Women on Boards is a league of extraordinary women. To showcase our talent  we have launched our Faces of WOB in 2022 - a new initiative that recognises and celebrates members who have made a difference in their field and had a positive impact within the WOB network across three key areas - Standing Out, Showing Up and Champions.

Standing Out

Meet our Standing Out Ambassadors who were selected across five categories:

Advocacy
Disability & Inclusion
Cultural Diversity
Leadership
STEMM

ADVOCACY

Michele Adair

Michele is an experienced Chair and Non-Executive Director whose board and executive roles span the commercial, for-purpose and government sectors.

She is CEO of the Housing Trust, a company that builds and manages affordable rental housing. It has a current portfolio of 1,200 homes and a balance sheet value of almost $200m.  Michele is passionate about affordable housing and was elected to the board of the NSW peak body of Community Housing Providers in 2018 and served as Chair since 2019. She has held roles on the National Social Sustainability Committee of the Property Council and the board of Liveable Housing Australia.

Michele was the first independent appointment to the Member Services Committee of Local Government Super, Chair of Golf NSW, Chair of Audit & Finance for Learning Links, and Chair of Clinical Governance and Quality for the Community Solutions Group.

As CEO Michele of Cystic Fibrosis NSW she led the merger with CF Victor and held national leadership roles in diversified health, education and community organisations. Before moving to the for-purpose sector Michele provided strategic consulting services to blue-chip international corporates and government agencies.

Michele has been a WOB member for many years and is a highly effective advocate for social justice and media commentator.

Listen to Michelle’s PODCAST here

Alison Rowe

Alison has extensive Environmental Social Governance (ESG) experience, including global responsibility for strategy development, delivering transformation programs, commercialising new business models, community development and advocacy. She has led the establishment and scaling up of sustainability consulting practices internationally and organisation growth in purpose led organisations.

Alison has worked in the fields of conservation, energy, transport, infrastructure, and technology in the private, public and not for profits sectors. Alison leads with a strong focus of values, people, and collaborative partnerships.

Alison is the Managing Director for The Nature Conservancy Australia and a Non – Executive Director at Edge Environment. She has held previous Board positions at the Infrastructure Sustainability Council, Australian Energy Foundation, Future Business Council, Bioregional Australia, Climate Alliance, Environment Victoria and One in Five.

Alison completed the Business and Environment program through Cambridge University, holds a Master of Business Administration Management and Post Graduate Diploma in Technology Management.

Alison is a long-standing member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Women on Boards and is a Williamson Fellow.

Read Alison's Interview HERE

CULTURAL DIVERSITY

Mahjabeen Zaman

Chair of Women on Boards’ Cultural Diversity Committee, Mahjabeen has over 17 years of experience in financial services which has helped her develop a deep understanding of investment markets and a wide professional network, both in Australia and Internationally. Mahjabeen's experience in managing Sub-institutional clients and Ultra High Net Worth individuals/families across various geographies including Singapore, Indonesia, Indian subcontinent, UAE, UK and Australia, has embedded her with a global mindset and approach to managing complex investment solutions, portfolio management and relationship building. Mahjabeen is passionate about diversity and inclusion.

She is a member of the Citi Women’s Network Committee and the NSW State Leadership Committee for Women in Banking and Finance - Australia. Currently working as a senior investments specialist after also running her own highly successful fashion label i\in Asia for eight years, multilingual Mahjabeen is passionate about ESG and sustainability, and how it is driving investment thinking, and lectures on the subject at Macquarie University.

She is also a mentor for emerging leaders and a graduate of the news organisation Bloomberg’s New Voices program which provides one-on-one media training for top women executives in finance and business.

Listen to Mahjabeen's PODCAST here

Marcella Lazarus, GAICD

An executive Director, committee member and business owner experienced in founding and growing a business with expertise in organisational culture and transformation, Marcella has been a Women on Boards member for 15 years and is a member of WOB’s Cultural Diversity Committee and was one of the survey architects of WOB’s inaugural Counting Culture Survey. She brings solid experience in community consultation and engagement, particularly with people with a disability, or who have a culturally or linguistically diverse background (CALD) and is experienced at influencing and advising across Executive, Boards and Committees.

Read our INTERVIEW with Marcella here

DISABILITY & INCLUSION

Nadia Moffat

Nadia is a highly experienced and qualified non-executive director, chair and committee member with over 20 years’ experience in business, government and the not for profit sectors across Australia in corporate, telecommunications, health and community services.

A strong advocate for sustainable change, Nadia was acknowledged with an Order Of Australia Medal in 2021 for service to community health particularly for people with acquired brain injuries. She is currently Chair of the Governance Subcommittee with Brain Injury SA, and NED with Australian Communications Consumer Action Network.

Listen to Nadia’s PODCAST here
Read Nadia's INTERVIEW here

Roberta Wright

WOB member Robert describes her journey towards seeking board roles as a "long, winding and tortuous road".  A love of travel dictated Roberta's many moves and jaunts around the country, and the world. While living in the UK, working as a Business Development Manager for a NHS Foundation Trust, Roberta lost her sight as a result of an operation to remove a benign brain tumour. "Having led a life of supreme independence this was an horrific change of circumstances".

Roberta was adopting a baby girl at the time and social services tried removing her. This led to a High Court injunction which she won, and then included months of assessment before the trial date. She won and became Sophie’s mother. Roberta says adapting to a life without sight has been challenging and include periods of enormous despair. "While I am supremely happy to be alive, disability has changed every aspect of our lives," she says.

Roberta's experiences, qualifications and determination to "keep putting her head above the parapet" has kept this dedicated WOB member focused on learning new skills, to stay relevant and employable as a Board member.

Listen to Roberta’s PODCAST here

LEADERSHIP

Sheena Wilson

Sheena is a Non-Executive Director, Leadership Consultant and Board & Executive Coach. She has lived and worked all over the world, with recognised career success locally and internationally across a number of sectors: banking & finance, engineering, management consulting, BPO, NGO, government, social enterprises, and higher education as examples.

Sheena has been an independent NED and Deputy Chair of Herron Todd White, Australia’s largest independent property valuation firm across all asset classes, since 2014. She chairs the firm’s People, Performance, Nominations and Governance Committee and has also chaired the IT Committee of the Board. Prior to returning to Australia in 2014, Sheena spent 16 years working overseas with two NYSE listed companies, including 12 years at one of the world’s leading financial institutions where she was a member of the firm’s global Operating Committee and worked at the highest levels in cross-border HR and as Head of Global Talent Strategy.

With the highly evolved expertise to marry strategic leadership, HR, operations management and deep commercial acumen, Sheena was also CEO of the firm’s India operations for 3 years. Sheena is an international award-winning expert in Diversity Equity & Inclusion; and a Director and Co-Founder of Parents on Leave. She recently completed a 2-year term as a member of the Nominations Committee for Basketball Australia and is a Trustee of the Banks Rowing Club Foundation. Sheena’s defined purpose is ‘to help others succeed’, and she has been a committed Mentor, Leadership Program Advisor and Facilitator and role model for Women on Boards for many years.

Sheena’s TIPS on being a good leader here

Wendy Teasdale-Smith

Wendy is Women on Boards’ South Australia representative, President of Adelaide Toastmasters Club and an experienced public speaking and presence coach. Wendy is also a Non-Executive Director of Road Safety Education Limited (RSE) and founder of the business ‘What the Stuff’, which specialises in public speaking. An MBA Lecturer at Kaplan Wendy has a successful background in the education industry and was previously the CEO of SATAC. Her motto is ‘Everyone deserves to overcome fear and be heard’.

Read Wendy's interview HERE

STEMM

Dr Marguerite Evans-Galea AM, MAICD

Marguerite is an accomplished scientist, executive, board chair and director. She is IMNIS Executive Director with the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, and co-founder and co-chair of Women in STEMM Australia.

Marguerite has led international research programs in cell and gene therapy for genetic disease at world-leading organisations in the United States and Australia, and has received awards for her research and leadership. She is currently the Australasia Associate Editor on the Editorial Board with Gene Therapy-Springer Nature.

An internationally recognised advocate for inclusion and diversity, Marguerite served on the SAGE Expert Advisory Group with the National Academies and the inaugural Ministerial Council for Women’s Equality in Victoria, and she is an Ambassador for the Victorian Honour Roll of Women. She has also represented Australia at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Women in STEMM meetings.

An advocate for STEMM research, education and innovation, Marguerite has served with advisory groups in State and Federal government, and communicates on a range of science-related topics via social and mainstream media. An independent consultant, speaker, editor and peer reviewer, Dr Evans-Galea is actively engaged across multiple professional sectors in the broader STEMM ecosystem.

Marguerite received the Vice-Chancellor's Alumni Excellence Award from The University of Queensland and is also a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).

Dr Bronwyn Evans AM

Bronwyn is the CEO Engineers Australia, the Chair of Building4.0 CRC, a Director of Standard Communications (GME) and a Director of listed medical device company EBR Systems Inc (ASX EBR).

She recently held the position of CEO of Standards Australia and Vice President (Finance) of the International Standards Organisation (ISO) and was a Director of the Australia-Japan Foundation. Dr Evans has been actively involved in innovation initiatives, including as Chair of MTPConnect (the Industry Growth Centre for Medical Technologies and Pharmaceuticals) and as a member of the Industry 4.0 Advanced Manufacturing Forum Leadership group.

Bronwyn has nearly 40 years’ experience in various engineering roles, including at Cochlear and GE Healthcare. She has an Honorary Doctorate from Swinburne University, is an Honorary Fellow of University of Wollongong and Engineers Australia and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. She has been recognised as one of Australia’s 100 most influential engineers and recognised as a 100 Women of Influence.

Listen to Brownyn’s PODCAST here