues that every great leader needs to learn.

advice column in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, where she answers readers' questions on work, careers and leadership.