Women in Public Service Leadership

Jenness Gardner is an experienced strategic leader working in the energy and resources sector leading economic policy development, commercial negotiations and large scale project development for the state. In addition to her current role as CEO at the Economic Regulation Authority, she has extensive senior management and board experience from various roles in the State and Commonwealth Governments including Department of Commerce and Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation.

As an active member of CEOs for Gender Equality, Jenness is passionate and committed to ensuring gender equity in the workplace and as a leader is always seeking to address structural barriers to women’s participation at work. Throughout her career she’s provided personal support and mentoring to help women in her workplace and the broader Government sector to reach their full potential.

Simone is the State Labor Member for Fremantle, and the Minister for Creative Industries, Heritage, Industrial Relations, Aged Care and Seniors, Women. On 17 March 2017, McGurk was sworn in as Minister for Child Protection; Women’s Interests; Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence; Community Services. She oversaw significant family and Domestic violence reforms and introduced legislation for safe access zones around Abortion clinics.

She served as Minister for Training; Water; Youth from 14 December 2022 to 8 December 2023, then Minister for Training and Workforce Development; Water; Industrial Relations. Prior to her election in 2013, Simone worked in the union movement for over 22 years. She was one of the first women elected to be an Organiser for the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, before being elected the Assistant State Secretary in 1997. She later worked with the United Workers Union.

From 2007, Simone served as Assistant Secretary, and later Secretary, of UnionsWA. There, she campaigned for more local content and local jobs during WA’s mining boom. Simone has worked as a producer in the ABC and has also served on the State Training Board and on the Board of Directors for AustralianSuper. Simone holds degrees in History from the University of Melbourne and Media from Murdoch University.

Joann Wilkie has been appointed as the new Under Treasurer for the Department of Treasury and Finance, and Chair of Western Australian Treasury Corporation, effective from 4 August 2025. She is the first female Under Treasurer in WA.

Joann joins us from NSW Treasury, where she has served as Deputy Secretary of the Economic Strategy and Productivity Group since February 2019, as well as a Director with the NSW TCorp. She brings a wealth of experience, with over 20 years in the Australian Public Service, including senior roles in agricultural, energy and gender policy, and regulatory reform across several government departments. Joann holds a Bachelor of Economics (Honours) from the University of Sydney, a Master of Cultural Policy from the Graduate Institute of Policy Studies, Tokyo, and a Master of Public Policy from the Australian National University.

With over 20 years of legal experience across two countries, Marguerite is a leading expert in estate planning, wills, and deceased estate matters.
As the founder of a successful law practice running for over a decade, she’s helped countless families protect what matters most and navigate the legal complexities after the death of a loved one.
A proud mother of twin sons and a passionate advocate for fairness, she brings clarity, compassion, and confidence to a topic many avoid.

Carla Piggott is a Certified Financial Planner with over 15 years of experience helping people make smart, confident decisions with their money. She joined Richmond Private Wealth in 2019 and became a partner in 2025, bringing a down-to-earth, client-first approach to her work.

Carla holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master of Financial Planning. She works with a wide range of clients, but has a real passion for educating and supporting women to feel more in control of their finances.

With over 20 years of experience in the superannuation industry, Teika has worked across some of Australia’s most complex super schemes—particularly those tied to state, Commonwealth, and local government benefits. Her deep expertise, coupled with a passionate commitment to improving retirement outcomes for women, led her to become a Director on the national Board of Women in Super—an organisation dedicated to building a fairer, gender-equal superannuation system.

Teika is known for her ability to illuminate super strategies and empower individuals with the confidence to take control of their financial futures. Her inclusive approach brings people together to share insights and make the most of their benefits, regardless of their circumstances.

As a proud mother of two young boys, Teika’s negotiation skills are second to none. She brings that same energy and empathy to her volunteer and professional, partnering with employers and employees to elevate superannuation literacy and embed financial wellbeing into workplace culture.

Grace Molloy is the co-founder and CEO of Menopause Friendly Australia, the nation’s leading provider of menopause-in-the-workplace services. With a Master’s in Nursing (RN), a background in Big4 consulting, and 20+ years in corporate strategy, Grace brings clinical expertise and business insight to her work.

She has partnered with leading researchers and biotech innovators to advance clinical trials and is a member of both the Australasian and International Menopause societies. Grace also serves on Standards Australia’s Occupational Health and Safety Committee, contributing to the proposed ISO45010 standard on menstrual and menopause health in the workplace.

A 2024 Telstra Best of Business Award Winner (WA) and national finalist, Grace is passionate about helping organisations retain experienced women by addressing menopause at work. Through Menopause Friendly Australia, she empowers employers to break the silence, build inclusive cultures, and implement practical, lasting change.

Karen Stewart is a seasoned leader in emergency services, she currently holds the role as General Manager of Ambulance Operations – Rural and Remote at St John WA. Her career began in Scotland, where she became the youngest female paramedic to graduate with an IHCD in Paramedicine in 1997. Over the next 20 years, she held a variety of clinical and leadership roles with the Scottish Ambulance Service before relocating to Australia in 2012.

Since joining St John WA as a paramedic, Karen has progressed through several senior leadership positions, including Clinical Governance Operations Manager. She holds a Master’s degree in Healthcare Management from Murdoch University, where her research on the transition from clinician to manager was published in the Australasian Journal of Paramedicine in 2021. She is an Associate Fellow of the Australasian College of Health Service Management, a certified health manager, and a co-author of multiple publications.

Karen is a passionate advocate for women’s health in the workplace. Over the past two years she has focused on raising awareness of perimenopause and menopause, as both an author and contributing to articles, podcasts, and television interviews. In 2025, she led the initiative that saw St John WA become the first Emergency Service in Australia to receive menopause-friendly accreditation. Her work earned her recognition as a finalist in the 2025 CAA Awards for Excellence.

Ruth is the Head of People and Culture at DevelopmentWA, where she leads organisational development and transformation initiatives focused on culture, safety, performance, leadership, and strategic workforce planning.  Prior to joining DevelopmentWA, Ruth spent 16 years at Deloitte, where she held senior leadership roles including Head of People and Performance for Deloitte Perth and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion roles across Australia and Asia Pacific, with a strong focus on gender equity including supporting Deloitte Australia to become the first Menopause Friendly organisation in Australia.  Ruth brings deep expertise in strategic HR, change management, and building inclusive, high-performing workplaces. Passionate about shaping future-ready organisations, she has a proven track record of delivering impactful people strategies at scale.

Christine is an experienced public sector leader with a commitment to improving public service value during more than 30 years of service across various agencies.

She has a passion for diversity, mental wellbeing and women’s health. Her current position allows her to combine those interests as the Executive Director, People and Culture at the East Metropolitan Health Service. It employs almost 11,000 people in public health services spread from Royal Perth Hospital in the Perth CBD to Armadale Hospital in the East.

Previously the Director of Workforce Strategy at the Public Sector Commission, Christine led the WA Public Sector Diversification and Inclusion Strategy to improve the representation and inclusion of diverse workforces in the WA Public Sector.

Vanessa Elliott AM, is Non-Executive Director of Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility, East Metropolitan Health Service, Desert Knowledge Australia, K Farmer Dutjahn Foundation and runs her own business Yura Ngaba Pty Ltd and consultancy Vanessa Elliott and Associates. Vanessa Elliott is a Jaru woman from the Kimberley region of Western Australia with cultural and family connections across Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland.

She has more than 20 years’ experience working in strategic leadership roles in economic development, community services, regional and remote project management, strategic planning, including headworks, energy, mining, native title and service commissioning. Ms Elliott has worked on some of the major project developments in Australia across the resource industry, regional development and town planning, specialising in project life cycle, land access, regulatory approvals, social performance, local content and diversity and inclusion.

Vanessa Kickett is a proud and respected Noongar woman dedicated to advancing the rights and aspirations of her people. She is the Chief Executive Officer of the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council (SWALSC) and she had a key role in the implementation and operation of the landmark South West Native Title Settlement, the largest native and most comprehensive native title settlement in Australian history.

Vanessa has numerous extensive board experiences and currently serves on the board of the Council of First Nations, where she contributes her governance expertise and cultural insight at both national and industry levels.

With more than 20 years of experience in leadership, strategic development, and stakeholder engagement, Vanessa has built a reputation as a strong advocate and trusted leader. Her work is driven by a passionate commitment to supporting and advocating for Noongar people and Aboriginal communities across the nation.

Joyce Torres is the Regional Manager of the Greater WA Region for the National Indigenous Australians Agency. She is strongly connected to the Yaruwu, Nykina, and Jibirr Jabbir language groups of the Kimberley. With over 20 years of experience in the Commonwealth Indigenous Affairs portfolio, Joyce is a passionate advocate for community-led initiatives and policy development that reflects the voices and aspirations of Indigenous communities.

Throughout her public service career, Joyce has worked in some of the most remote regions of the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Her firsthand experience in isolated settings has shaped her leadership style—balancing strategic direction with empathy and resilience. She brings a wealth of knowledge in managing teams and navigating the complexities of remote service delivery.

Joyce is committed to fostering self-determination and empowerment for Indigenous people. She leads with purpose, driving organisational growth and aligning strategic priorities with community needs. As a lifelong educator, Joyce is dedicated to building cultural competency and capability within her teams, ensuring they are equipped to work respectfully and effectively with Indigenous communities.

Kirsty is a non-executive director, audit committee chair, and elected WA Councillor of the Institute of Public Administration and Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Until 2024, Kirsty was the CEO of Indigenous Business Australia, a Commonwealth Government economic development agency where she worked for six years, following senior roles in the WA Government, National Australia Bank, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Specsavers Asia-Pacific.

In addition her board roles, Kirsty advises purpose-driven ventures across Australia on policy, commercial strategy, finance, and governance. She brings strong expertise in navigating complex stakeholder relationships to achieve meaningful outcomes. She is Fellow of CPA Australia and the Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Department of Communities Director, Capability and Performance Kate Wood is also a board member of the Perth City Farm and a mother to two young children. Before joining Communities in 2018, most of Kate’s career was in the Victorian Public Service where she led teams working on climate change policy, legislation, behaviour change programs and partnerships with local governments. Kate’s career highlight was while she was the Executive Director of the Climate Change Division and represented Victoria at the United Nations’ Framework Convention on Climate Change 21st Conference in Paris. Kate is passionate about supporting women to balance their career aspirations with their roles at home and in the community.

Shamsa Nasr is an award-winning leader and a senior Air Force veteran of Afghanistan, Papua New Guinea and the Middle East region. She has held executive roles across Defence, the private and for-purpose sectors including, most recently, as National Lead – Gender Equity Advisory at the consultancy Deloitte. She is currently the Director, Innovation and Strategy at Anglicare WA. Shamsa is the co-founder of Propel Her Australia – Defence Women’s Leadership Series, the most-read career development resource for defence women, and has sat on several boards that centre on social justice. She is a passionate keynote speaker on gender equity, social reform and leadership.

Patrick Ky is a lawyer with over 15 years’ experience advising clients on complex legal, policy and commercial matters. He is currently a Senior Assistant State Solicitor at the State Solicitor’s Office, where he specialises in privacy, freedom of information and administrative law. Patrick has also led major legislative projects, including the development of the Privacy and Responsible Information Sharing Act 2024 (WA).

Patrick hopes to contribute to the conversation by sharing his experience as a man who has taken extended paternity leave and returned to work part-time while caring for his three young children. He is passionate about normalising flexible work for all families and supporting inclusive leadership in the public sector.

Patrick holds postgraduate law degrees from the University of Oxford and has worked across both public and private sectors in Australia and the UK. He also serves on the boards of two not-for-profit organisations supporting people with disability and social inclusion.

Danielle is currently Principal Analyst at the Economic Regulation Authority. She has worked in various State Government departments since 2017, including the Department of the Premier and Cabinet and the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety. In 2024, she took a career break to welcome her first child and returned with a reinforced sense of her professional identity and purpose.

Natalia is the Chief Data Officer at the Department of the Premier and Cabinet and the Chair of WA Government’s AI Advisory Board. Prior to this, she drove the strategic use of information throughout a number of public sector roles in policy, strategy and analytics.

Natalia is passionate about using data to address complex social, health, environmental and economic issues. She was responsible for establishing PeopleWA, an asset which links data from a number of social services agencies to improve government policy, decision making and research.

She also drove the establishment of Privacy and Responsible Information Sharing Legislation and the implementation of the AI Policy and Framework in WA. Natalia has a Master in Statistical Data Analysis, and a Bachelor of Public Health from the University of Western Australia.

Janie is a Senior Legal Counsel and the Chair of Women in Technology WA (WiTWA), a leading not-for-profit working to increase female representation and participation in technology and STEM. She also serves on the WA State Government’s AI Advisory Board, where she provides guidance on the responsible and ethical use of artificial intelligence in government projects.

With a career that spans law, technology, and governance, Janie brings a pragmatic and values-driven perspective to how organisations can harness innovation while maintaining equity, trust, and transparency. Passionate about inclusive leadership and the future of work, she regularly speaks at the intersection of AI, law, ethics, and diversity, challenging audiences to consider how emerging technologies can either accelerate or erode progress toward gender equity.

Janie’s work centres on ensuring that digital transformation doesn’t just create new efficiencies, but also builds a more inclusive and human-centred future.

Premila Jina is an award-winning digital transformation leader, author, and AI strategist who serves as Chair, Board Director, and a compelling voice at the intersection of leadership, technology, and inclusive growth. With more than two decades driving human-centred change across diverse sectors such as finance, mining, oil & gas, government, and not-for-profit, she is known for turning complex ideas about digital and AI transformation into practical, scalable outcomes that create measurable impact.

Premila’s work bridges innovation and purpose, helping organizations navigate the opportunities and ethical challenges of artificial intelligence through responsible governance, data equity, and transparent implementation frameworks. As an author and sought-after speaker, she brings clarity and curiosity to conversations about the future of work, digital ethics, and inclusive leadership.

A proud neurodiverse woman in technology, Premila embodies the principles she champions—diversity, authenticity, and continuous learning. Her insights resonate with audiences seeking to make technology more human, equitable, and transformative for everyone.

Since starting her public sector career in the Wageline call centre in 2006, Emma has worked on social and strategic policy projects at the Department of Communities, the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, and Treasury WA. For the past five years she has worked at the Economic Regulation Authority and is the Assistant Director, Licensing and Customer Protection. The ERA is Western Australia’s independent economic regulator. Through the licensing framework, Emma’s team regulates the customer protections obligations for the approximately 100 private companies and government trading enterprises licensed to provide electricity, gas and water services.

Emma has served on the IPAA WA Council since 2013 and as Secretary since 2021.

Sue commenced her role as Chief Executive Officer in February 2023, representing both NOPSEMA and OIR. Prior to this, she served for eight years as the Chief Executive at the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator.

A career of over forty years in Government, Sue has held a range of roles across Education, including time as a school principal, the Public Transport Authority and as Deputy Director General of Policy, Planning and Investment at the WA Department of Transport.

Sue holds a Bachelor of Law from Murdoch University, a Master of Education from Edith Cowan University, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Sue is a member of the National Association of Women in Operations, National Women in Transport, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration.

The Western Australian Council of Social Service Inc (WACOSS) is the peak council of community service organisations in Western Australia. Louise Giolitto has been part of the Community Services Sector for over 26 years and has a commitment and belief the sector needs collective commitment and leadership to improve the quality of life to community members disadvantaged by the inequities in our society.

Gail Bowman is the CEO of the City of Melville, leading a $187 million budget, $2.2 billion in assets, and a workforce of 820 serving over 113,000 residents. She holds a Bachelor of Social Work, an MBA, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. With 28+ years of experience across government and not-for-profit sectors, she brings expertise in strategy, governance, community development, and economic development. Gail has also chaired several boards focused on social impact, housing, aged care, and reconciliation.

Jodie Ransom joined Fremantle Ports in May 2023 from Svitzer Australia, where she was General Manager, West (covering operations in Western Australia, Northern Territory and Papua New Guinea). Jodie’s career over the previous three decades commenced as a seafarer with BHP Transport before progressing into management, operational, commercial and supply chain roles, including with MUR Shipping Australia, CBH Group and Alcoa. As a leader in her field, Ms Ransom has a strong reputation, including as a previous member of the Freight and Logistics Council of Western Australia and former Board member for the Kimberley Port Authority. Jodie holds formal qualifications in leadership and the marine industry. Jodie was Acting CEO from 8 April 2024 to June 30, 2024, and appointed substantively to the position, effective 1 July 2024.

Kaylene has extensive experience in public policy, knowledge of financial markets and expertise in the Western Australian economy. Kaylene is the CEO of Western Australian Treasury Corporation (WATC), the central borrowing authority of the State of Western Australia managing over AU$50 billion in financial assets and liabilities for the State. Kaylene has previously held senior roles within the Western Australian Department of Treasury.

As well as being a member of CPA Australia and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), Kaylene currently holds Director positions on the Australian Financial Markets Association, the Western Australian Institute of Sport Board and the not-for-profit Backing Gecko Art, Western Australia’s premier children’s theatre company.
Kaylene was awarded a Public Service Medal in 2021 for outstanding public service to Western Australia through a range of roles.

Kaylene has extensive experience in public policy, knowledge of financial markets and expertise in the Western Australian economy. Kaylene is the CEO of Western Australian Treasury Corporation (WATC), the central borrowing authority of the State of Western Australia managing over AU$50 billion in financial assets and liabilities for the State. Kaylene has previously held senior roles within the Western Australian Department of Treasury.

As well as being a member of CPA Australia and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), Kaylene currently holds Director positions on the Australian Financial Markets Association, the Western Australian Institute of Sport Board and the not-for-profit Backing Gecko Art, Western Australia’s premier children’s theatre company.
Kaylene was awarded a Public Service Medal in 2021 for outstanding public service to Western Australia through a range of roles.