Beyond the Hall of Winthrop: Recent Episodes
UWA Alumni Voices
This episode of Beyond UWA features the panel discussion from the UWA Melbourne Alumni Reception 2024, Riding the Wave of Change: Skills for the Future.
The conversation focuses on the high-demand skills reshaping our fast-evolving world, including Artificial Intelligence, data analytics, and digital transformation. At this conversation, moderator Sabrina Del Borrello and panellists Dr Helen Frazer, Chris Moore, and Sean Teh will cover some topics such as:
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The transformative power of AI in healthcare.
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The value of "being a generalist" and the critical role of soft skills in navigating the modern workplace.
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The role of technology in consulting.
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The challenges and opportunities presented by AI.
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The importance of emotional intelligence.
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The need for continuous learning and adaptability in a rapidly changing world.
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The intersection of technology and human connection.
Join us for an insightful conversation that explores how we can harness technology to enhance our lives while retaining the essential human touch.
*Recorded live at the Melbourne Museum on Thursday, 19 September 2024.
This episode of Beyond UWA features the panel discussion from the UWA Sydney Alumni Reception 2024, Riding the Wave of Change: Skills for the Future.
The conversation focuses on the high-demand skills reshaping our fast-evolving world, including Artificial Intelligence, data analytics, and digital transformation. At this conversation, moderator Professor Peter van Onselen and panellists Katie Daly, Han Wen Kam, and Jenny Tseng will cover some topics such as:
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The pace of technological advancement and its implications for the workforce.
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The importance of balancing technological literacy with essential soft skills.
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Common misconceptions about AI, its potential benefits and limitations.
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The challenges of managing the mental health implications of rapid technological advancements.
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The potential of micro-credentialing in continuous learning.
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How to balance innovation and fundamental human skills.
Join us for an insightful conversation that explores how we can harness technology to enhance our lives while retaining the essential human touch.
*Recorded live at the Sydney Masonic Centre on Tuesday, 17 September 2024.
Three UWA alumni leaders living in the Americas and working in sustainable development shared their impactful stories and journey in the sustainability space that took them to the other side of the world.
Dr James Kelley, international leadership author, consultant, and Leader of the UWA USA Alumni Network, moderated the panel, including:
Michael Sheldrick, joining from the United States of America, Dr Gracie Verde Selva joining from Brazil, and August Wylynko, joining from Canada.
Join the Asia Alumni Network, India Alumni Leader Tara Seth, and a panel of global leaders in discussing the importance of sustainability, decarbonisation, policy change and making a difference in the fight against climate change.
The prospect of launching a new start-up can be daunting. CEOs and founders of start-up businesses face many challenges: finding investors, raising start-up capital, building a management team, developing competitive products, adopting an effective marketing program, finding early customers and more.
Join Chloe Bull MBA '21 - Associate Director | Guild Venture, Student Innovation Centre - and Dr James Kelley MMgtRes, PhD – Co-Founder and CEO of qChange – along with our panel of UWA alumni entrepreneurs for a discussion about what it takes to create a successful enterprise. You'll gain insight from each panellist's unique entrepreneurial pathway, hear about their successes (and failures) and get top tips to help any budding entrepreneur.
Since COVID-19, e-commerce has gained traction in Asia, with its e-commerce market forecasted to quadruple in value from 2019 to 2025.
Join Professor Sharon Purchase MBA '92, Jacqui Teo BCom ‘92, Darek Darmawan Ekaputra Sia BCom, BE '11, and Associate Professor Paul Harrigan as they discuss why E-commerce the future of Business, what trends should businesses prepare for the future, and if we've seen brand loyalty decrease since the pandemic.
What is the future of work? The jury’s still out, but one thing is clear – global challenges, flexible working, personal branding and advanced technology will be part of it.
Join Sudhanshu Tripathi (MBA '11), India Alumni Network Committee, along with our panel of UWA alumni experts for a discussion about what The Future of Work looks like. You'll gain insight from each panellist's unique career pathway, industry insights and latest research.
This webinar was recorded on Thursday 4th August 2022.
The Covid-19 pandemic has fundamentally shifted the way in which people work. As a result, traditional office jobs may never be the same.
Join Head of People & Culture at Qualitas Group, Anna Wagner, along with Michelle Wong, Associate Professor Alex Luksyte, and Paul Sawyer for a discussion about How the pandemic changed the workplace, and what future leaders and their organisations expect in 2023, and beyond.
The prospect of launching a new start-up can be daunting. CEOs and founders of start-up businesses face many challenges: finding investors, raising start-up capital, building a management team, developing competitive products, adopting an effective marketing program, finding early customers and more.
Join Amber Wu (BCom '15), Alumni Network Leader - China, along with our panel of UWA alumni experts for a discussion about what it takes to create a successful enterprise. You'll gain insight from each panellist's unique entrepreneurial pathway, hear about their successes (and failures) and get top tips to help any budding entrepreneur.
Brought to you by the UWA Alumni Network in China.
Hong Kong boasts a rich history. Its strategic location and deep coastal waters have helped it to grow from a humble fishing port into a global economic powerhouse. But as Covid outbreaks disrupt trade, how will Hong Kong adapt?
Join Adam Applegate (EMBA '14) – Manager - Procurement at CLP – along with our panel of UWA alumni for a discussion about the strengths and prospects of Hong Kong's Economic Growth
We are all connected by our oceans. We’re all surrounded by breath-taking coastlines and oceans that are home to magnificent marine wildlife. But it’s all increasingly under threat!
Hear from Dr Emily Lester MBiolSc '16, PhD '21, Dr Danielle Su PhD '20, and Dr Emily Pidgeon BE '92, who are at the forefront of research, protection and conservation of our oceans, discussing the biggest problems facing our oceans, and the solutions having the biggest impact on turning it around.
You’ll also discover how the UWA Oceans Institute serves the needs of the Western Australian community.
Join Jacqueline Gower, MBA I Post Graduate Careers Services Manager, and our panel of UWA alumni for a discussion about what it takes to get noticed in today's global job market. You'll gain insight from each panellist’s pathway from UWA to industry, hear about their successes (and failures) and get top tips on how (and when) to get noticed. The panel includes:
- Albert Ishak (BSc, BCom '10, BSc(Hons) '11) COO at Airbus Indonesia
- Jona Peh BCom '20 Expert Technology Recruitment Consultant at PERSOLKELLY
- Venkatesh Parameswaran MBA '16 Leadership and Strategy Coach at PVenkatesh.Com
- Bjorn Teng Hui Gan BCom '15 Founder at Masstige Asia
- Eloise Zhang MBusInfo&LogMgt '19 Project and Industry Relations Executivat at BritCham Shanghai
Join Dr James Kelley (MMgtRes, PhD) – Co-Founder and CEO of qChange – along with our panel of UWA alumni entrepreneurs for a discussion about what it takes to create a successful enterprise. You'll gain insight from each panellist's unique entrepreneurial pathway, hear about their successes (and failures) and get top tips to help any budding entrepreneur.
The panel includes:
- Nicole Bray (BA, BCom '02) Founder & President, Mercer Contemporary
- Ken Watson (BE '96) CEO & Co-Founder at Stockperks
- Jacqueline Bennett (BCom '04) Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Highlands Venture Partners
- Harry Dixon (BEc, BCom '15) Co-Founder of Checkmate
What are the personal and professional benefits of volunteering?
Join Clare MacNish, Volunteering Manager at UWA Guild Volunteering, and our global panel of UWA alumni for their top volunteer tips, and a discussion about how volunteering can impact your career.
- Ash Dashlooty (BSc '03, MSc '11) Director Leadership Excellence, sp_ce
- Rida Ahmed (BA '15) Ethics & Compliance, International Olympic Committee (IOC)
- Audrey Ow (BSc '12) Senior Assistant Director, Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment
The prospect of launching a new start-up can be daunting. CEOs and founders of start-up businesses face many challenges: finding investors, raising start-up capital, building a management team, developing competitive products, adopting an effective marketing program, finding early customers and more.
Recorded on Tuesday 12 April, hear from Dr Antoine Musu – Co-Founder and Director of Commercialisation Studies Centre Ltd, Director of ILC Australia and Entrepreneurial Thinking, Learning, and Practice Educator at UWA – along with our panel of UWA alumni entrepreneurs for a discussion about what it takes to create a successful enterprise. You'll gain insight from each panellist's unique entrepreneurial pathway, hear about their successes (and failures) and get top tips to help any budding entrepreneur.
Julia Kay Co-CEO + Co-Founder at Great Wrap™. Visit >> https://www.greatwrap.co/
Mark Heath, Co-Founder, Co-CEO at VOLY. Visit >> https://www.getvoly.com/
Sheary Tan, Founder, Self Taught Nation. Visit >> https://www.selftaughtnation.com/
Dennis Savic, CEO - Savic Motorcycles. Visit >> https://www.savicmotorcycles.com/
Health policy has rarely been higher on the international agenda than in the last two years. The pandemic has seen Western Australia’s health infrastructure go through its greatest and most unexpected stress test. Looking beyond this crisis, and further into the future towards 2050, how might the WA health system respond to emerging challenges? What new funding and service models are needed to facilitate better care? Can the recent responses to the pandemic help catalyse change in the WA health sector?
Join Director of the UWA Public Policy Institute Professor Shamit Saggar as he speaks with Dr Omar Khorshid, President of the Federal Australian Medical Association, about the future of healthcare in WA.
How do we tackle misinformation online? What makes something 'fake news'? Who decides?
Business News Senior Journalist Matt McKenzie [BA, BEc ‘15], ABC Reporter Samantha Goerling BPHil(Hons) ‘19 and UWA School of Psychological Science Research Associate Dr Toby Prike untangle how misinformation spreads faster than truth.
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UWA graduate Martina Ucnikova (MIntRelns ’13) co-Founded She Runs, a non-for-profit organisation focused on supporting women’s political, economic, and civic participation. Led by Independent Candidate for Australian Federal Seat of Curtin Kate Chaney (LLB ’98), this episode will provide insights and reflection into the diversity, drive and apathy required to get the best out of politics in Australia, and the impact of the She Runs Campaign School.
To learn more about She Runs, visit https://www.sheruns.org.au/
To learn more about Kate Chaney and her campaign, please visit https://www.katechaney.com.au/
There are many layers to a successful business. But what does it take to commercialise your innovation? Join Founder of Ginger Imagery and Marketing Manager at Bloom, Imogen Blow [BCom '18] and a cast of alumni who share their top tips for budding entrepreneurs, and steps to take commercialising your innovation.
Guest speakers
Jacqueline Bennett [BCom '04, MBA NYU Stern 2013, MBA London Business School 2013]
www.highlandsvp.com & www.commons.co
Dr Antoine Musu MBA '07, MBI '08, GradDipBusAdmin '08, DBA '21
Nate Sturcke BCom '15, GradCertEnt&Innov '17
https://skillsofthemodernage.com.au/ & https://skill.social/
Register today for the Meet the Founders webinar
https://alumni.uwa.edu.au/events/featured/meet-the-founders
Eager to learn more about Bloom? Visit Bloom's website, the Launchpad Unit Page, Bloom's Facebook page, Bloom's Instagram page, and our LinkedIn.
International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.
Moderated by UWA grad Hayley Winchcombe BPhil(Hons) '19, hear from four amazing UWA graduates, from diverse backgrounds and industries who’ve faced difficult circumstances and made tough choices. Learn about their journey, how resilience can be key to success, and help us celebrate their achievements.
- Associate Professor Carmela Pestell BPsych '90, MPsych '93, MPsych '05 Clinical Psychologist & Clinical Neuropsychologist (Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society)
- Rebecca Johnston MBA ‘18 www.johnstonwheeler.com.au Company Director | Legal Practice Director - Aviation, Drones & Space | Corporate & Commercial Law | Innovation & Technology | Ports, Transport & Logistics
- Hannah Berdal LLB, BCom ‘16 Associate at Latham & Watkins
- Dr Honey Ng BA '96, BA(Hons) '97, PhD '08 Deputy Director, pcf
Where can a UWA degree take you? Singapore Alumni Ambassador Inez Faiz [BCom ‘15] is joined by Amber Wu [BCom ‘15], Dhanya Nair [BE ‘14], Andrew Lian [BArch ’90, MBA ‘06] and Sudhanshu Tripathi [MBA ‘11], who share their learnings, successes and encounters as international students at UWA, while offering tips to current students who are seeking their dream job.
Brought to you by the UWA Business School, Centre for English Language Teaching and the Alumni Relations team.
As COVID-19 continues to threaten the lives and livelihoods of millions of people across the globe, additional concerns are being raised about job security, hybrid workforces, and the economic landscape in Hong Kong.
Moderated by Dr Andrew Stock [BSc '08, BSc(Hons) '09] Director and Clinical Psychologist, ClinPsych Services, Jacqueline Teo, Global Chief Digital Officer, HGC Global Communications, Associate Professor Carmela Pestell, Director, Robin Winkler Clinic and Associate Chair of the Academic Board, and Joshua Sims, General Manager, Hong Kong & Taiwan, Santa Fe Relocation, share insights on what you need to know - and how it may affect your mental health.
Brought to you by Development and Alumni Relations and the Hong Kong Alumni Network.
Kaya. Wanju. Join us as we re-live an evening of reflection, learned insight and career inspiration, and hear from a panel of SIS alumni who share their advice and experiences of work and study.
Panellists:
- Jodi Eatt MBBS ’02
- Kim Farmer BA ’93, GradDipA ’96, LLB ’03
- Katina Law BCom ’91
- Brad Regts LLB, ’99
- Dr Cindy Solonec
The UWA Fogarty and Winthrop Scholars Leadership Reception was an opportunity to hear from some outstanding former scholars as they shared their experiences and perspectives on leadership development. Panellists included:
- James Dingley, BPhil(Hons) ’21, Project Manager at UWA Aerospace
- Tom Durkin, BCom ’15, JD ’18, Law Graduate at Cullen Macleod
- Simon Thuijs, BPhil(Hons) ‘’17, GradCertBusPsych ’20, UWA Masters student
- Jasmin Sekhon BCom ’15, MD ’18, MPH ’21, Resident Medical Officer at King Edward Memorial Hospital
- Georgie Carey, BCom ’17, BCom(Hons) ’18, Town of Mosman Park Councillor
- Anish Badgeri, BPhil(Hons) ’17, DipModLang ’18, Teacher at Perth Modern School
Krista Dunstan LLB '11, is an impressive young Nyoongar woman from Esperance, speaking at this year's UWA International Women's Day Breakfast at the University Club.
Krista is committed to community development and equity of service through a number of roles, including as a member of the board of Celebrate WA, Richmond Wellbeing, the Noongar Charitable Trust and as an officer in the Royal Australian Air Force Reserves. Krista was part of the NGO delegation to the UN periodic review of Australia’s performance under the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 2011.
A recipient of the Human Rights Commission's Young People's Medal in 2012, a finalist in both the Young Business Women's Award and Corporate and Private Award categories of the Telstra Business Women's Awards in 2015, the Law Society's Lawyer of the Year (under 5 years' experience) in 2017 and the Women Lawyer's WA Junior Woman Lawyer of the Year (joint) 2018.
Krista recently took on the role of Investment and Trade Commissioner for the Government of Western Australia in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region.
Mikey Kailis MCom(Adv) '13 was born in Perth, but moved to San Francisco in 2018 for a role in the venture capital industry at Counterpart Ventures. As the first hire at the fund, his role covers a number of different functions including managing the existing portfolio, sourcing new deals, managing corporate investor relations, marketing and general operations.
Prior to moving to San Francisco, Mikey worked for a startup here in Perth that serviced the mining industry on innovation and digital transformation. He has worked alongside startup companies since he graduated UWA, having helped coordinate one of Australia’s largest startup competitions called the OzAPP Awards which is now an annual conference called the West Tech Fest.
His educational background is in journalism, business management and marketing. Mikey grew up working in his family seafood business and is a die-hard Manchester United fan.
Jessica Panegyres, LLB, BA(Hons) '10, holds first class honours degrees in Law and Arts from UWA, and a Masters Degree in Politics and International Relations from the University of Oxford where she studied as a Rhodes Scholar. Jess has since presented on climate change at the UN, featured on the ABC documentary "Fight for Planet A", worked for Greenpeace, The Wilderness Society and currently manages environmental philanthropy at the Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network (AEGN). Kirsty Brooks, BSc(Hons) '12, chats to Jess about Australia's position on climate change, what led her down this career pathway and how we can all help.
October 26, 2020
Professor Chakma, UWA's 19th Vice-Chancellor, was recently welcomed to the UWA community in a webinar by UWA alumni in the UK and Europe. Hear his impressions of UWA and his plans for its future.
To date, the Vice-Chancellor has had an outstanding career in higher education leadership and academia in Canada. He is joined here by the Executive Dean Health & Medical Sciences, Professor Jon Watson who provides an update on the Medical School and WA Medical Students’ Society President Oliver Dearsley who gives a first-hand impression of the student experience at UWA. An account of some cutting edge research at UWA is given by Associate Professor Julia Powles and Professor Livia Hool.
Due to the UWA London Alumni Reception not being held in 2020, special thanks to the Trustees of Friends of UWA in the UK and Europe for providing this virtual opportunity for their alumni community.
Aaron Yeak's [BCom, BE '08] career has spanned business, fitness, sport and recreation, Formula 1, and management consulting. In 2020 he co-founded RealRoes, a fun and free adventure app game in tribute to the “realroes”, real hero front line essential workers in our community, such as nurses, police, and scientists.
On this episode Aaron shares why he created the APP, the impact COVID-19 has had on his business and mental health, and offers his top tips to running a small business in 2020.
What mistakes have you made early in your career? Liz Graydon [BCom '18] Junior Planner at Ogilvy, has been sharing “mistakes I made as a junior” on LinkedIn the past few months. Interviewed by Young Alumni Network ambassador Andrea Bradbury [BCom '14], Liz gives insight into the inspiration of the series, what she hopes people gain from, including her top 5 mistakes she's made.
The 2019 UWA Guild President, Conrad Hogg [DipModLang '17, BPhil '18], shares his university experience and the importance of mental health services for students with Scott da Silva [BCom '20], a former Events member of TEDxUWA. Conrad discusses the initiatives he started regarding UWA's mental health services during his term as Guild President and how his dedication to mental health has continued since graduating from university.
Watch Conrad's talk here.
The TEDxUWA annual conference will be happening on the 5th of December so mark your calendars! If you've enjoyed listening to our past speakers, you'll be able to hear another great line-up of speakers live. More information to come soon. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to stay updated.
Photos from our first in-person salon this year, TEDxUWASalon: Little Grey Cells, are up now on Flickr.
Current UWA student and LWAG Student Advisory Committee member interviews three UWA grads with degrees in engineering who are making waves in the arts. Hear about how they've balanced their brains between mathematics and science-heavy work with their creative outlets, making a career out of both.
As COVID-19 continues to threaten the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in Hong Kong, additional concerns are being raised about the future of work.
Join Ricky Mui [BSc, LLB ‘97] Managing Director - Greater China at Robert Walters, and our panel of experts who share their insights on what you need to know - and how it will affect you.
Brought to you by Development and Alumni Relations and the Hong Kong Alumni Network.
Belinda Teh [BCom, LLB ‘16] takes us through her journey walking from Melbourne to Perth, bringing awareness to the Voluntary Assisted Dying bill, with Jevin Parmar, Co-head of Communications at TEDxUWA. In this episode, she explores the power of Social Courage and why it's important to cultivate it in our daily lives.
Watch Belinda’s talk here.
Stay updated with our next event and find out more about TEDxUWA on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
Find out more about Go Gentle Australia on their website and Facebook page.
Dr Kate Leeming is more than just an adventurer, and more than just a cyclist – she’s a passionate advocate for human rights and social justice. Kate will discuss how her achievements, physically, mentally and philanthropically, have endowed her with a compelling and inspiring story of what can be achieved with hard work and perseverance.
Emeritus Professor Ann Tarca BCom '79, MAcc '98, PhD '03, a member of the Business School's Ambassadorial Council UK Chapter, qualified as a chartered accountant in 1985 and graduated with her PhD in accounting in 2003. She taught and researched at the UWA Business School, where her academic career culminated in her appointment as Head of the Accounting and Finance Discipline Group from 2012-2016. In July 2017, Ann was appointed as a member of the International Accounting Standards Board. Ann is truly a global leader in accounting. Find out how she made this massive transition and what life looks like for her today.
Tennis is a notoriously traditional sport. Listen and learn about how UWA graduate Dr Machar Reid, Head of Innovation at Tennis Australia, is challenging the old-school thinking and transforming the sport into a new way of thinking.
Clare Courtauld BSc(Hons) '14, Waste Education Coordinator is empowering the community with knowledge and tools to take action at the City of Cockburn. Learn how her journey from Bridgetown to UWA influenced her career and passion for the environment.
Visit www.ecoactionwa.org or follow on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/EcoActionWA/ today!
TEDxUWA secretary Mytreye Manikyam [BSc '17] catches up with Dr Georgia Hay [BSc '14, BSc(Hons) '15] about her working life since finishing her PhD and working as a researcher at the Future of Work Institute. She takes us through her experience at UWA where she found her passion for organisational psychology and began her research career on what makes peoples' work compelling.
Watch Georgia's TEDxUWA talk here.
Find out more about TEDxUWA's upcoming event, TEDxUWASalon: Little Grey Cells, here: https://www.facebook.com/events/339243357460471
Get tickets here: https://tedxuwasalonlittlegr-event.getqpay.com/
In this episode, we connect with Tomy Hwang, who currently works as a consultant in Canberra. He shares his stories about his time at UWA, his favorite memories, and the time he spent working with children at Princess Margaret Hospital. We also discuss his transition into consultancy, personal branding for young professionals, and Tomy offers his insight and advice for both present and future young professionals.
They say life is all about the journey. Even so, we all hope we are destined for comfortable, healthy and happy golden years.
Driven by passionate researchers and supported by visionary individuals and organisations, new discoveries, novel therapies and innovative programs for young and old are promising to significantly improve quality of life at birth, into childhood, adulthood and during our senior years.
Dr Sam Illingworth, Senior Lecturer, School of Biological Science, UWA Faculty of Science, hosted an expert panel of philanthropically funded researchers exploring innovative research at UWA that is providing life-changing improvements to health from birth, to childhood, adulthood and during senior years. Discover what novel therapies and innovative programs our researchers have been working on that have been supported by visionary individuals and organisations to improve our quality of life.
Talia Strutt [BA '18, DipModLang '18] sits down with TEDxUWA speaker Pheobe Ho [BSc '18, BSc(Hons) '19], who in 2018 shared How your mental health lived experience can heal others. Talia learns what Pheobe has been up to since her TEDxUWA talk, gains insight into her previous role as UWA Student Guild Welfare Officer, and explores how one can turn their mental health lived experience of challenge and hardship into a tool for inspiring others to heal. Watch Pheobe's TEDxUWA talk here.
Find out more about TEDxUWA here @ facebook.com/TEDxUWA
From UWA to Silicon Valley! Iain McIntrye, Andy Henson and the Berkeley, California-based company hope to help people continue to learn and grow throughout their lives through their wearable patch.
Listen and learn how an idea that that was born at UWA, is now making waves by launching smart patches (as simple as a Band-Aid) as a memory aid for everyday use.
Visit https://thinkhumm.com/ today!
What is it like to be a role model? Join TEDxUWA Founder & Licensee Thea Kurniawan [BSc '18] and two-time Olympian Heidi Gan [LLB, BCom '15], discuss the impact of being kept on a pedestal for being an Olympian, the ripple effect it's had on her life and studies, and how Heidi defines success.
Watch Heidi's TEDxUWA talk here.
Find out more about TEDxUWA here: https://www.facebook.com/TEDxUWA
In this episode, we meet Alex Whitebrook [BA '17], whose greatest passion is sustainable water resource management. Although initially interested in food and water security during his studies at UWA, this interest evolved into a deeper passion away from 'security' towards a concern for social wellbeing of people facing environmental challenges. From giving presentations on water scarcity to Swiss and Egyptian government representatives, to grassroots research and advocacy with the World Youth Parliament for Water, Alex is driven by a passion to see a sustainable future for humanity.
Also check out Alex's blog, mentioned in this podcast: www.peopletakingaction.org
How can you stand out during (and long after) this pandemic? Group People Advisor at Mother, Michelle Hammond [BSc '14, BSc(Hons) '17] walks us through her journey from studying Psychology at UWA, moving to London, working in HR, and how technology and the pandemic are making an impact. Michelle will give you insight into finding work, standing out from the crowd by seizing the opportunity provided by change to grow and thrive.
Australian businesswoman Melanie Brock [BA '89] is one of Japan’s most respected APAC specialists. Ms Brock, who has lived in Japan for over 30 years, shares her passion for life-long learning, championing for women in business, and gives insight into her past (and current) board roles, including becoming a non-executive director of the Tokyo-listed Sega Sammy Holdings.
Dr Ann-Marie Anderson-Mayes is passionate about lifelong learning and developing creative confidence – for all ages. Joined by Nithin Srinaath [BSc '16], Dr Anderson-Mayes walks us through her journey from majoring in Physics at UWA as the only woman in her cohort, to starting her own embroidery business which led her to speaking at TEDxUWA's first ever event in 2016.
Find out more about TEDxUWA's first event, TEDxUWASalon: Revival here.
Follow TEDxUWA on Facebook and Instagram.
BIO
Dr Ann-Marie Anderson-Mayes is a hand embroidery artist based in Perth, WA. She has been stitching for as long as she can remember, but only took it up full-time in 2012 when she started her business, Beautiful Stitches. Her former professional career as a scientist was strongly grounded in mathematics, and that passion for geometry and number is clearly expressed in her embroidery designs. It is all about colour and pattern!
Meet human rights lawyer Peter Reading* [BA(Hon), LLB '98], Senior Legal Counsel at Equal Opportunities Commission in Hong Kong. Peter discusses working as an international human rights lawyer, modernising anti-discriminaiton laws, LGBT rights in Asia, #BlackLivesMatter movement, plus the impact COVID-19 has had on people of different races, disabilities and socio-economic status.
BIO Peter is an international human rights lawyer who has been working in the field of human rights for 20 years in Australia, the United Kingdom, Europe, Commonwealth countries, and most recently in Hong Kong China.
Since November 2012, Peter has been working at the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) in Hong Kong, as Legal Counsel and most recently as Senior Legal Counsel. He has been leading a number of large scale advocacy projects such as the Discrimination Law Review to modernise the existing anti-discrimination legislation, and advocacy relating to equality for LGBTI people.
*The views expressed in the podcast by Peter Reading are his personal views only and not attributable to any organisation
PhD student and scientific advisor for TEDxUWA Leanne Jiang [BSc '17, BSc(Hons) '18], and Dr David Gozzard [BSc, BE '14, PhD '18] who's returned to UWA as a Forrest Fellow to work on laser sensors and communications for spacecraft, hold a conversation about David's time as a TEDxUWA speaker, spacejunk, and advice to those PhD bound.
Find out more about TEDxUWA and our first event, TEDxUWASalon: Revival, here:
https://www.facebook.com/TEDxUWA
http://instagram.com/tedxuwa
The impact of COVID-19 on the global economy has been enormous, with businesses shuttered and employees using technology to work from home in unprecedented numbers.
Our panel of UWA researchers with expertise in organisational/workplace behaviour, architecture, virology and psychology share insights on how business will need to change and adapt to meet requirements for workplace safety and employee wellbeing.
This was the second Research Impact Series webinar, brought to you by Development and Alumni Relations and the Office of Research Enterprise.
Meet the panel
Associate Professor Aleksandra Luksyte - Deputy Head, Management and Organisations, UWA Business School
Aleksandra Luksyte is an Associate Professor and deputy Head of Department, Management and Organisations, in the UWA Business School. She is a recipient of Australian Research Council Early Career Researcher (DECRA) Fellowship. Alex research focuses on three domains: (1) presenteeism, (2) overqualification or underemployment, and (3) demographic and cultural diversity at the workplace. Alex’s research has been published in journals such as Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology, Journal of Organisational Behaviour, and Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology.
Dr Julian Bolleter BLArch '98, PhD '10 - Co-Director, Australian Urban Design Research Centre (AUDRC), UWA
Dr Julian Bolleter is the Co-Director at the Australian Urban Design Research Centre (AUDRC) at the University of Western Australia. His role at the AUDRC includes teaching a master’s program in urban design and conducting research projects for the Western Australian state government. Julian is an experienced urban designer and has w¬orked in design offices in Australia, the USA, the UK and the Middle East. He has completed a PhD and has commercially published six books. Julian’s current research interests are new city development, urban infill development, and the design of multifunctional public open space. Julian has received funding from the Australian Research Council, Healthways and the Western Australian Government.
Associate Professor Dr Allison Imrie - School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, UWA
Dr Allison Imrie was awarded her PhD from the University of New South Wales for studies in HIV virology and immunology conducted at St Vincent’s Hospital Clinical School in the Faculty of Medicine, and prior to that completed a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Sydney. Her current research focus is emerging infectious diseases of the Asia-Pacific Region, including the dengue viruses. She teaches virology and immunology to undergraduate and graduate students.
Dr Laura Fruhen - Lecturer in Applied Psychology, UWA Dr Laura Fruhen is a Lecturer in Applied Psychology at the University of Western Australia (UWA). In her research on workplace psychology Laura investigates topics such as leadership, team dynamics, work design, culture, and attitudes at work. She links these concepts with workplace safety, mental health and wellbeing and other behaviours. Laura has conducted her research in the energy sector, aviation, healthcare, construction, and firefighting.
Laura Carija (MBBS '80) was travelling in a group of medical doctors aboard a cruise ship when it was infected by COVID-19. Both Laura and her husband, a fellow UWA grad, contracted the virus with almost no symptoms. Laura describes her experience of being on the ship and the lengthy process of isolation and travel to get home to Denmark, Western Australia.
What does the future of farming look like? UWA graduate Darren Ho [BSc '15], an Agricultural Consultant has over 10 years of experience in managing farms and working on different startups across Southeast Asia and Australia. On today's episode, learn how Darren has been instrumental in some of the successes with the companies he's worked with in Insect and Urban Farming.
Dr Darja Kragt [PhD '18] is a Lecturer in Work Psychology at the University of Western Australia School of Psychological Science. Dr Kragt gives insight into her current research, which is focused on investigating the role of identity in leadership and leadership development, why we need more followership to improve leadership, and her top 5 tips to improve your leadership.
Recommended links by Dr Darja Kragt
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/darjakragt/
UWA Profile https://research-repository.uwa.edu.au/en/persons/darja-kragt
Implicit associations test https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/
As COVID-19 continues to threaten the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in Southeast Asia, additional concerns are being raised about the future of work.
Moderator Madeleine Tan [MBA '00], and our panel of experts will share their insights on what you need to know - and how it will affect you.
Founder of AKE Fitness, Amy King [BCom '09] shares her 6 tips to get the most out of your return to the gym, alternative ways to keep fit in isolation, and the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the fitness industry.
Download Amy's eBook today!
Dr Rachel Paterson is a scientist at Immunocore, a pioneering, clinical-stage T cell receptor biotechnology company working to develop and commercialize a new generation of transformative medicines to address unmet needs in cancer, infection and autoimmune disease.
On this episode, Rachel takes us behind the scenes into her role at Immunocore, her favorite memories of UWA, becoming a Rhodes Scholar, her passion for footy, and the impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on her research, and time with family & friends.
Freya Spencer [BSc '17], Executive Natural Resource Management Officer at North Stirlings Pallinup Natural Resources Inc. and the Gillamii Centre is helping repair one of the largest river systems on Western Australia's South Coast.
Listen to Freya's journey, and learn how her passion for making our natural and urban environments better for current and future generations is making an impact.
Connect with Freya today by visiting http://www.nrm.gov.au/
Hugh O’Keeffe, BSc ‘17 (Neuroscience, Linguistics): Assistant Director at Mosaic LGBT+ Young Persons' Trust, London
Hugh left UWA in 2016 and then worked with Uber in Facilities Management. The role took him to London in 2018 where he continued in his role, but also started working at Mosaic LGBT+ Young Persons’ Trust. Having now made his role at Mosaic full-time, he credits UWA for giving him the connections, confidence and breadth of skills crucial to his decision to leave for the UK and pursue a new life. Find out more about Hugh's story since leaving UWA.
Hugh's links:
Mosaic LGBT+ Young Persons’ Trust - mosaicyouth.org.uk
LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/hughok
Physically Distanced, Socially Connected
A (Virtual) Research Impact Series Event
The impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we work and live. The practice of social distancing will undoubtedly have consequences to our mental health, wellbeing and the way we socialise.
Our panel of research experts will share their insights on how to manage your mental wellbeing, tips for keeping socially connected and advice for living under physical distancing restrictions.
Join us from the comfort of your own home for the first Research Impact Series webinar, brought to you by Development and Alumni Relations and the Office of Research Enterprise.
Our panellists:
- Professor Johanna Badcock
Adjunct Professor, UWA Faculty of Science, School of Psychological Science Johanna is a psychological scientist and Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science. She is also the Research Director of the Perth Voices Clinic and deputy chair of the board of the Australian initiative ‘Ending Loneliness Together’. She is passionate about psychological science and its value in everyday life. She believes the diverse skills of academic and professional psychologists are essential to tackling global, local and individual human problems and building stronger, more socially connected communities. * Michael Rosenberg
Head of School, UWA Faculty of Science, School of Human Sciences Michael has 20 years’ experience in community-based health and exercise research. He has a broad range of research interests focused around public health epidemiology and health promotion, health program evaluation, children’s physical activity measurement and improvement and the use of integrative technologies to measure and improve human health.
Michael has led research measuring the prevalence of health behaviours at state and national level amongst children and adults. He was the lead evaluator of state wide physical activity, healthy weight, youth tobacco control, and workplace health community-wide campaigns. Recently, he was a co-author on the Thailand children’s physical activity report card.
A key program goal of Michael’s is “to have every child ready to move by the time they start primary school and moving regularly and proficiently by the time they leave.” * Douglas MacFarlane
PhD Candidate, UWA School of Psychological Science, Faculty of Science, School of Human Sciences Doug is a final year PhD Candidate in the School of Psychological Science. His research focuses on health-related misinformation, particularly why consumers fall for fraudulent health claims and how best to protect them.
His work is motivated by the need to reduce demand for products made from endangered animals, especially products claimed to have miracle health benefits such as rhino horn, tiger bone, or bear bile. He recently spent 18-months at Cambridge University working on summarising the evidence for effective consumer-focused interventions. * Moderator: Dr Sam Illingworth
Senior Lecturer, UWA Faculty of Science, School of Biological Sciences Dr Sam Illingworth is a Senior Lecturer in Science Communication at the University of Western Australia, where he helps to lead the science communication undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. An internationally-renowned expert in interdisciplinary studies, Sam’s research involves developing dialogue between scientists and non-scientists and in particular giving voice to audiences that are otherwise underserved and underheard
Glen Travers graduated from UWA with a Bachelor of Commerce in 1976. After training to be a Chartered Accountant here in Perth, Glen built a $700 million venture capital operation with the support of some major financial entities. Following a move to London and having been involved in various industry sectors, Glen moved into the biopharmaceutical sector and was involved with taking medical breakthroughs to market, which have changed the face of medicine. Glen is a member of the UWA Business School’s Ambassadorial Council UK Chapter.
Glen talks about his amazing personal journey and reflects on the COVID-19 crisis.
Pamela Watson graduated from UWA with a Bachelor of Commerce with Honours in 1980. She was a Commonwealth Scholar and completed an MBA at the University of Toronto. Pamela is a strategy and change management professional who has worked with some of the world's largest international consultancy firms. She later founded her own consulting practices in Ghana and Nigeria, and social enterprise in Nigeria. She is also an author who has written about her solo cycling journey through 17 African countries in the nineties (which gave us her first book Esprit de Battuta: Alone Across Africa on a Bicycle), and her thrilling entrepreneurial and diplomatic adventures in Nigeria in the 2000s (the subject of her new book Gibbous Moon Over Lagos: Pursuing a Dream on Africa's Wild Side) and her ongoing work in Africa, usually from her London home.
Pamela's books are published by Hardie Grant Books and can be ordered online via these links: Gibbous Moon Over Lagos|Esprit de Battuta. They are also available through online stores or your favourite bookshop, including independents.
Follow Pamela on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter. During Covid19, she will be starting some live chats on LinkedIn and Facebook with people who know Africa, so check out the events page on her website: pamelawatson.com or Facebook page.
Pamela also invites fellow UWA graduates to reach out to her at: hello@pamelawatson.com
The recent rise in COVID-19 cases in Singapore shows that there are limits to what national responses to a global pandemic can achieve. Stephanie Arrowsmith [DipModLang '14, BHlthSc '14], Senior Associate, Network Development Lead at SecondMuse and Impact Hub Jakarta Co-Founder shares the impact on people's lives after the COVID-19 outbreak in Singapore, and how businesses today can deliver a positive impact during, and after COVID-19.
Join Performance & Mindset Consultant, Inspirational Speaker and High Performance Coach Shona Rowan, Managing Director of Skills of the Modern Age (SOMA) Nate Sturcke, and Practice Leader - Future of Work Tech at PeopleStrong Adrian Tan discuss how the Coronavirus has changed working forever.
Resources
www.shonarowan.com
https://skillsofthemodernage.com.au/
https://adriantan.com.sg/
Poppy Wise [BA '03], Director in the Economic and Social Advisory team at Urbis specialising in social and environmental policy research, evaluation and advice, dissects the social impact of COVID-19, and which groups have been left in a vulnerable position.
Dr Domenic Crouch [BSc '07, BSc(Hons) '08, PhD '14] is the Founder of Think Feel Perform and the Chief Operating Officer and Director of The Good Chat Foundation. Dr Crouch will share his tips for being mentally tough during COVID-19, taking advantage of opportunities, and how to embrace the unexpected.
Jo Alilovic is the Director and founder of 3D HR Legal – a modern, virtual employment law firm. The firm’s purpose is to help proactive business leaders feel confident in their decision making, get over the dread of difficult conversations and give them peace of mind that they are legally compliant.
In her almost 20 years of experience as an employment lawyer, Jo has helped hundreds of businesses create thriving workplace cultures by going from people problems to teams that get results. A key way she does this is through her Prosper Program – which helps leaders overhaul their business and set in place the essentials for successful employment relationships.
In addition to this, Jo has a keen focus on supporting flexible work and gender equality. Her law firm is designed for all staff to work flexibly, she provides consultation services to employers on implementing flexible work arrangements, and she also co-hosts “The Juggle” podcast, which is designed to help professional career women and their employers find a mutually beneficial way to enable professional career women to continue their career whilst also enjoying time with family.
When not practising law, Joanne can be found reading, attending business events, dreaming of travel, and spending time with her family in their Donnybrook country home.
- Visit Jo Alilovic blog https://3dhrlegal.com.au/blog/
- The Fair Work Commission have a great deal of information which is regularly being updated as changes are made to awards and legislation: https://www.fwc.gov.au/about-us/coronavirus-covid-19-updates-advice
- Jo Alilovic created a Facebook group with a business lawyer from NSW, which is designed to provide support and information to employers about changes due to the coronavirus: https://www.facebook.com/groups/203947814198705/
Throughout a crisis, leadership is more important than ever. Hear from two industry leaders, Vanessa Vershaw [BA] and Dr James Kelley [MMgtRes, PhD] discuss the future of work, organisational culture, and how we can support others in isolation.
Vanessa Vershaw is an Elite High-Performance Coaching Psychologist for Fortune 100 companies globally and one of Australia’s leading voices in Organisational Psychology. She is also an Author, Keynote Speaker and Media Commentator. She works internationally with senior leaders, executives, boards and teams as a catalyst for psychological transformation for sustainable high performance. She also engages with organisations at a systemic level to help them navigate through high speed change, unleash creative potential, build brave cultures and accelerate business growth for competitive advantage.
https://www.instagram.com/vanessavershaw/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-vershaw/
https://www.facebook.com/ReinventionConsulting/
https://www.facebook.com/bfightbook/
Dr James Kelley, Ph.D. is the CEO and Co-Founder of qChange, and is the international author of The Crucible’s Gift: 5 Lessons from Authentic Leaders who Thrive in Adversity. James has spent the last 15+ years working in consulting, marketing and higher education with a cross-section of leaders and organizations. James is highly sought after speaker on the topics of leadership and corporate wellbeing, appearing on over 50 of the top podcast on leadership, personal development, and start-ups.
Asha Holland is the founder of rapidly growing brand and movement, Alternatively Healthy.
She is an Accredited Exercise Scientist who combines her knowledge of the human body with her own personal experience of disordered eating, body dysmorphia and extreme burnout, to teach girls around Australia to accept and love themselves exactly as they are!
From a teen who struggled with her self-worth and the need for “perfection”, to a highly sought-after speaker and young leader who has impacted thousands of lives around the country, Asha’s journey is incredibly inspiring.
Awarded as one of Australia’s Top 50 Small Business Leaders, a Telstra Business Women’s Award finalist and featured in Girlfriend Magazine’s Top 25 Female Leaders Under 25… She is one to watch.
INSTAGRAM: @alternatively.healthy
WEBSITE: alternativelyhealthy.com.au
Elise Sutherland [BSc '15] is the Founder, CEO and Director of medical device start-up Stelect. Learn about Stelect's (a med start-up in Melbourne) patented technology, an ultrasound imaging balloon catheter, has already received praise by interventional cardiologists.
BIO
Elise is a Biomedical Engineer, entrepreneur, speaker and women in STEM advocate. Elise is highly awarded for her career in medical devices and the start-up field, including being the grand prize winner of Med Tech's Got Talent, a national MedTech start-up competition. Elise is passionate about improving health outcomes for patients and the role that innovation and technology plays in the future of healthcare.
Elise is the Founder, CEO and Director of medical device start-up Stelect, which was born out of The University of Melbourne’s BioDesign Innovation Program. Elise undertook the course in 2017, and Stelect was formally formed in November of 2017, a business revolving around improving stent selection and accurate placement in interventional cardiology procedures.
Elise is a strong leader and an innovative and strategic thinker who has successfully taken an idea into a venture backed business creating impactful technical innovation with a large-scale commercial impact.
COVID-19 is increasingly having a significant impact on the global community and is a rapidly evolving issue. How are our Australian athletes coping with the sudden change in their daily lives? We speak to GWS Giants player and UWA graduate Matt de Boer about how COVID-19 has impacted the GWS Giants and AFL community, his growth as a leader, and how he's been preparing for life after football.
BIO Matt de Boer [BCom '16] has been a professional AFL player for 12 years representing both the Fremantle Dockers and the GWS Giants. Matt has played 188 AFL games to date and has been involved in the leadership groups at both clubs. Off-field Matt has graduated from UWA, completed the AICD Course, completed a course at Harvard and is now a Strategic Consultant for a health technology company in Perth that is about to list on the ASX.
Feeling less confident due to COVID-19? In this episode Dr Katherine Iscoe [PhD '12] shares some simple ways people can use this time of lock-down for their personal health, insight into her Wake up confident program, and 3 simple steps to start your day smiling.
Dr Katherine Iscoe [PhD '12], also known as “Dr Kat”, is a Canadian-born confidence mentor (and self-proclaimed shoe addict) who thrives on teaching effective, evidence-based solutions to help people stand out with confidence and ignite positivity. She is an author, a speaker and the creator of the series “In Her Shoes”, which interviews some of Australia's most accomplished women.
W: https://www.drkatherine.com/
I: https://www.instagram.com/dr_katherine/?hl=en
Neesha Seth [MPsych '09] is a UWA graduate with over 15 years of experience in organisational psychology. She shares with us her professional advice on how to successfully transition to working from home during the COVID-19 crisis, strategies for managing personal and other's mental health struggles, social isolation and leadership strategies for managing virtual teams.
Further information on COVID-19, the ABC coverage (abc.net.au) and the UN Coverage (UN.org) are both good sources of factual and up-to-date information. The World Health Organisations Q&A also has practical and factual answers to everything related to COVID-19.
Sabrina Davies BPhil(Hons) '18 is a third year PhD student and Westpac Future Leader Scholar, studying the biochemistry behind seed germination after bushfires. She describes herself as ‘nuts about everything science’ – particularly being able to teach science or get other people as excited about it as she is! When not in the lab you can find Sabrina attempting to play electric guitar or washing clothes and having a chat at Orange Sky (a mobile laundry service for people experiencing homelessness).
Dr Cyril Grueter is a biological anthropologist in UWA’s School of Human Sciences and School of Biological Sciences. His work explores the evolution of group social organisation in humans and primates, where individuals of different social units overcome hostility to interact and collaborate.
The primates he studies are critically endangered and he hopes learning more about their behaviour and raising awareness for their plight may increase their chance of survival.
Contact Dr Cyril Grueter cyril.grueter@uwa.edu.au
https://www.cyrilgrueter.net/
Great opportunities don't come everyday, but Dick Porter, the co-founder of STA Travel and Director of STA Travel Group has been taking every opportunity for the last 40 years in the UK. A self proclaimed “average student” at UWA, Dick embarked on a trip to the UK and has remained there ever since. By 1976, suffering from the huge oil shock flowing from the 1973 ‘Yom Kippur’ War, much of the European travel industry had failed or required government subsidy to continue. Seizing the opportunity, Dick co-founded STA Travel in 1979, which has continued to advise young people on holidays and adventures abroad, offering a unique range of flights, accommodation, tours and expeditions in 90 countries. Today, STA Travel has more than 400 branches worldwide and sends more than six million passengers away each year.
In this interview Dick shares how a freak accident during university changed the trajectory of his career, what a business leader looks like, the impact of mentoring and the alumni network in the UK, and the importance for students and alumni to travel.
Jay Munro, Head of Career Insights (Marketing), Australia & New Zealand, Indeed.com
Having worked within the recruitment industry for over 15 years, Jay Munro is now Indeed's Employer Insights Strategist for Australia and New Zealand. During his career he has had the opportunity to garner insights from working in a variety of roles, including recruiting, consulting, and product development of new sourcing technologies.
“Never before has the future of work been so uncertain. We face an ever-changing landscape where jobs are lost and new ones gained as industries and organisations evolve. With such uncertainty, it's imperative to build a resilient toolkit that will sustain you across roles, companies and sectors. I’ll draw on what I know of the global job market to share with you what I believe to be key opportunities and challenges on the road ahead - and to remind you of the most important skills you already have to meet them. If you’re looking for hints to put yourself in the best possible position for growing your career, join me at CareerConnect.”
The Global Gender Gap Report published by the World Economic Forum states that gender equality is not only a fundamental human right but is linked to a country’s overall economic performance.
Over the last decade Australia has made significant progress towards gender equality, particularly in education, health and female workforce participation. At universities, in organisations and in government, more women are taking on leadership roles and forging positive pathways for future generations. Despite this progress, inequality and discrimination prevail in many areas of society. Women continue to earn less than men, are less likely to advance their careers as far as men, and accumulate less retirement or superannuation savings.
Hear our speakers and panellists discuss what #EachForEqual means for them; how we can empower young women and men to operate in a more equitable way; the systems and norms which have historically oppressed women; different industry sectors and their varying pace of change in this space and; the role of the education sector in facilitating gender equity.
Speakers:
Imelda Whelehan - Dean, Graduate Research School at The University of Western Australia
Panellists
Jill Benn (MODERATOR)
University Librarian at The University of Western Australia
Sandra Brewer BCom '94
WA Executive Director at Property Council of Australia
Preeti Castle MBA '18
Strategic Engagement Director at The Western Australian Biodiversity Science Institute. Non-Executive Director at Munda Biddi Trail Foundation
Dr Fiona McGaughey PhD '18
Director of Higher Degrees (Coursework), UWA Law School
Chris Sutherland BE '86
Non-Executive Director
Closing Remarks
Pauline Chiwawa BCom '19 (she/her)
2020 Women’s Officer at UWA Student Guild
If the idea of going straight from study into a strictly defined job in a large company, and the subsequent progression up the corporate ladder, makes you uneasy, this discussion is for you. Our diverse alumni panel talk non-traditional career paths, both in Perth and around the world.
Panellists:
Kate Chaney LLB ‘98 Director, Innovation and Strategy, Anglicare WA
Dr Angie Kings-Lynne BSc, BE ’02, PhD ‘06 Engineering Consultant | Transmin
Mark Stickells BA ‘94 Executive Director, Pawsey Supercomputing Centre
Dr Zara Torre BDS '07, LLB, BA '14, MPH '18 CEO & Founder, The Difference
Moderator:
Aden Date GradCertSocImp '15 Director, Only the Human
Careers are becoming increasingly complex. In the world of tomorrow, it’s very likely you’ll have your day job, your business ‘on the side’ and the volunteering you do to upskill, make connections and create positive change.
This panel features alumni who are ‘doing it all’ talking about whether a separation of work and life is realistic. Yes, you can have it all. You just may have to have it all at once.
Panellists:
Tshung-Hui Chang BCom ‘93 Director, Torque Metals Limited
Lou Forster MBA ‘16 Head of Brand & People, Chorus
Andrew Walker BE ‘14 CTO at VROMO
Charlotte Smail BEnvDes ’13, MArch ‘18 Consultant, Tower Human Capital Group
Moderator:
Anna Burchfield MIntlRelns '14 Digital Communications Officer, Main Roads Western Australia
Those in the market for a new job know that there are a lot of tips out there on how to do well in interviews and some of them are a little conflicting. The truth is, while they may ask about it in different ways, most employers want to hear the same things.
This panel features the employers themselves talking about how you can best prepare for interviews and the most important piece of information you need in advance.
Panellists:
Kassy Taylor BA, BCom ‘14 Compliance Manager, Politis Central Services Group
Kathleen Franklyn BSc ’88, BSc(Hons) ’89, PhD ’95, GradDipEd ‘16 Career Development Consultant, Curtin
Mark Lane BPed '87 CEO, Surfing WA
Moderator:
Neesha Seth MPsych '09 Organisational Pscyhologist
Never underestimate the power of connection. Every successful person knows they didn’t get to where they are on their own. It took mentors, referrals, advice. A little help from a friend.
Our panel share their tips and tricks for tapping into your networks, to gain as well as to give.
Panellists:
Angel Chen LLB, BCom ’15, BCom(Hons) ‘16 Strategy Chief, DrawHistory
Christian Bauer LLB ‘94 Legal Counsel, Wesfarmers
Carmen Braidwood BA ‘02 6PR Radio Host
Veronika Komarenko BCom '11, CA Director, Optimize Business Advisory
Moderator:
Matthew Mckenzie BA, BEc '15 Journalist, Business News
Everybody’s different. Everyone has unique strengths and weaknesses. A key to career success is knowing yourself, playing to your strengths and collaborating with others to offset your weaknesses.
Here you will learn to celebrate your uniqueness through the stories of alumni who have built success by knowing who they are and what they and others have to offer.
Panellists:
Shalini Saldanha BSc, BE ‘98 Principal Advisor, Rio Tinto
DJ Lim BCom ‘11 Director, JLL
Fadzi Whande GradCertSocImp ’14, EMBA ‘15 Principal Consultant Workforce Diversity
Megan McCracken BA ’88, MIR ‘94 Owner and Principal, Pleiades Global
Moderator
Leesa Markussen BA(Hons) '15 Senior Policy Advisor, Department of the Premier and Cabinet of WA
A great CV tells a story about who you are. It works on your behalf to capture interest and shout potential, with a little something extra to make you more than just a name on a page.
In this discussion, you’ll hear how to get your CV noticed; how to use it to paint a picture that piques curiosity and gets you in the door.
Panellists:
Rhiannon Compton BSc ’16, MCom ‘18 People and Performance Adviser at Integrated Managed Services
William Schofield BSc, BCom '15 HR Advisor, CITI Pacific Mining
Hamish Coffey BSc '13, MCom '18 HR Advisor, Connected HR
Whether you choose it or it chooses you, change can be a challenge. Fear and the risk of failure often keep people stuck on the cusp, afraid to act. What makes the difference is filtering out the noise until only the opportunity remains.
These alumni have embraced, even pursued, major career changes and learned what coming out the other side meant to their careers and their lives.
Panellists:
Sandy Anghie LLB, BCom '97, BEnvDes '11, MArch '14 Architect | Project Manager Historic Heart of Perth
Conrad Pires MBA ‘16 Lead, Space Hub Perth and CEO, Picosat Systems
Emma Woods MBA ‘18 Business Analyst, Velrada
Lyndsay Potts BA ’90, BA(Hons) ’91, MPsych ‘85 General Manager, Lee Hecht Harrison
Moderator
Aaron Yeak BCom, BE ‘08 Owner, F45
This presentation was recorded at UWA CareerConnect.
It’s no secret that those with a clear goal and single-minded vision are in the best position to recognise opportunities as they present themselves. It’s also why they are so often able to grab hold and make the most of them.
In this discussion you’ll hear from alumni who’ve built careers driven by vision and begin zeroing in on what’s important to you and what you really want to do.
Panellists:
Charlie Gunningham MBA '99 Commercialisation Adviser, Department of Industry, Innovation & Science
Dr Katherine Iscoe PhD '12 Director, The School of Body Confidence | Co-Founder, MyFiziq Limited
Aaron McDonald LLB '07, LLM '16 Director, Pragma Lawyers
Mark Zhang BSc, MPE '18 Director, Profile Injection Moulding
Moderator:
Andrea Bradbury BCom '14 Marketing Executive, West Australian Ballet
Your brand tells the world - employers, customers, contacts - who you are, what you're passionate about and what you're capable of. It defines you and shapes the opportunities you attract.
This discussion covers establishing your personal brand and how to use it.
Panellists:
Vanessa Vershaw BA '92 Leadership Coach, Harvard Business School | Board Member, qChange: Nudge Makers
Toto Boutdara BSc '14 Brand & Image | Chief Consultant at Totostips | Chief Advisor at Australia - Laos Business Advisory | Board Director at Cahoots
Jeffrey Effendi LLB, BCom '14 Social Entrepreneur | Founder & Head of Creativity, DrawHistory
Moderator:
Bronny Fisher BCom '06 People & Culture Manager, Doghouse Agency
This presentation was recorded at UWA CareerConnect.
Simon is a man who truly does give a crap about the 2.3 billion people of the world who don’t have access to a proper toilet. So passionate is he about development aid, he sat on a toilet for 50,000 hours to raise $50,000 in crowd-funding donations.
Simon is the co-founder and CEO of Who Gives a Crap, a profit-for-purpose toilet paper company that uses 50% of its profits to build toilets in the developing world. It’s no wonder it has already expanded to the US and UK and is set to open in more locations globally.
In 2011, Simon was recognised by The Age’s Melbourne Magazine as one of Melbourne’s Top 100 Most Influential People and in 2013 he was shortlisted for Young Australian of the Year.
“To get the most out of life, I knew that I needed a career that was about more than just making money. At UWA I’ll be talking about how I’ve taken that premise and turned it into Who Gives A Crap – a direct-to-consumer toilet paper business that’s donated more than $2.5 million to help build toilets in the developing world. I’ll share what drives myself and our team, walk through some of our current strategy and end with the key lessons that we’ve learned in scaling up a global social business. Regardless of where you’re at in your career today you’ll come away with something that you can use – and plenty of laughs too!”
This presentation was recorded at UWA CareerConnect.
Dr Luqman Aziz completed his PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) thesis from the University of Western Australia’s School of Sport Science, Exercise & Health in September 2015 and is currently a Sport Biomechanist at the Singapore Sport Institute. He has always enjoyed Physics and Sports so naturally, the interest for Biomechanics developed through his time in Australia under the guidance of the university’s world renowned biomechanists such as Professor Bruce Elliott, Professor Jacqueline Alderson and Associate Professor Siobhan Reid. Today, Dr Aziz is part of the sport science team which supports the National Athletes of Singapore where he applies his knowledge in science to assist, improve and monitor the performance of athletes with the aim of maximising his/her full potential.
Looking to work in Singapore? Dr Luqman Abdul Aziz [BSc '10, BSc(Hons) '11, PhD '16] will share insight into what it takes to work and succeed in Singapore.
We talk with Dr Kath Giles, CEO of OncoRes Medical. Dr Giles has worked on funding deals for biomedical science businesses including OncoRes Medical, a business developing a probe to improve breast cancer treatments. The deal took three years to stitch together, Dr Giles said, and it was the first WA venture deal done with the Department of Health. In partnership with Breast Care WA and the McGrath Foundation, she created an interactive iPhone breast checker, while in 2016, she co-founded Spark Co-Lab at UWA, a not for profit education provider set up to educate, inspire and connect local talent and develop the local medical innovation ecosystem.
Interviewer: Oliver Bazzani, Innovation Facilitator, Meshpoints
Long-loved for their abundant bounty, oceans comprise some 71% of the earth’s mass and are rising. At once benevolent and ferocious, there is no doubt they play a critical role in our lives and in the future of our planet. Gone are the days when oceans could be taken for granted for fun, food and transport. And while we have learned much about harnessing their power, there is much more to understand. Science is key. Join Dr Mark Buckley, Dr Wiebke Ebeling, Kirsty Alexander, Thobani Hlophe and Adi Kurniawan for an insightful panel discussion on oceans, ecology, energy and more.
Diagnosed in 2001 with type 1 diabetes, a complex autoimmune disease, Bec is passionate about supporting others with type 1 to overcome the challenges of the condition. She is a co-founder and the CEO of the Type 1 Diabetes Family Centre in Perth, an award-winning Australia-first centre for families impacted by type 1 offering community-based clinical care, innovative education programs, information services and peer and psychosocial support. Opened in 2015, the Family Centre now supports hundreds of people with type 1 to live without limits.
Bec holds qualifications in Law and Arts (UWA), a Masters in Public Health (USyd), and a Diploma of Business (Governance). She is an Adjunct Research Fellow at Curtin University, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Community Directors and a Fellow of Leadership WA. Bec is the only Australian to have been selected as one of the 100 Fellows of the global Facebook Community Leadership Program.
Bec believes that there are no limits on a life with type 1 diabetes, and she has twice swum solo across the 19.7-kilometre Rottnest Channel, sailed across the Atlantic, and become a SCUBA dive guide to prove it.
Dr Claire Cooke is passionate about finding innovative solutions that are creative and practical. Claire wants to make a difference in the world by working closely with disadvantaged members of society. With mild Cerebral Palsy and having experienced first-hand how amazing the simplest ideas can make life easier, Claire created an app called Nessa to make life easier for people with a disability.
"I am a passionate innovator that specialises in creative and practical solutions. I have a PhD in Gender Studies from UWA and parallel to my studies have worked closely with students from all walks of life."
Looking for a new job (or maybe your first)? Hoping to be recruited? Hear from Daryl Lim [BCom '09], Managing Consultant at Hudson, who shares his recipe for success, and top 5 tips for working with recruiters.
Tao Mantaras [BSc, BComm '14] is Co-Founder & CFO of VC backed, BibliU, a digital education platform that brings textbooks to life and makes learning more effective. BibliU provides universities with instant access to course content online with flexible tools for personalised learning.
I (Tessa Maroni) have recently completed my PhD in Exercise Physiology; while at the same time I’ve held a part-time academic role in the school of Exercise and Sport Science over the past 4 years. As a young athlete competing as a national high jumper, I always knew I wanted to work in sport therefore I naturally enrolled in the BSc (Sport Science, Exercise and Health). Following this, I undertook my Honours in a clinical study using exercise as medicine for adolescent brain cancer survivors. My passion lied in elite sport therefore for my PhD I investigated the use of cooling modalities on physiology and performance (exercise and cognitive) in team and endurance athletes. Currently, I am still in a teaching role within the School of Human Sciences where I look forward to inspiring the coming cohorts of undergraduate students while continuing research in human thermoregulatory and exercise physiology.
Looking to work in India? Hear from P Venkatesh [MBA '16], Executive Coach and Author, who will share insight into what it takes to work and succeed in India.
BIO
P Venkatesh is a storyteller at heart. He deeply admires the diverse, multicultural society that forms the core of India. A polyglot, he is grateful that he can speak two of the oldest languages in the world – Tamil and Sanskrit. And his lifelong goal is to speak the third oldest language – Mandarin.
As a communications professional, Venkatesh has worked extensively as a journalist, radio producer, documentary filmmaker, and digital marketer. He has served leading non-profits and community organizations as a consultant, and volunteered for many social causes.
Venkatesh was a Li Ka Shing Scholar during his Masters in Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, and a Dean’s Scholar during his MBA at the University of Western Australia. He completed the Bachelor of Information Science from University of Delhi.
He is a trained leadership coach and enjoys helping people connect to their passion and purpose. He is an accomplished public speaker and has spoken at various TEDx events globally.
Looking to work in Sydney, Australia? Hear from Simone Shugg, a results-focused, strategic HR Executive with a depth of experience acquired across industry (media to financial services to hospitality), scale (100 to 5k+ headcount) and growth stage (start-up to established and disruptor to disrupted).
Simone has a track record of converting business vision into people and culture initiatives that directly improve profitability, performance and customer and employee engagement in fast-paced high growth organisations. She is a passionate leader who supports companies and top executives with a perspective that people are an organisation’s greatest asset.
Simone has worked for some iconic Australian companies including BankWest, Carnival Australia and most recently Foxtel. She is on the Editorial Board of InsideHR, and also a member of the International HR Directors Forum. In her spare time, you will find Simone hiking a mountain or exploring a museum or gallery.
Looking to work in Hong Kong? Hear from Ricky Mui [BSc, LLB '97], Managing Director - Hong Kong at Robert Walters, who will share insight into what it takes to work and succeed in Hong Kong.
UWA and me
I studied Bachelor of Law and Science degree (majoring in Psychology) at UWA graduating in 1996. Since then, I have worked as a Solicitor in Perth for top-tier international law firm now known as DLA Piper. Having decided to travel to London, I then worked as an in-house legal counsel for a NASDAQ listed company where I specialised in intellectual property and information technology law. In 2003, I took a career change to work in the headhunting industry for global recruitment firm Robert Walters in London and relocated to Hong Kong in 2010 where I am now currently acting as Managing Director of the office.
The educational background at UWA has helped me establish my career initially as a lawyer but has also given me the confidence to diversify into the recruitment industry. I have also kept in contact with my UWA Alumni contacts internationally some of which have become close friends as well as clients of mine!
Looking to work in the UK? Hear from Kevin James [BEc '95], Senior Manager of Revenue Accounting, Billing & AR at The Walt Disney Company who will share insight into what it takes to work and succeed in the UK.
There are few things that resonate as strongly with UWA alumni collectively than caring for the environment. Following on from last year’s highly successful community event of the same name in Perth, close to 150 UWA alumni and friends gathered in Singapore for Plastic, plastic everywhere! a panel discussion focused on changing attitudes and behaviour to address the very real problem of plastic pollution. You can listen to the podcast, featuring UWA faculty and alumni, here; and check out photos from the event here.
Keeya-Lee Ayre is the Senior Marketing Manager responsible for leading global communications for the GSMA Mobile for Humanitarian Innovation programme, a 15.5 million GBP (28.2 million AUD) partnership with the UK Department for International Development, working to accelerate the delivery and impact of digital humanitarian assistance. She is responsible for directing digital campaigns, blogs, video content, infographics and other multimedia content, as well as editing and managing the design of publications.
Keeya has interned in strategic communications at the United Nations OCHA in New York, worked on projects in London, Rwanda, Malawi, Tanzania, and co-founded award-winning Australian non-profit organisation Perth SOUP. Keeya also qualified to practice Australian migration law in 2014 and has provided pro bono assistance to refugees for the past five years.
Keeya is also a Huffington Post contributor, a World Economic Forum Global Shaper and TEDx speaker. Her work has been showcased at the United Nations General Assembly, the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, and Mobile World Congress Barcelona, among other high-level global events.
Hilton grew up in Perth and graduated from UWA in 1991 with a degree in Accounting and Finance.
Firm in his belief that he would become a trader Hilton moved to London to follow his passion. He landed his first job in the stock market at Albert Sharp in Birmingham - 100 miles outside the city.
Nine months later Hilton was offered a role at Goldman Sachs in London. He followed this with a stint on the LIFFE exchange and in 1996 Hilton launched his own stock broking business called Kyte Securities which then became Eden Group.
In 2002 Hilton launched a hedge fund called Marble Bar Asset Management (MBAM).
MBAM became one of London’s most successful hedge funds peaking in 2008 with an AUM of $5BM. The success of the fund was due to the firm’s culture – a tireless pursuit of learning, iterating, and repeatable processes combined with proprietary technology Hilton created which helped support idea generation and all the stages in the investment process.
Hilton sold Marble Bar to Swiss bank EFG in 2008.
In 2013 Hilton reacquired Marble Bar and in the same year created Firefly Capital. Firefly Capital identifies and backs talented people with entrepreneurial vision and gives them the financial, creative and strategic support they need to build profitable businesses. It is a place of excellence, a place where people can develop and where businesses can grow.
Hilton created Red Deer in 2014 with the goal of solving the primary problems he had encountered as an asset manager through an E2E software solution that focuses on effective management of information flow.
In 2015 Hilton completed an Executive Masters in Consulting and Coaching for Change at INSEAD.
His primary objective today is to use technology to harness and develop trading talent; he has established a multi-manager fund whose goal is demonstrate that over time, traders can be nurtured and developed, just as in many other professions.
Hilton believes in giving back and he started the Rosemarie Nathanson Charitable Trust to support charities that focus on helping young people gain critical life skills through non-formal education and training. Amongst others, the RNCT supports the Israel Youth Awards which is part of the Duke of Edinburgh International Award Programme.
Marie Ishak-Lewis, principal podiatrist and pharmacist, is the founder of Elite Podiatry and co-founder and co-inventor of Synxsole, a patented orthotic (shoe insert or insole) that was featured on Channel 10’s hit TV show Shark Tank where she and her co-inventor, landed a deal with the "Shark", Andrew Banks.
Marie is actively involved in the community, presenting and public speaking at conferences, seminars and universities as well as appearing on Curtin FM with Jenny Seaton and the ABC Radio, talking about common podiatry related complaints.
Whilst working in the field of community podiatry, Marie became interested in the field of community pharmacy and promptly applied and completed a Grad.Dip.(Pharmaceutical Science) and Master of Pharmacy at the University of Western Australia (UWA), graduating as a qualified pharmacist in July 2007. With both professions under her belt, she has been actively involved in lecturing at the prestigious University of Western Australia as well as being a regular examiner in their School of Medicine and Dentistry.
Marie currently works actively in both professions and finds they compliment each other well. However Podiatry is certainly her passion. She has invested a lot in building up her Elite Podiatry practice over the past 14 years to make it a successful and advanced podiatry clinic. Marie is passionate in the field of sports podiatry and has years of experience in the advanced biomechanics of the lower limb, treating all sport-related conditions.
In the past few years, Marie has travelled extensively attending various conferences and workshops in an effort to further her skills in advanced orthotic therapies and learn further treatment techniques.
Marie, as both a practitioner and lecturer, strongly believes in participating in the continued education of both Podiatry and Pharmacy professions. She strives to keep up with the latest literature and is dedicated to keeping up with the latest advancements to ensure that the patient is provided with the best possible treatment plan to achieve success.
www.elitepodiatry.com/perth
https://www.facebook.com/ElitePodiatryAU/
https://www.facebook.com/ElitePodiatryPerth/
Instagram: @elitepodiatryperth
www.synxsole.com
https://www.facebook.com/synxsole
Instagram: @synxsole
Harriet is a climate specialist and award-winning writer who works in Communications and Advocacy for UNICEF at the UN. Prior to this, she was a senior strategist with Purpose, a consultancy advising NGOs like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Doctors of the World, and UN Environment on challenges from international development to renewable energy. She was a consultant on Years of Living Dangerously, James Cameron’s Emmy-winning series about climate change, and has written five screenplays for TV /film projects about social and environmental themes.
She holds a Masters in Investigative Journalism from Columbia University in New York and studied International Security and Intelligence at Cambridge University under former head of MI6 Sir Richard Dearlove, where she addressed the response of the intelligence community to climate change. As an undergrad at UWA, she spent a year abroad at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, and completed her Honours at ANU.
Conrad Pires has had a life-long fascination with technology and what the future might hold. What started as a childhood dream of being an astronaut has evolved into a vision of making space accessible and affordable for everyone. Following an international career in emerging technologies and the completion of his MBA at UWA, he co-founded Western Australia’s first space company building small satellites, Picosat Systems. It takes advantage of advances in technology that has seen space become more commercialised in recent years. Conrad is excited to be a part of Australia’s growing space economy, which will bring benefits to the nation as a whole.
Conrad is a strong advocate for space. He’s a space consultant, a member of the advisory council of the Space Industry Association of Australia and co-ordinator of Space Hub Perth. He’s also a public speaker, speaking about all things space at conferences, schools and through his TEDxUWA talk. He won the 2016 Perth NASA Space Apps Challenge and the 2017 Woodside Oil and Gas Encouragement Award at the WA Innovator of the Year Awards. He has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Curtin University, and he’s also a graduate of the International Space University and the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Conrad is currently a not-for-profit board member and he is also an educator, teaching entrepreneurship, innovation, design thinking and governance.
Gender equality in your lifetime? The World Economic Forum estimates that women will not reach economic parity with men until 2234. That’s two centuries away.
In 2017, the global gender gap widened for the first time in ten years. While we may disagree on the best ways to get there, it’s rare indeed to find a man or woman in Australia openly opposed to equal opportunity. So what’s the hold up?
Join UWA on International Women’s Day 2019 for an insightful examination of what’s holding us back and how we could speed the rate of change.
Your brand tells the world - employers, customers, contacts - who you are, what you're passionate about and what you're capable of. It defines you and shapes the opportunities you attract.
What is your personal brand? Spend time with a panel of UWA graduates who know their brand and how to use it.
Join us for a compelling exploration of the plastic pollution problem, featuring a panel of UWA research and graduate experts. Learn what you as a concerned citizen can do about it and how your University is leading positive change
Would you like to inspire, develop and retain your female staff? Or boost your own performance as a woman in business?
Shona Rowan is passionate about empowering women to step up, stand out and maximise their success in highly competitive environments. As an international speaker, trainer and success coach, Shona has spent the last 15 years helping thousands of women accelerate their success by increasing their influence, confidence, personal impact, visibility, networking and communication skills. Her practical programs and inspirational events equip women with specific mindsets, behaviours and strategies needed to claim the success they desire and deserve.
Shona’s unique and results-driven approach looks at both the internal and external aspects of success and draws on her qualifications in Psychology, NLP, Hypnotherapy and Peak Performance coaching and her real-life experience as an elite athlete, ranked 6th in the world as a competitive ballroom dancer. Her clients include Gold Fields, Ashurst, DLA, Shell UK/Australia, Citi Bank, The University of Western Australia, Lockton London/Dubai, TATA UK and Women in Subsea Engineering.
If you would like to inspire, develop and retain your female staff, or accelerate your own success – see www.shonarowan.com/empowering-women or email support@shonarowan.com
In 2008, Bernie (B. Eng) founded Alyka, an agency specialising in digital marketing and web development. In just a few years, he transformed the business from a small start-up to an industry-leading firm with 45+ digital experts and an international presence.
As Managing Director, he brings more than 20 years’ experience to the business, and is widely regarded as a thought leader in digital strategy and technical innovation.
In 2014, Alyka was the only Western Australian digital marketing company to be listed in the BRW Fast 100 acknowledging the company’s average growth of 81% for each of the past five years. Bernie won a 40Under40 award in the same year, recognising his entrepreneurial skills and business success. Alyka continues to win awards for 2016 and 2017 – Business News Professional Services Rising Stars Award and AFR Fast 100 respectively.
Bernie holds a Bachelor of Engineering, majoring in Information Technology from the University of Western Australia.
The McCusker Centre for Citizenship at UWA, is a unique Centre that aims to inspire students and the Western Australian community to become active citizens in our local, regional and global communities through its internship program, academic units and events.
Riley recently completed a Bachelor of Science (Sports Science, Exercise and Health) at the University of Western Australia. With a particular interest in AFL, Riley completed his practicum placement at the West Coast Eagles Football Club and successful applied for an internship with Fair Game through the McCusker Centre for Citizenship at UWA. Through his internship, Riley delivered recycled sporting equipment and fitness programs to under-serviced remote Aboriginal and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. After travelling to Karijini National Park to run sport programs for local children from Tom Price, Karratha and Port Hedland, Riley became interested in sports development and he plans to return to UWA as a postgraduate student. Since completing his internship, Riley has undertaken leadership training with Fair Game and is on Fair Game’s board of directors and is a member of the McCusker Centre for Citizenship at UWA’s Student Advisory Committee through which he encourages students to be active members of their communities.
The McCusker Centre for Citizenship’s Community Conversations series – Shakira Donovan
The McCusker Centre for Citizenship at UWA, is a unique Centre that aims to inspire students and the Western Australian community to become active citizens in our local, regional and global communities through its internship program, academic units and events.
Shakira recently completed a Bachelor of Science (Psychology) at the University of Western Australia. During her undergraduate studies, Shakira became interested in the intersection of mental and physical health with international development, leading her to successfully apply for an internship through the McCusker Centre for Citizenship at UWA at the international advocacy organisation, Global Citizen, in New York City to work on their Global Health campaign. There, she became passionate about universal health coverage and health systems improvement which she now plans to explore as a postgraduate student.
Shakira went on to complete the Pathways to Citizenship unit at the McCusker Centre for Citizenship at UWA where strengthened her belief in the importance of active and global citizenship and its positive impact on the community. Shakira dedicates much of her time to volunteering and is a member of the McCusker Centre for Citizenship at UWA Student Advisory Committee through which she seeks to help shape university-based citizenship initiatives and encourage students to be compassionate, active members of their communities.
Nicholle Harris is a graduate of UWA BComs ‘15, and currently works as a Human Resources professional within the local government sector. Prior to this role, Nicholle’s experiences range across the oil & gas and hospitality industries. Nicholle has a passion for developing people, and investing in the younger generation. Known for her resourcefulness and passion, Nicholle employs an engaging and consultative style to both her professional and personal life.
The Guild Environment Department is running UWA's first ever Sustainable Careers Expo on Tuesday 23rd October:
- Find out about career options that won't contribute to a future defined by climate chaos
- Meet environmental professionals and NGOs
- Learn how you can support sustainability in all career pathways from engineering to environmental science to economics.
Meet Basundhara Dutta
Basundhara is a 2nd year student studying Environmental Science at the University of Western Australia and is the UWA Student Guild’s Environment Officer and the President for UWA French Club. In 2018, Basundhara’s aim with the Guild Environment Department was to maximise student engagement by promoting sustainability campus wide and providing a larger platform for students to engage and advocate for environmental issues. Throughout the year, she relaunched the Fossil Free UWA campaign, ran events such as EnviroFest, make your own keepcup events and Enviro Week as well as working with the university to implement sustainable initiatives at UWA. Sustainability is big topic in 2018 and Basundhara would like to continue partaking in environmental initiatives through her career in Environmental Science and Sustainable Design.
Alannah McKay completed a Bachelor of Science (Exercise, Health and Sports Science) from UWA in 2014. She then moved to Canberra to take up a post-graduate position within the Physiology department of the Australian Institute of Sport, where she was directly involved in the preparation of many Australian athletes that went on to compete at the 2016 Rio Olympics and Paralympics. In 2016, Alannah returned to UWA to complete her BSc(Hons) and in 2017, in collaboration in with the Australian Institute of Sport and Western Australian Institute of Sport, commenced a PhD investigating the effects of dietary manipulation on iron metabolism and immune functioning in elite athletes.
"Whilst at UWA, I studied a combined Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts (majoring in history). I spent a number of years during my studies volunteering at a community legal center, where I gained a first-hand insight into how law and policy are deeply intertwined.
I completed my studies in 2009 and since then have enjoyed an interesting and diverse career, in both legal and policy advisory roles. I commenced as a law graduate at a large international law firm, and thereafter worked as a solicitor in the firm’s building and construction litigation team. I subsequently moved into a role in the State public sector to further pursue my interests in policy development, where I worked in energy policy and as a research officer in their Intergovernmental Relations Division.
My most recent role has been in a combined legal and policy advisory role at the Housing Industry Association, where I spent five and a half years before taking up my current position as a Senior Policy Officer at the Building Commission (the WA regulator for the building industry). Outside of work, I’ve been very keen to provide support for people who want to work in legal and policy areas, such as through the UWA Career Mentor Link and Careers Café."
Lincoln Pan is the CEO of LearnZillion, partner of Cinch Accountants & Advisers and co-founder of Mojo Property Group. He is also board member of many national Not-for-Profit organizations. His TEDx UWA seminar: Three Principles to Create Your Unshakeable Financial Future is among one of the highest rated seminars from TEDx participants. Lincoln holds an MBA from The University of Western Australia and Executive Education from Harvard Business School. Over the past 10 years, Lincoln has successfully consulted and coached over 1000 individuals and businesses across 7 countries. He helps both companies and individuals to cultivate a resilient financial structure, and empowers business owners and entrepreneurs to strategically align their passion with long-term financial sustainability. The experience he has gained from working as both a business owner and financial adviser have enabled him to unleash individual financial performance through innovative financial coaching, and authentic strategic interventions.
Peak Performance Consultant Shona Rowan [GradDipEd] shares some tips how to strengthen your personal brand.
Club Connect Stand Out from the Crowd and Accelerate Your Success: Personal Branding, Impact and Visibility With Shona Rowan
No longer is hard work and intelligence enough to guarantee a successful career. The bar is now set so high that factors including personal impact, visibility and having a strong personal brand can often make the difference between us sinking and swimming.
This highly interactive workshop equips delegates with the tools and techniques needed to maximise their personal impact, stand out from the crowd and claim the success they deserve.
Purchase your ticket from http://universityclub.uwa.edu.au/events/club-connect-stand-out-from-the-crowd-and-accelerate-your-success-with-shona-rowan/
Objectives of the practical workshop:
- Analyse and strengthen your personal brand: How do people see you?
- Maximise your personal impact via your words, voice and body language
- Increase your confidence and credibility in the way you communicate
- Learn to play to your strengths and accentuate your uniqueness
- Increase your visibility and sharpen your profile
- Learn how to make a powerful and lasting impression on clients and colleagues
- Develop an action plan to raise your profile and strengthen your personal impact over the next 6 months
SHONA ROWAN Peak Performance in the Workplace Shona is a trained psychologist, peak performance consultant and inspirational speaker. Shona has spent the last 15 years working internationally with clients including Shell, DLA Piper, Citi Bank, Ashurst, Gold Fields, AIM WA, Conoco Phillips and Lockton to maximise potential and accelerate success. For more information on Shona, please visit www.shonarowan.com
In these times of evolving workplaces, you might not know what the future holds but you can set yourself up to make the most of it. Even when you have what takes to succeed, nothing beats great advice, insight and a helping hand. Your UWA pipeline gives you that.
Recorded at the Career Cafe for recent graduates on Tuesday 28 August, you'll hear from a career advice panel featuring some of Perth's most influential UWA graduates.
Megan McCracken
Owner & Principal Consultant
Pleiades Global
Zarah Burgess
State Prosecutor
Officer of the Director of Public Prosecutions for WA
Pamela Magill
News Manager/Executive Producer Network 10
Christian Stanes
Managing Director
Peritas Group
Jack Wong
Graduate Analyst
MC Resources Australia
Many people have given up on their dreams, but not Ben Mallis (BCom '12). Ben has chosen to pack his bags for Philadelphia to spend 12 months working as a sports journalist, covering NBA basketball. Listen and find out how Ben's passion comes from following dreams and pursuing a life, both personally and professionally, that chases them down.
While psychology was not part of his tertiary education, through personal experience with depression, Iggy has garnered a deep understanding of social psychology, the human condition and mental health. Over the last few years, Iggy created Happiness Sweeping®, a mind training technique that has helped many people dramatically improve their personal happiness and overall sense of well-being. Iggy coined the term ‘10/10 happiness’ meaning the ultimate state of inner peace, contentment, joy and bliss. Find out how Iggy is 10/10 through regular happiness sweeping and meditation.
BIO
Mr Tan is a highly experienced mining and chemical executive with a number of significant achievements in commercial mining projects such as capital raisings, funding, construction, start-ups and operations. Mr Tan has been a Managing Director of a number of ASX-listed companies. Iggy Tan is a Rotarian and author of Ban the Performance Appraisal (2016) and Stop Craving Happiness (2018). Iggy also volunteers his time as a ‘happiness coach’, mentoring others in the art of happiness. Iggy holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Southern Cross, a Bachelor of Science from the University of Western Australia and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Have you ever thought about seeing a Career Coach? UWA Graduate and Career Coach Karen McLeod [BEd '83] has a passion for lifelong learning and helping support individuals reach career success. Karen will provide you inight into her career journey, and offers tips how to find the career that's right for you.
BIO
Karen McLeod is a highly skilled and qualified Career Coach with more than 13 years’ experience across a range of industries throughout WA. After initial qualifications in educational psychology, Karen was successful in being selected for the Graduate Development Program run by the Office of Executive Personnel, a state government fast track program for outstanding graduates. Karen worked at the Education, Police and Health departments in the human resources policy, equal employment opportunity, recruitment and selection, and research and statistics divisions.
After post-graduate qualifications as a Career Coach and Counsellor, Karen has worked in private practice as well as representing companies from Perth, Melbourne and Sydney working with clientele from university graduates through to senior executive level in private enterprise, state and federal government and Not-For-Profit organisations. This includes all aspects of career transition, redundancy, counselling, management and coaching as well as presentation of workshops and seminars for up to 250 attendees. Her significant experience includes providing individual support and group training during ongoing restructures and redundancy in both blue and white-collar industries.
If you would like to contact me for career coaching, counselling or advice, you are welcome to do so via email karen@whatnextcareercoaching.com.au
You are welcome to connect with me on LinkedIn, just send me a message to explain the connection https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenmcleodcareercoach
As Western Australia’s first Law School, UWA Law graduates, staff and students have achieved much. Join Blackstone President Joshua Sanchez-Lawson and Aaron McDonald [LLB ’07, LLM ‘16] for an insightful discussion about the future of law, entrepreneurship and the impact Aaron is making in the community.
Be part of the Law School’s ongoing story at their 90th gala to celebrate the past, present and future on September 1st.
BIO
Aaron founded Pragma in 2014.
He is a graduate of the University of Western Australia.
He was admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of Western Australia in 2008 and in the High Court of Australia in 2009. He regularly appears as an advocate in all Courts and Tribunals.
Aaron completed his articles of clerkship with a commercial law firm before spending 5½ years at a major international law firm in its Litigation and Dispute Resolution Division. He was promoted to Senior Associate. During his time at that firm, he spent 18 months working in the firm’s Melbourne office.
Aaron has lectured to law and business students at tertiary level. He also gives presentations to members of the legal profession including most recently a presentation with the Chief Justice of Western Australia on best practice in mediation.
Aaron has graduated with a Masters of Laws from the University of Western Australia. Aaron sits on the Courts Committee of the Law Society of Western Australia.
Aaron is a Committee member of The Piddington Society – an organisation which promotes access to justice and legal education.
In 2017, Aaron founded the Subiaco Community Legal Service. He sits on the Board as Chair.
Join Harry Sanderson (Ignite Mentoring) for an inspiring interview with thought-leader and game-changer in the field of AFL scouting and Human Rights, Liam Elphick [LLB. BA '16]
BIO: Liam Elphick is a Lecturer at the University of Western Australia Law School. Liam graduated from UWA with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Arts in 2016, and was then Associate to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Western Australia, the Honourable Wayne Martin, before returning to UWA. Liam is an Equity and Diversity Advisor in the Law School, and also sits on the UWA LGBTIQA+ Working Group and the Pinnacle Foundation WA Regional Committee. He has published widely on anti-discrimination law, sports law and legal education, and has been interviewed regularly on issues relating to LGBTIQA+ anti-discrimination protections and religious freedom. Liam has also been an AFL Scout for the past decade, first at Sydney Swans and for the last 8 years at Port Adelaide.
Are you where you need to be? Interviewed by Liberty Cramer [BA '15], Sanna Peden shares her experiences studying and working at UWA – and letting life take unexpected turns.
BIO: Sanna runs workshops and individual consultations on English language and study skills at UWA. She is a writer, performer, poet and unionist with a close to twenty-year history at UWA. Sanna’s first poetry collection, straight lines, will be published by Mulla Mulla Press in August.
In 2013, a cycling incident left Zac Leow paralysed, later told he would be lucky to walk again.
Indomitable spirit drove Zac to finish a UWA Honours degree, take up a PhD and, in 2015, compete for Singapore in the ASEAN Para Games, winning silver in the 1500m and setting national records for the 400m, 800m and 1500m.
Belinda a lawyer and consultant has worked across a range of industries including politics, marketing and communications, commercial advisory and dispute resolution. Her previous work includes international relations for the Australian government.
As a result of her consulting projects, Belinda identified demand for a new and emerging areas of commercial legal practice, particularly intellectual property and contracts related to technology and the digital economy.
Belinda combines her technical legal skills and business prowess to provide general commercial advice with a focus on the impact of the digital economy on marketing, communications and law.
Dr Tristan Clemons is a research fellow at the University of Western Australia working on novel nanoparticle treatments for a range of diseases including cancer, heart disease burn and spinal cord injuries. He completed his PhD in 2014 and is now working as a National Health and Medical Research Council Australian Biomedical Fellow. In his spare time Tristan is a business owner with Get Flapped, bringing the Legionnaires hat back into fashion, and a member of the Kookaburras the Australian Men’s Hockey team.
Web profile: http://www.web.uwa.edu.au/person/tristan.clemons
Group research website: http://ozbionano.com
Twitter: @clemo_11
Instagram: @getflapped
An Australian business psychologist, Harvard Business School coach, entrepreneur, journalist and former executive with over eighteen years of extensive international organisational development and leadership consulting experience. As an executive level practitioner, Vanessa is a highly regarded trusted advisor to high level executives and Fortune 500 organisations. She has successfully managed both leadership and large-scale organisational development initiatives with executive teams and companies around the globe. An engaging business leader and innovative entrepreneur, Vanessa is passionate about developing leadership capability, unlocking human potential and building mindful, conscious and inclusive organisations. She is known for her ability to assist her clients through deep and sustainable transformation with life changing and social impact. She has also held sessional roles in academia. Vanessa is a published author and in addition to her many industry articles released her first book Bitch Fight: Putting an End to Women Bullying Women in the Workplace in February 2016. Vanessa was also short-listed for the Telstra Business Woman Entrepreneur of the Year in 2016.
For more information go to www.reinventionconsulting.com.au
Today's podcast celebrates the 90th anniversary of the UWA Athletics Club. Future Olympian Cruz Hogan [BSc '15, BSc(Hons) '16] and Eric Isaachsen [MBBS '76] take us down memory lane to when sheep roamed McGillivray Oval and how the club has been making an impact at The University of Western Australia and Western Australian community for 90 years!
Every manager strives to become a good leader. Reaching this role takes a shift in thought, as well as in the way that you lead. Becoming a good leader doesn’t happen overnight as it takes time to cultivate your leadership and ensure you are thinking about your organization’s vision rather than the mere execution of different tasks.
Dr James Kelley shares his thoughts on leadership and why he turned his passion into a book!
https://www.drjameskelley.com/
In these times of evolving workplaces, you might not know what the future holds but you can set yourself up to make the most of it. Even when you have what it takes to succeed, nothing beats great advice, insight and a helping hand. Your UWA pipeline gives you that.
You'll hear from an expert career advice panel, moderated by AY Sports Consulting Founder Aaron Yeak (BCom, BEng ’08), sharing their best tips for your career.
Experienced Business Partner with a demonstrated history of working in the FMCG, retail and services industries. Leonnie Dober's passion is quite simple, she wants to make sure team members are represented and heard within organisations. Coming from a working class family where her mother had blue collar roles (cleaning, fruit picking), her voice was one of thousands and not always heard as an individual. Leonnie want's to make sure she leave's a legacy where she can stand up for those voices, and make sure we are all doing the right things for the right reasons.
Words of wisdom
You may not know exactly what you want or where you want to be in life, but trust the journey, say ‘yes’ to opportunities that make you nervous and keep going even when you want to quit.
Thinking about a career change, sourcing your own professional development, finding a mentor? Listen to today's podcast where Peak Peformance Consultant Shona Rowan shares her best tips!
About Shona
Shona Rowan is a Peak Performance Consultant, Inspirational Speaker and Trained Psychologist. She has spent the last 15 years working with organisations and individuals across a range of sectors to maximise performance and accelerate success. Via inspirational events and her signature peak performance workshops, Shona helps organisations develop their talent, retain their clients and empower their female staff.
Visit http://www.shonarowan.com/ to find out more about Shona and the services she provides.
Hosted by current UWA student and Ignite Mentoring President, Harry Sanderson speaks with Natasha Kusmuk who shares her experience through War, as a refugee and how it all lead to studying at UWA.
Gary Pennefather has extensive experience in technology businesses as a founder, entrepreneur, senior executive and board member across a range of industries. Gary has been involved in a number of companies that have grown from early stage R&D to multi-million dollar enterprises – both in Perth and the US.
Gary has also co-founded a number of start‐up technology companies, including Atmosphere Networks, which raised over $40 million from top tier Silicon Valley venture firms before being successfully sold for $200 million.
Aspiring to become a thought leader in the digital technology space! Listen to Jordan Ding's journey from UWA to Accenture, and learn how he is driving tangible impact in the work he does, no matter what business area it is needed in.
Farida Fozdar, Deputy Head of School, UWA Social Sciences, moderated a panel of alumni thought leaders with unique perspectives on where women have been and what’s in store for the future. Lucy Moyle, recent UWA graduate and founder of Unlimited Women, offered closing remarks with a view to the future.
Panellists:
- Associate Professor Alison Bartlett, English and Cultural Studies
- Chris Sutherland, Managing Director Programmed
- Lynsey Warbey, Senior Assistant State Solicitor at State Solicitors Office
- Maria Saraceni, Barrister at Francis Burt Chambers
- Dr Nicky Howe, Chief Executive Officer of Southcare
Professor Dawn Freshwater, UWA Vice-Chancellor, examines the gender equity landscape at UWA and beyond in her opening remarks during the International Women’s Day breakfast at UniClub.
Aaron is driven from within. He is an entrepreneur, traveler, lover of great coffee and people’s stories. His career spans Formula 1, sport and recreation, management consulting and now takes him on a business ride that has clear objectives but an unknown end point. Much like his travel, he enjoys the journey as well as the destination in life and business, and takes every opportunity to see the world through the eyes and footprints of others. Aaron is documenting his business journey and has also written a book about his career transitions from standing track side at motor sport events to inside boardrooms as a management consultant. His aim is to a share hia rollercoaster and experiences, hopefully helping and inspiring others on their own paths to parts and destinations unknown.
International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.
Meet Andrea Bradbury (BCom '14) who discusses How Digital Marketing Is Making An Impact In 2018. Good brands really understand the importance of marketing strategy being at the very core of their business - in terms of understanding what it is that their company exists in the world to do.
International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.
Hannah Fitch-Rabbit, Social Impact Manager at Fremantle Foundation, shares what International Women's Day means to her, and her passion for equality and human rights.
Jordan is an Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach at West Coast Eagles football club. He is also completing a PhD part-time at UWA examining the relationship between training loads and injury. Prior to his current role, Jordan worked at a number of elite West Australian Sporting Organisations including West Coast Fever, GolfWA & the Western Australian Institute of Sport.
Kasia McNaught was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and migrated to Perth with her family in 2001. She was the recipient of an academic and music scholarship for Penrhos College, where she finished her TEE in 2003. Kasia was a student at UWA and graduated in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Italian. In July 2016, Kasia founded McNaught Media, a boutique strategic marketing consultancy specialising in content creation and social media management. She is a passionate digital marketer and has multi-faceted media experience from working in online, radio, print and non-traditional advertising.
Due to the collaborative nature of her work, Kasia decided to start a full-suite digital marketing agency called Bloom Digital with two of her colleagues in October 2017, where she is the Social and Content Director. Kasia and her team bring extensive experience from working at larger agencies and corporations to lead local brands and businesses into full bloom.
Splash Page: www.bloomdigital.net.au
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bloomdigitalperth/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bloom_digital/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bloomdigitalperth/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bloomdigitalwa
Architecture is something that provides the everyday city dweller with an opportunity to explore spaces that convey a particular quality, influence our thinking, emotions and may even challenge ideas. Architecture can be public or it can be very personal. I have been involved in the design and documentation of a more personal side to architecture, liaising with clients to create for them their dream home. A home which conveys who they are and showcases their identity through built form.
"Born and raised in Perth, straight after high school I went on to study Construction Management in Perth and abroad in the US. I have since spent 8 years working for Perkins, a mid tier commercial builder in Perth. Having worked my way up the organization from graduate to a senior management position, using the experience I gained and the skills learnt in my MBA at UWA put me in a position to start my own business.
In 2017 I formed Capstone Construction, a new commercial builder in the Perth market that focus’ on building long term relationships with staff and clients. Over the last 3 years we’ve been steadily building our reputation as a reliable and high quality builder working for high profile clients such as Perth Airport, Woolworths, National Archives of Australia and Lend Lease. Our small, high performing team is our strength and I believe that investing time and effort into your employees is not only the right thing to do for them, but is the only way to deliver long term results
Outside of work I have a young family with our second child on the way this year, love a game of golf when I get the time and am part of the Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy program."
What makes us happy?
UWA is at the forefront of innovative research, finding answers to some of the compelling questions we face today.
Liam Bartlett, UWA graduate and investigative journalist, will moderate a fascinating discussion with a panel of UWA experts around the question: what makes us happy?
The panel will explore how we create happiness and sustain it, and how the following factors influence our happiness:
- Nature versus nurture
- Health, wellbeing and art
- Money and materialism
- Life satisfaction, education and income
- Medication and the mind
- Fun and fitness
The discussion will be followed by a Q&A. Enjoy refreshments and the chance to chat with fellow alumni about this topical issue after the panel discussion.
Moderator: Liam Bartlett
Panellists
- Professor Andrew Page, Professor/Associate Dean (Graduate Research Studies), School of Psychology, research includes anxiety disorders, mental health outcomes, suicide and self-injury
- Dr Christina Davies, Research Fellow, School of Population Health, mental wellbeing and art practice
- Dr Inga Kristoffersen, Associate Professor, UWA Business School, life satisfaction, income and education
- Dr Jenny Rodger, Associate Professor and Senior Research Fellow, Experimental and Regenerative Neurosciences
- Michael Baldwin, PhD student, The Good Life, the role of money and materialism in happiness
In 2015, Alumni in Sydney joined then Head of Marketing Innovation for Google across Asia Pacific, UWA alumnus Lee Hunter (BA '02, GradDipMktg '02, MEM&IM '03) for a productive Q&A that explores why failure can be celebrated in the drive for innovation.
UWA alumnus Tristan Masters (BA '03), then Director of Professional Services and Analytics Lead at Red Planet, chats with Lee about the critical role of failing - and learning - in discovery.
A rare opportunity to gain insight into the journey of Australia's Aboriginal people, from past to present, through the eyes of UWA’s School of Indigenous Studies, along with acclaimed academics in rock art and cultural history. Hear what we’ve been learned, why it's important and what the future holds. Bring along your own burning questions for an open Q&A.
Experts
- Andrea Coomber, Director, JUSTICE (Moderator)
- Professor Jill Milroy, Dean, School of Indigenous Studies
- Professor Alistair Paterson, UWA academic and expert in Indigenous rock art
- Jessyca Hutchens, UWA Indigenous graduate currently studying at Oxford
- Dr Ian Henderson, Director, Menzies Centre for Australian Studies, King’s College London
About Nevin I am a Mechanical Engineering student in my sixth year at university. Since commencing studies at UWA, I have been involved in almost every aspect of university life. I have been Treasurer and President of DESI, a club which represents students with a background from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh or Nepal. I was Societies Council President in 2015 and responsible for managing 150+ clubs and societies affiliated to the Guild. Last year, I was the Vice-President (Coursework) for the Postgraduate Students' Association. Currently, I am the Guild President, responsible for managing the peak representative body for all students enrolled at UWA. The UWA Student Guild prides itself on enhancing the student experience at UWA, and is responsible for student representation, student support, building a community, facilitating engagement, and providing various facilities and catering on campus. I am also an elected member of the Senate, the governing authority of the University.
Current Campaign Coordinator for Social Reinvestment WA, launching the public campaign for Healthy Families, Smart Justice, and Safe Communities, so we can close the gap on Aboriginal incarceration in WA once and for all.
Vanessa Vershaw is an Australian organisational psychologist, coach, entrepreneur, journalist and former executive with over eighteen years of extensive international organisational development and leadership consulting experience. As an executive level practitioner, Vanessa is a highly regarded trusted advisor to high level executives and Fortune 500 organisations. She has successfully managed both leadership and large-scale organisational development initiatives with executive teams and companies around the globe. An engaging business leader and innovative entrepreneur, Vanessa is passionate about developing leadership capability, unlocking human potential and building mindful, conscious and inclusive organisations. She is known for her ability to assist her clients through deep and sustainable transformation with life changing and social impact. She has also held sessional roles in academia. Vanessa is a published author and in addition to her many industry articles released her first book Bitch Fight: Putting an End to Women Bullying Women in the Workplace in February 2016 in French & English. Vanessa was also short-listed for the Telstra Business Woman Entrepreneur of the Year in 2016.
Shantha has spent the last two decades working in international humanitarian and development assistance. She first started her work in development in Zambia, where she worked in a rural community. She subsequently spent a decade based in New York, where she worked as a communications consultant for UNICEF, as well as a producer in advertising, news and independent film. Her award-winning film T-shirt Travels, the story of second hand clothes and third world debt, which highlighted the impact of debt in poor countries, aired on PBS in the US in 2001 and was used widely in schools and universities as a teaching tool.
For UNICEF, Shantha worked on a variety of communication initiatives and has been actively involved in getting media attention to child rights, global health and poverty in Africa and Asia. During her stint as head of UNICEF’s Africa media hub, based in Johannesburg, she travelled extensively across the continent to provide communication support in Sub Saharan Africa. Most recently, based in China, in addition to managing UNICEF's external relations, she helped to initiate an innovation partnership between UNICEF and Tsinghua University and contributed to strengthening collaboration between China and African countries on global health. Shantha has a master's degree from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and a honours degree in History from University of Western Australia.
Paul is the CEO of Australian Inclusion Group. The group is currently comprised of 2 businesses, Inclusion WA and Inclusion Solutions. Paul has been in the role for the past 8 years. During this time he has overseen significant growth and the expansion of the inclusion focused work into the Government and Corporate environment, as well as public design.
Prior to joining Australian Inclusion Group Paul was the State Manager of the Taxation Institute of Australia and before that spent 8 years as the Director of Outreach Programs at Scitech.
Paul holds a Bachelor of Science from UWA, a Graduate Diploma of Education from Edith Cowan University and is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration at UWA.
"I was born in Bosnia and have lived in Australia for more than half of my life. I have been working for the Commonwealth Government for the past five years and am currently a Multicultural Community Liaison Officer at the Department of Social Services. While professionally I have worked in service delivery and policy fields, I remain passionate about academia and continue to pursue research in collaboration with current and former UWA professors on topics such as maritime piracy and boundary delimitation." - Natasha Kusmuk
Andrea Coomber has been Director of JUSTICE since February 2013. As Director she has reoriented the organisation’s strategy and been instrumental in the development of JUSTICE’s work on system reform, including on changing the model of decision making in the civil courts and tribunals, reconfiguration of court buildings to respond to the use of ordinary court users and increasing judicial diversity.
Fred Chaney’s hard work in support of often marginalised people has never faltered. As founding co-chair of Reconciliation Australia and an early advocate for Aboriginal voting rights, Fred’s contribution includes establishing the Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia and between 1978-80 sat as Federal Minister for Aboriginal Affairs. For many years, Fred was Deputy President of the National Native Title Tribunal and, more recently, is Chair of Desert Knowledge Australia and chaired the Board of Central Desert Native Title services. He was instrumental in establishing the Graham (Polly) Farmer Foundation, which supports Indigenous young people to reach their potential. Fred’s long history of public service is rooted in his fierce commitment to social justice and a belief in the inherent equality of people. In all his leadership roles, Fred inspires others to work collaboratively, respectfully and ambitiously to overcome the barriers that inhibit people’s full economic and social participation in Australian society.
Peter is an international human rights lawyer who has been working in the field of human law and advocacy for 18 years in Australia, the United Kingdom, Europe, Commonwealth countries, and most recently in Hong Kong China.
Since November 2012, Peter has been working as Legal Counsel at the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) in Hong Kong where he has been leading a number of advocacy and policy projects relating to improving the anti-discrimination legislation and related policies.
Previously for 11 years Peter worked in London United Kingdom in a number of human rights roles including at Amnesty International UK; the Commission for Racial Equality as Principal Litigation Officer and Head of European and International Legal Policy from 2005 to 2008; the Equality and Human Rights Commission as a Senior Lawyer and Director of Legal Policy from 2008 to 2012; and at the Commonwealth Secretariat in 2012 as a human rights consultant on Commonwealth projects.
Aleesha Kumar graduated from Penrhos College in 2013. She studied a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Western Australia, majoring in Political Science & International Relations and French. During this time she completed a six month exchange at Comillas Pontifical University in Madrid. She is Founder and CEO of non-profit LOVE Foundation Australia, which works to fight poverty through the arts. She is currently completing the CASE Asia Pacific Fundraising Graduate Program and is an Advancement Officer at the Development and Alumni Relations Office at the University of Western Australia.
Dave is the co-founder of London based VC funded company BibliU - the Spotify for Textbooks. As the 2013 Western Australian Rhodes Scholar, Dave studied PPE (Philosophy, Politics & Economics) at Oxford University after his BSc (Chemistry & Physics) at the University of Western Australia. Dave’s rural schooling experience at Bunbury Senior High School inspired him to co-found TLG to enable rural and Indigenous students to reach their full potential.
Claire Stokes is a passionate social impact leader, innovator, educator and researcher working to create systems-level change to enable all people to reach their potential. Claire currently holds several positions at the Centre for Social Impact UWA. She works on research projects, particularly in the area of impact measurement, and manages the Centre’s engagement activities. This includes being Co-Director of the major annual event the Social Impact Festival held in Perth, Western Australia. She also lectures in the unit Changing the World: Social Innovation, Finance and Enterprise. Claire also volunteers as Chair of the Board for community arts organisation Globe Town Project and as Board Director for Arts Initiative Australia.
Fadzi Whande is an award winning social justice advocate and a Global Diversity and Inclusion Strategist. She currently works as the Manger, Inclusion and Diversity, at the University of Western Australia.
Fadzi currently serves as the National Human Rights Program Convenor for the United Nations Association of Australia and sits on the Board of the Museum of Freedom and Tolerance, Australian Computer Society Diversity Committee and is an Ambassador for 100 Women, Water for Africa and the Humanitarian Group.
In 2016, Fadzi was awarded the International Racial Equity Leadership Award in USA and named a finalist for the Australian Human Rights, ‘Racism it Stops With Me’ Award.
"As citizens, humanity's fate ultimately rests in our hands and our goal of a world without extreme poverty is only going to be realised through the constant drumbeat of citizen-led movements clambering for change."
James Kelley joins Noongar woman Krista McMeeken, who shares how growing up in Esperance, relocating to Perth in 2008, and her role as Principal Policy Officer at Commissioner for Children and Young People drives her towards fostering an inclusive society.
"Inclusion is important to me because an inclusive environment is the key to individual happiness and solving our most complex issues as organisations and as people."
Our decisions about where and how to live are among the most important of our lives. More and more of us progress our careers in large urban centres. That means living in one or facing lengthy commutes or the isolation of telecommuting in trade. As city housing prices soar and traffic slows, the question of what makes a great city seems straightforward – but is it?
Join a panel of thought-leaders, all UWA alumni, as we explore the key contributors to quality of life in the city – and how Singapore is measuring up.