Demonstrating her commitment to women’s empowerment on home ground, Sonya McGuire is close to completing her Masters in Legal Administration at the level of Juris Doctor, majoring in International Business and Finance Law and Corporations Law through Bond University.
“When I decided to embark on this challenge I had been in business for 22 years and felt that as a woman in business, I needed to empower and educate myself to be ahead of the game. Being a business owner, CEO of two international training colleges and a production company, I knew having legal experience would be invaluable for me,” Sonya says.
When Sonya started her legal studies in 2017, her three sons were still at school. She reflects “I was fortunate to have excellent support and encouragement for my studies from my entire family, and this has continued throughout – I appreciate this sincerely.”
In 2018, Sonya McGuire was awarded first in the class for Global Investment Banking Law and second in the class for International Financial Systems Law. She now manages all the legal administration for ACIT & IFTV Enterprise.
Empowerment draws from a range of strengths. While much has been written about the need for vocational skills and the benefits of self-esteem and self-confidence, it is only in recent years that proper attention has been given to the role that understanding legal matters can play in empowering women in business.
“As a woman I understand that in today’s interconnected world, it is vital that women have the skills necessary to take a leading role in protecting their business interests. Attaining knowledge of Cyber Security Law is an asset to business, and after having spent 30 years in the IT industry, I know the importance of this knowledge in a modern digital world.”
Women, in any type of business, need to feel empowered to be on equal footing with business counterparts. The deeper you go into business dealings, the more decisions you have to make and the more prepared you need to be. Education about emerging traditions and legalities is essential in the fast developing world of Cyber Law.
Sonya admits that it has been extremely challenging trying to study law and balance the demands of family, business and international travel. Women always have a wide range of responsibilities, demanding excellent skills in multi-tasking. During her studies, Sonya also cared for her ailing mother who, sadly, passed away, in 2109.
“It has been challenging, but as a woman I felt that it was not enough for me to have a technical background. If I want to continue having a successful, international business, I need to understand cross-border trading and the legal framework that allows me to safety trade between countries,” Sonya explains. “Trading and exporting in education for the past 10 years with Asia, South America, the US and the EU, required a deeper understanding of the intricacies of Intellectual Property Law. Also, within the entertainment industry, knowledge of International law and Intellectual Property Law has provided a strong platform to work with others in digital production.”
“Women need a solid education to empower themselves. IT, Business and Law studies have empowered me over the last 30 years. I think they are a powerful trio of skills and knowledge in any woman’s portfolio”.

Fostering an attitude of global citizenship and recognizing the value of world community, Sonya McGuire has developed enterprise beyond her two internationally-renowned training colleges. She has taken her place in various Australian Government trade missions, supporting Australian initiative and advocating for vocational education.
Appreciating the importance of international education exports.
“Traversing the globe on various trade missions has given me a unique and valuable insight into the often complex world of international relations.”
From visiting China with Australia’s former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, to travelling to India to collaborate with Randir Kapoor, one of the most influential men and loved actors in Bollywood, Sonya McGuire appreciates cultural diversity.
Sonya is close to completing her Masters in Legal Administration at the level of Juris Doctor, majoring in International Business and Finance Law and Corporations Law through Bond University. Her experience as an educator and her own commended education give her specialist insight into international governance of countries and makes her an asset to any delegation.
Building working relationships with industry and government has become part of Sonya’s impressive portfolio. In securing internships, work placements and industry partnerships for ACIT & IFTV, Sonya has held high-level talks with many key players in the field of international IT and communications.
Sonya McGuire’s ‘Empowering Women’ initiative has been warmly received by industry and supported by the Bollywood production industry and Hollywood, with US executives backing and assisting in the development of various screen plays.

Sonya is an engaging speaker, passionate about her educational philosophy and about her hopes for a better world. Coupled with her in-depth knowledge of international law in business and finance, she is able to work alongside world leaders for the realization of goals in international education.
International travel to promote beneficial trade agreements and discuss future production projects keeps Sonya McGuire up-to-date with the latest in digital technologies and cyber security. In 2014 she spoke at the World Congress in Beijing China on behalf of Brazil Government, about education systems, international cooperation, employment and internships. A year later her expertise in the advancements of digital communications saw Sonya invited to have discussions with Mr Turnbull (then Prime Minister of Australia) in regards to network security.
As one of Australia’s respected vocational educators, Sonya McGuire frequently travels to the United States and United Kingdom where she attends education and training export marketing missions with a view to extending vocational training to some of Australia’s trading partners.
It is not all glitz and glamour, when Sonya travels she connects with people. In India, China, Taiwan, Philippines, Nepal, UK, Brazil, Chile, Spain and Switzerland, she works hard with local authorities on mutually-beneficial enterprises. She has also been an advisor to the Brazilian Government’s Ministry of Education on the subjects of IT and telecommunications for the vocational sector and represented in trade missions abroad.