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Organisational Structure Premier's Council for Women |
Speakers Biographies
Millie Ingram
Wyanga Aboriginal Aged Care Program
Millie Ingram represents the Wyanga Aboriginal Aged Care Program in Redfern. She has worked extensively in Aboriginal Affairs at both the local level and with government, having worked for the NSW Department of Aboriginal Affairs for 13 years. Millie’s work has been in child care, education, land rights and Aboriginal women’s issues. She worked for 3 years with Aboriginal women in prison at Mulawa, Emu Plains and Dylwinnia.
Millie received a Centenary of Federation award medal from the Commonwealth government in 2001 for her services to the community.
The Honourable Verity Firth MP
NSW Minister for Women and Minister for Education and Training
Verity previously worked as a lawyer for the respected national firm Slater & Gordon, and has practised in asbestos litigation, workers compensation and industrial law. She has also served on the boards of both the Law and Justice Foundation - an organisation dedicated to improving access to justice for socially and economically disadvantaged Australians – and Aidwatch, a campaigning body that monitors the flow of Australian aid overseas.
In March 2007, Verity was elected the State Member for Balmain. She was also elevated to the Ministry, becoming Minister for Women, Minister for Science & Medical Research, Minister for Health (Cancer), and Minister Assisting the Minister for Environment. Subsequently, she became the Minister for Climate Change and the Environment.
Verity has introduced major reforms in each of her portfolio areas. As Minister for Women, she has restructured NSW Domestic Violence services, to ensure police, health and support services are integrated and accessible to women and families in need. She also secured an extra $2.9m in annual funding for anti-violence programs.
Nareen Young
Chief Executive Officer, Diversity Council Australia
Nareen Young was appointed CEO for the Diversity Council Australia (DCA) in June 2007 after working for DCA for two years as Senior Consultant. The CEO appointment is the most recent highlight in her notable career as a senior strategic diversity practitioner and acknowledges her role as one of Australia's leading strategic diversity practitioners and thought leaders.
In early 2009 Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard appointed Nareen, representing DCA, to Chair the Judging and Accreditation Panel for the revamped National Work/Life Awards.
Nareen was the Director of the NSW Working Women’s Centre, funded by Federal and NSW Governments, from 1998 to 2005. In 2003 she was nominated for a Human Rights Award and Medal for her leadership at the NSW Working Women’s Centre in “… developing and implementing innovative and sustained activities …” so that the Centre was an accessible service and could play a significant role in employment matters in New South Wales.
Prior to her appointment at the NSW Working Women's Centre, Nareen was a trade union official and during this time served in female affirmative action positions, in both cases elected by her peers, on the executive of Unions NSW and the Australian Council of Trade Unions.
Nareen has presented and published widely and considers the many career opportunities she has been presented through working in diversity to be a great privilege. She lives in Sydney with her partner, two children and numerous animals.
Marian Baird
Convenor of the Women and Work Research Group, University of Sydney
Marian Baird is Associate Professor in Work and Organisational Studies and the Convenor of the Women and Work Research Group in the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Sydney.
Marian has undertaken research with business, unions and policy makers on matters relating to family-friendly policy and practice. Her most recent projects include studies of parental leave in Australia, gender equity and organisational efficiency in Australian organisations, and investigating the impact of regulatory change on low paid women workers. She has published her findings in Australian and international journals.
Mel Gatfield
Assistant Secretary, Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers’ Union
Mel Gatfield was elected Assistant Secretary of the NSW Branch of the Liquor, Hospitality & Miscellaneous Union in March 2008. Mel is responsible for security, school cleaning and grievance handling and industrial work in the branch.
Mel has been with LHMU since October 2006 holding the position of Lead Organiser with responsibilities in childcare, manufacturing and school cleaning.
Prior to working at the LHMU, Mel worked for 16 years at the Finance Sector Union (FSU) holding the positions of organiser, industrial officer and Branch Assistant Secretary.
Sara Charlesworth
Senior Research Fellow, RMIT University
Sara Charlesworth is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Applied Social Research (CASR) at RMIT University in Melbourne. She has a background in social work, industrial relations and legal studies. Her research interests centre on gender equality in employment at the labour market, industry and organisational levels. She is particularly interested in the ways anti-discrimination and industrial relations regulation is negotiated and shaped in the workplace.
Sara’s research has mainly focused on Australia although it has involved cross-national comparison with a number of European Union countries. She has recently worked on Australian Research Council and government-funded projects around working hours and job quality; organisational change around gender equality and work/life balance; and understandings of sex discrimination in the workplace. Sara is currently involved in a number of research projects, including those on the impact of changes in employment regulation on employees’ work/family balance outcomes in rural Victoria and on the dilemma of providing quality care services to vulnerable populations and decent working conditions for care workers.
Leonie Morgan
Manager, Projects, Department of Planning and Community Development, Victoria
Leonie Morgan is currently Manager Projects for the Victorian Office for the Community Sector.
Previously, Leonie managed the Working Families Program for Workforce Victoria. Here she developed policy to promote balance between work and family responsibilities and pay equity.
This included the Quality Part-Time Work Project where working with unions and employer associations, Leonie developed guidelines promoting quality part-time work in the retail, hospitality, local government, health and law sectors.
Leonie is listed on the Victorian Women’s Honour Roll for her services to women in decision making and is also a Board member of Film Victoria, Victoria’s film, television and multi media authority, and Monash University’s Australian Centre for Research into Employment and the Workplace.
Elizabeth Broderick
Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Australian Human Rights Commission
Elizabeth Broderick is a lawyer, mentor and innovative leader, 2001/02 Telstra NSW Business Woman of the Year and Australian Corporate Business Woman of the Year.
Prior to her appointment as Sex Discrimination Commissioner and Commissioner responsible for Age Discrimination, Elizabeth was a partner at one of Australia’s leading law firms, Blake Dawson and developed the firm’s business case for flexibility in the workplace.
Her efforts contributed to creating a workplace where more than 20 percent of the law firm’s workforce now uses flexible work arrangements.
She established the first Legal Technology Group within a law firm in Australia and is widely recognised as a leader in the delivery of online legal services to educate individuals about the law.
More recently she has travelled the length and breadth of Australia listening to women and men’s concerns about gender equality and age discrimination. In 2008, she was part of Australia’s delegation to the United Nations for the Commission on the Status of Women.
Elizabeth has developed mentoring programs for teenage girls at State High Schools in Sydney and later a mentoring program for female university students.
She has a particular interest in issues related to gender equality, women in business, work and life balance and corporate social responsibility. She is a regular speaker at international and domestic conferences.
Elizabeth is married and has two young children.
Kate Cato
Director, People Development (Sydney), Blake Dawson
Kate Cato leads the firm's organisational development function which includes responsibility for the Career and Learning & Development teams. Kate's strategic leadership is demonstrated in the firm's EOWA and Engagement programs, as well as key roles in the areas of Pro Bono, Corporate Social Responsibility and Alumni initiatives.
Kate is committed to developing legal careers at Blake Dawson in the context of life long learning and is responsible for all components of the firm's Career Management System including promotions, appraisal and career planning processes.
With over 20 years' experience in the legal profession, initially as a lawyer and ultimately specialising in law firm management, Kate is a core member of the Blake Dawson senior management team.
Prior to joining Blake Dawson Kate held senior roles in Human Resources and Business Development and led numerous major change initiatives including an international rebranding exercise and a firmwide process re-engineering program.
Katy McDonald
Programme Director, People Transformation, Westpac
Katy graduated in Law (University of Sydney) and Arts (University of Melbourne) in 1989. She developed an interest in human rights law and employee relations while working as an associate for a judge of the Federal Court of Australia and President of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.
Katy worked in private practice in a medium and then a large law firm in Sydney where she practised in commercial litigation and then employment law. She became the Director of Equal Opportunity at the University of Sydney in 1996.
Katy joined Westpac in 1999 where she spent five years heading up Employment Relations Legal and five years in the role of Head of Employee Relations & Policy which also included responsibility for Diversity. Her current role is Programme Director, People Transformation.
Katriina Tahka
Head of Talent & Diversity, AMP Limited
Katriina Tahka is responsible for ensuring that AMP is able to attract and retain the talent that it needs to achieve its business strategy, both now and in the future. This requires a sustainable pipeline of talented employees and future leaders; including people from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences.
To do this Katriina works with the business to embed AMP’s talent management strategy and to build an inclusive culture to support the diversity strategy. She also partners with the business to conduct strategic workforce planning drawing on her understanding of issues impacting the Australian workforce and talent supply such as the availability of genuine flexible work options.
Katriina has a legal background and many years experience providing strategic advice to major corporate clients, as well as individuals, on all aspects of employment law and workplace relations with a particular focus on EEO and anti-discrimination issues.
She is on the Board of the Diversity Council of Australia.
Kate Rimer
Executive Director, People and Development, Mallesons
Kate Rimer joined Mallesons as Executive Director, People and Development in 2004, reporting to the Chief Executive Partner, Robert Milliner. Kate is part of the firm's leadership team and her role covers all aspects of HR including talent management, resourcing and remuneration, learning and development and EEO/flexibility.
Prior to joining Mallesons, Kate worked at AMP for almost seven years and has previously worked at Allens Arthur Robinson and Westpac.
Kate has a Bachelor of Education from the Australian Catholic University and a Master of Commerce (HR Management) from UNSW.
Kate has two young children.