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Women in Public Service Leadership

September 18, 2024 9:15 am

Women in Public Service Leadership

Join us for a dialogue promoting systemic change and individual growth

Our Women in Public Service Leadership Conference will return in 2025. This page will be updated with details of the 2025 program, but in the meantime, view resources from past conferences here, or click here to view our other upcoming seminars and conferences.

Download the 2024 Conference Program

Click the image below to download the 2024 Conference Program. More information will be added to the program is it develops.

Keynote Speaker

Lanie Chopping
Director General, Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries

Minister's Remarks

Hon Sue Ellery MLC
Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council
Minister for Finance; Commerce; Women’s Interests

Hon Sue Ellery MLC | Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council; Minister for Finance; Commerce; Women’s Interests

Hon Sue Ellery MLC | Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council; Minister for Finance; Commerce; Women’s Interests

Sue Ellery is currently Leader in the Legislative Council in Western Australia’s State Parliament and is the Minister for Finance, Commerce and Women’s Interests. She is the first woman to lead the Government in the Legislative Council.

In the portfolio of Finance, Sue is responsible for delivery of State Government infrastructure projects, including the Women and Babies Hospital and Aboriginal Cultural Centre, Government procurement of goods and services, administration of revenue laws and grant and subsidy schemes for the Western Australian community.

In the Commerce portfolio, Sue is keen to drive improvements for Western Australian consumers, businesses and workers through fair and effective regulation, licensing and consumer protection laws.

As the Minister for Women’s Interests, Sue is focused on delivering positive outcomes for women in all areas. As a senior Minister in Government, Sue is keen to see practical and impactful changes that will ensure women can achieve to their full potential in all areas of their lives.

Born in 1962 and raised primarily in Perth, Sue has been a member of the WA Parliament since 2001 representing the South Metropolitan region in the Legislative Council.

Prior to Parliament Sue worked as an advocate in both the community sector and the trade union movement representing low paid workers.

Sue held the portfolios of Education and Training from 2017 to 2022 and was a Minister in the previous WA Labor Government holding the portfolios of Child Protection, Communities, Seniors and Volunteering and Women.

IPAA WA Host

Jenness Gardner MIPAA
Chief Executive Officer, Economic Regulation Authority

Jenness Gardner MIPAA | Chief Executive Officer, Economic Regulation Authority

Jenness Gardner MIPAA | Chief Executive Officer, Economic Regulation Authority

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.

Facilitator

Emma Forrest MIPAA
Assistant Director, Licensing and Customer Protection, Economic Regulation Authority

Emma Forrest MIPAA | Assistant Director, Licensing and Customer Protection, Economic Regulation Authority

Emma Forrest MIPAA | Assistant Director, Licensing and Customer Protection, Economic Regulation Authority

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 four years she has worked at the Economic Regulation Authority and in October 2023 commenced her current role as the Assistant Director Licensing and Consumer Protection. Emma has served on the IPAA WA Council since 2013 and as Secretary since 2021. A career highlight was her Jawun secondment to Kununurra, working on program evaluation with a small Aboriginal Corporation.

Facilitator

Kaylene Gulich PSM MIPAA
Chief Executive Officer, Western Australian Treasury Corporation

Kaylene Gulich PSM MIPAA | Chief Executive Officer, Western Australian Treasury Corporation

Kaylene Gulich PSM MIPAA | Chief Executive Officer, Western Australian Treasury Corporation

Ms Gulich commenced as CEO of the Western Australian Treasury Corporation in February 2019.

Ms Gulich has extensive experience in public policy, knowledge of financial markets and expertise in the Western Australian economy. Ms Gulich has previously held senior roles within the Department of Treasury, and is currently on a number of committees supporting outcomes across the WA government sector. As well as being a member of CPA Australia and the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Ms Gulich is currently a Director on VenuesWest’s Board, the Western Australian Institute of Sport, Barking Gecko Theatre Company, and the Australian Financial Markets Association and the Treasurer for IPAA WA.

Ms Gulich was awarded a Public Service Medal in the June 2021 Queen’s Birthday Honours for outstanding public service to Western Australia through a range of roles.

Facilitator

Janis Carren MIPAA
Chief Executive Officer, Arts and Culture Trust

Janis Carren MIPAA | Chief Executive Officer, Arts and Culture Trust

Janis Carren MIPAA | Chief Executive Officer, Arts and Culture Trust

Janis is an experienced Executive with a demonstrated history of working in the entertainment, sports, tourism and creative industries.  She brings extensive public sector and commercial experience gained from working in various WA statutory authorities over a 30-plus year career.

Prior to her appointment as CEO for the Arts and Culture Trust, Janis was the Director Strategy and Partnerships at VenuesWest.  Janis holds a Masters of Business Administration and is an IPAA WA Council member and Board member of EDFA.

Speaker

Natalie Martin
Founder and CEO, Menopause Alliance Australia

Natalie Martin | Founder and CEO, Menopause Alliance Australia

Natalie Martin | Founder and CEO, Menopause Alliance Australia

Natalie brings over twenty-five years of extensive business experience across Australia, the UK and Ireland, showcasing her management, marketing and sales experience across diverse industries, including healthcare technology and pharmaceuticals. She holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Henley Business School at the University of Reading. As the founder and CEO of the charity Menopause Alliance Australia, Natalie tirelessly advocates for better awareness, education, and support for women experiencing perimenopause and menopause. Menopause Alliance provides valuable resources, helps businesses create supportive workplaces and communities, and influences policy changes. Natalie is driven to make a meaningful impact on the lives of women, by championing a cause close to her heart.

Speaker

Dr Lesley Ramage
General Practitioner, Women’s Health Specialist and Menopause Specialist, Menopause Alliance Australia

Dr Lesley Ramage | General Practitioner, Women's Health Specialist and Menopause Specialist, Menopause Alliance Australia

Dr Lesley Ramage | General Practitioner, Women's Health Specialist and Menopause Specialist, Menopause Alliance Australia

Dr Lesley Ramage has more than 26 years of experience in women’s health. She obtained her medical degree from Leeds University and has worked in general practice since moving to Australia with her family in 1993. Since 2007, she has also held an appointment at WA’s only tertiary women’s hospital, King Edward Memorial, where she consults at clinics for Menopause and Menopause Symptoms after Cancer.

In addition to her clinical work, she is actively involved in the teaching and training of medical undergraduates and doctors, ensuring the next generation of healthcare professionals are well-versed in women’s health issues. Dr Ramage’s dedication to women’s health extends beyond her practice, as she regularly participates in research and advocacy efforts to advance the understanding and treatment of menopausal symptoms. She is a board member of Menopause Alliance Australia.

Speaker

Rebecca Brown PSM
Director General
Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation

Rebecca Brown PSM | Director General, Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation

Rebecca Brown PSM | Director General, Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation

Ms Rebecca Brown commenced as Director General of the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation (JTSI) in September 2018. In this role, she is also Chief Executive Officer of Tourism Western Australia.

Ms Brown has overseen significant changes across JTSI to position the agency as critical to advancing the State Government’s key policy agendas, including growing local jobs, diversifying the State’s industry base and export potential and continuing to leverage the broader research, science and innovation community to advance outcomes for Western Australia.

Ms Brown has worked across both Federal and State government agencies in a range of senior roles across revenue and economic policy, social policy, resourcing and performance. This included overseeing the reform of the WA health system, including the establishment of a new governance model and the development of the Health Services Act 2016.

Ms Brown has an Honours Degree in Economics from the University of Western Australia and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Speaker

Astghik Mavisakalyan
Professor of Economics, Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre;
Chief Investigator and Curtin University Node Lead, ARC Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against

Astghik Mavisakalyan | Professor of Economics, Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre; Chief Investigator and Curtin University Node Lead, ARC Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

Astghik Mavisakalyan | Professor of Economics, Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre; Chief Investigator and Curtin University Node Lead, ARC Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

Astghik Mavisakalyan is a Professor of Economics at the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre at Curtin University. She is also a Chief Investigator of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence against Women (CEVAW) and leads Curtin’s node of the Centre. Prior to joining Curtin, she held an appointment at the Research School of Economics at Australian National University. Astghik is a member of the Hiroshima Institute of Health Economics Research, a Fellow at Global Labour Organisation, and has held visiting positions, consultancies or fellowships at the Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies (Regensburg), the Centre for Labour and Welfare Research (Oslo), UNU-WIDER (Helsinki), the Local Government and Public Service Reform Initiative at Open Society Institute (Budapest), and the Social Policy Research Centre at UNSW (Sydney).

Astghik is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Population Economics and the Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics and a member of the editorial board of the Economic and Labour Relations Review. She has also served as a co-editor of a special issue of the Economic Record  and is the founding chair of the steering committee of the Australian Gender Economics Workshop series.

Astghik’s research has focused on employment, education, health, wellbeing and preference formation, seeking to understand the role of the family, institutions, culture and external shocks in these areas. She has received funding from the Australian Research Council and a range of Category 2 and 3 sources and has been recognized through awards including the Walter Noel Gillies Prize for Best PhD Thesis in Economics at the University of Sydney (2010); Curtin Business School New Researcher of the Year award (2015) and Curtin Faculty of Business and Law Researcher of the Year award (2018).

Speaker

Kate Louden
Acting Executive Director, Intergovernmental Relations
Department of the Premier and Cabinet

Kate Louden | Acting Executive Director, Intergovernmental Relations Department of the Premier and Cabinet

Kate Louden | Acting Executive Director, Intergovernmental Relations Department of the Premier and Cabinet

Kate Louden is the acting Executive Director, Intergovernmental Relations at the Department of the Premier and Cabinet.  In this role, Kate is responsible for engagement with the Australian and other State and Territory governments. Kate’s experience spans both federal and state public sectors, with experiences covering international relations, aviation security, housing, health and responding to emerging policy issues, including the State Government’s response to COVID-19.

Kate holds a Bachelor of Arts (Asian Studies) from the University of Western Australia and a Post Graduate Certificate in Public Policy from Murdoch University.  In 2023, Kate was the recipient of the IPAA Public Policy Practitioner of the Year award.

Speaker

Heather McGregor-Bayne
Executive Coach, Total Leader and Coach Solutions

Read bio
Heather McGregor-Bayne | Executive Coach, Total Leader and Coach Solutions

Heather McGregor-Bayne | Executive Coach, Total Leader and Coach Solutions

Heather McGregor-Bayne is an experienced Performance Psychologist, facilitator and Executive Coach. Heather is passionate about helping individuals and teams reach high performance and has significant experience working with a vast array of coaches, support staff and sports to build environments which bring out the best in each individual.

Heather has worked with a broad range of commercial and public sector organisations and senior leaders to deliver comprehensive leadership  programs that facilitate a shift in performance and more importantly culture.  She fundamentally believes that leadership and culture are the foundation of well-being and both individual and organisational performance. Having supported individuals and teams at the West Australian Institute of sport working through two Olympic cycles she has an appreciation and comprehensive understanding on how to get people to be their best selves.

Speaker

Paula Della Gatta
Graduate Officer, Department of Finance

Read bio
Paula Della Gatta | Graduate Officer, Department of Finance

Paula Della Gatta | Graduate Officer, Department of Finance

Paula Della Gatta is a 2024 Graduate Officer participating in the Department of Finance’s 12-month Graduate Program. In her brief tenure at Finance, she has successfully completed two out of three rotations, serving as a Project Officer in both the Law and Order Customer team and the Government Office Accommodation Relocation and Fit-Out Projects team.

Paula earned her Master of Architecture with High Distinction from the University of Notre Dame Australia in 2023. During her studies, she gained valuable experience as an architectural intern in the private sector, working on affordable housing, multi-residential, civic, and childcare projects across metropolitan and regional Western Australia.

Recently, Paula was honoured with the prestigious E.G. Cohen Medal at the 2024 Australian Institute of Architects WA Chapter Awards Night. This award recognises her dedication, academic excellence, and her spirit of unselfishness in her relationships with fellow students.

Speaker

Alexis Stevens
Director, Natural Resources and Financial Entities, Agency Budgeting and Governance, Department of Treasury

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Alexis Stevens | Acting Director, Lands, Ports and Financial Entities, Department of Treasury

Alexis Stevens | Acting Director, Lands, Ports and Financial Entities, Department of Treasury

Alexis Stevens is the Acting Director of the Lands, Ports and Financial Entities directorate at the Department of Treasury, a role in which she provides advice to the Government on various policy issues ranging from new infrastructure proposals to drive economic development to options to increase residential housing supply to cost of living support initiatives.

Over the past nine years, Alexis has progressed her career within the WA State Government, working in various roles at the WA Police Force and then at Treasury. She is known for her strategic acumen, ability to influence senior decision makers and commitment to embodying the spirit of the public service.

Alexis has an undergraduate science degree from the University of Notre Dame and a post graduate certificate of commerce from the University of Western Australia.

Speaker

Mikaela Scuderi
Acting Principal Policy Officer, Department of Communities & Chair of the Young Professional Committee

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Mikaela Scuderi | Acting Principal Policy Officer, Department of Communities; Chair of the Young Professional Committee

Mikaela Scuderi | Acting Principal Policy Officer, Department of Communities; Chair of the Young Professional Committee

Mikaela Scuderi is a social policy professional working within the public sector. During her almost five years at the Department of Communities, Mikaela has worked on a variety of projects that build systems and strategies to enable people to live full lives. This has included implementation of the State Disability Strategy 2020-2030, developed its monitoring and evaluation framework and led commissioning to increase public access to all-terrain wheelchairs. Mikaela is currently implementing the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations and contributing to child safety reform in WA through recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Dedicated to professional development in and outside of work, Mikaela is Chair of the IPAA WA Young Professional Committee, and has served on the Committee for three terms. Notable Committee achievements include developing the annual Young Professional Conferences, including the first ever sold-out Conference in 2024. In her personal time, Mikaela is an avid reader and gym-goer.

Speaker

Subha Gunalan
Director, Office of the Auditor General

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Subha Gunalan | Director, Office of the Auditor General

Subha Gunalan | Director, Office of the Auditor General

I’m a Director in the Financial Audit division of the Office of the Auditor General. I have been working directly in the public sector for six and half years. Prior to joining the Office of the Auditor General, I was a Director with Deloitte in their Government Advisory division. I am an experienced and accomplished leader with advanced skills in public sector policy, legislative reform, commerce, finance, accounting and audit. With a significant demonstrated track record in achieving results, I have led complex financial management and policy interventions across the Government and Commercial sectors. My focus and drive are both strategic and tactical, deploying sound judgment, analysis and negotiation skills in all my encounters and projects.

Speaker

Justina Briggs-Bradford
Coordinator Building Services, City of Vincent

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Justina Briggs-Bradford | Coordinator Building Services, City of Vincent

Justina Briggs-Bradford | Coordinator Building Services, City of Vincent

Justina has over 16 years of diverse experience as a building surveyor spanning both local government and the private sector. A registered Level 1 Building Surveyor, Justina’s career has included significant building surveying projects such as fire safety audits of Department of Defence buildings on military bases across Australia, Building Code of Australia compliance audits of aged care facilities and schools in VIC, and technical due diligence inspections of commercial buildings in WA, VIC, SA and NSW.

Justina holds a Graduate Diploma in Building Surveying, a Master of Urban and Regional Planning, a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Asian Studies, and a Bachelor of Communications (Honours). Justina’s academic background and initial career in journalism has equipped her with a unique perspective and a broad skill set.

Outside of work, Justina enjoys reading and is passionate about powerlifting and has competed in various powerlifting competitions and achieved personal bests.

Speaker

Teika Chinnery
Board Member, Women in Super

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Teika Chinnery | Board Member, Women in Super

Teika Chinnery | Board Member, Women in Super

Teika is a dynamic and seasoned Relationship Manager with over 20 years experience in the superannuation and finance industry. She has worked across several of the key industries while in superannuation, retail, state and local government along with profit to member funds.

Her expertise lies in navigating complex superannuation schemes and strategies to optimise wealth-building opportunities. Core competencies, honed through years of professional experience include Stakeholder Management, trust building, superannuation and retirement planning, business development, financial wellbeing and presentation skills.

With a proven track record in stakeholder management, Teika excels in building and nurturing key relationships with clients, partners, and industry stakeholders to drive positive outcomes and organisational growth.

Teika is dedicated to fostering financial wellbeing among individuals and organisations, offering tailored solutions to enhance financial literacy, resilience, and long-term financial security.

Being a strong advocate for better retirement outcomes for all Australians, Teika also has particular focus on women’s retirement outcomes which is showcased through her directorship role with the Women in Super organisation and the efforts and support that come with this.

Speaker

Hannah Tagore
Manager of Communications and Stakeholder Relations, City of Joondalup

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Hannah Tagore | Manager of Communications and Stakeholder Relations, City of Joondalup

Hannah Tagore | Manager of Communications and Stakeholder Relations, City of Joondalup

Hannah Tagore has recently moved to local government as Manager of Communications and Stakeholder Relations with the City of Joondalup. Her previous roles in the Western Australian state government include Director of Media and Communications at the Department of Fire and Emergency Services and Acting Executive Director with the Department of Primary Industry and Regional Development.

Hannah began her career in the not-for-profit sector and as a senior advisor in executive government in the United Kingdom. Her time as Chief Press Officer in the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet coincided with convincing Scotland to remain in the Kingdom but ended prior to the Brexit referendum campaign.

Date, Time & Venue

18 Sep 2024
9:15 AM to 3:30 PM

Optus Stadium

Cost

Prices include GST and are subject to change

Individual Member
$260.00
Corporate Member
$410.00
Non-Member
$600.00
Corporate Member (Group of 10)
$3,690.00
Non-Member (Group of 10)
$5,400.00

Super Early Bird Bookings
Super early-bird bookings are available until 28 June 2024 or for the first 100 registrations (whichever occurs first). Super-Early Bird bookings are transferable but non-refundable.

Early-Bird Bookings
Early-bird bookings are available until 16 August 2024 or for 300 bookings (whichever occurs first).

Individual Member Bookings
Individual Member Bookings may only be transferred to other Individual Members. Transferring to a Corporate or Non-Member will see price amended accordingly.

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