WiTWA Ambassadors

are proud representatives of WiTWA in the community.

Tracey Naidoo

Creating Value and Connection
Member Bio

Tracey makes a valuable positive difference in this world by leading highly skilled teams to deliver digital improvements and innovation. She has a long history of working on technology’s bleeding edge and creating industry disruptor systems. Tracey found her place at WiTWA when she left her home country and realised that none of her previous professional contacts were of any use to her in this new country. After struggling on her own to establish these connections, she attended a WiTWA event and realised the opportunities it provided for networking and expanding her skillset as well as meeting prospective mentors, employers and like-minded peers. Tracey started volunteering on the WiTWA events sub-committee and eventually joined as a board member. Now she serves as a WitWA Ambassador to help more people find welcoming and empowering WiTWA culture.

Donna Edwards

CEO @ SHOUTOUT | Partner Manager @ Amazon Web Services | Community lover
Member Bio

Donna has been enabling technical teams for over twenty years. She is passionate about helping businesses scale, creating great workplace environments where people can thrive. Donna works for AWS as the Partner Manager across WA/SA and was previously the State Delivery Manager at Readify, leading a team of 80. She is the CEO of startup SHOUTOUT – a simple recognition platform designed to help companies create a culture of gratitude. Donna holds an MBA and MHRM giving her a deep understanding of the connection between business and people.

Donna is passionate about community and is involved with many NFP groups including Women in Technology WA, Muses Code JS, Tech Girls Movement, Women who Code, Beacon Foundation and 100 Women. Donna was recognised for her contribution to Professional Services and Community with a 40 under 40 Award in 2019. She is a regular conference speaker, panelist, panel host and keynote speaker and has presented internationally on topics around leadership, diversity and employee engagement.

Tina Ambrose

Past WiTWA Co-Chair | Founder CEO, Valrose.
Member Bio

Tina started her WiTWA journey attending events when she arrived in Perth in January 2016. A huge fan of the WiTWA Community from the outset, Tina always championed the organisation to her network. In January 2019, Tina formally joined the WiTWA Communications Sub-Committee, where she took on responsibility for developing social media marketing. In December 2019, Tina took on the role of Communications Lead. In November 2020, when the wonderful Pia Turcinov stepped down as Chair in November 2020, Tina proudly joined Kay Hargreaves as Co-Chair of WiTWA. She is immensely proud of the WiTWA’s growth since her joining in 2019 and is grateful to be surrounded by such a fantastic team across the WiTWA Committees and Sub-Committees.

Tina is also the Founder and CEO of WA’s leading technology recruitment agency for customer experience – Valrose. Tina and the Valrose team are driven by the purpose of improving the perception of recruiters globally on a mission to add value to every company and person they work with.

Photo Lacey Filipich

Lacey Filipich

Founder & Managing & Director, Money School & Maker Kids Club. 
Member Bio

Lacey began her career as a chemical engineer in the mining industry after graduating as valedictorian from University of Queensland in 2003, but she has always identified as an entrepreneur (Lacey started her first business at 10 years old). Today, Lacey is the co-founder and director of two successful education start-ups; Money School and Maker Kids Club. She continues to consult in the mining industry in the area of operational improvement.

Photo Steve Carroll

Stephen Carroll

Partner, Research & Development Tax Services, RSM Australia
Member Bio

Stephen is a Director in the Tax Services Division with specialist skills in the R&D Tax Incentive and innovation consulting services. Since commencing his career in 1999, Stephen has been providing consulting services across Australia in a diverse range of industries and to businesses of varying size, from start-up innovators to large multi-national corporations.

Stephen is well connected to the Innovation Community at all levels and keeps well informed of contemporary developments in innovation and industry. His specialist expertise is leveraged by industry professionals, both local and international. Stephen’s commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship is clear and ongoing, as is demonstrated by his involvement in various committees and organisations. Steve accepted the role as WITWA Ambassador in April 2019.

LinkedIn.

Dr Simon Carroll

Head of Science – Collections & Research with the Western Australian Museum
Member Bio


Head of Science – Collections & Research with the Western Australian Museum, the State’s premier cultural organisation, housing WA’s scientific and cultural collection. For over 120 years the Western Australian Museum has been making the State’s natural and social heritage accessible and engaging through research, exhibitions and public programs. Previously, Dr Carroll was the Head of Science Partnerships at Scitech and Director of the WA Biomedical Research Institute. He has also held a number of executive positions in CSIRO and publicly-listed biotech companies. Dr Carroll is a serial innovator and has been involved in a number of start-up companies.

Website. Position.

Anitra Robertson

Manager, Deloitte Consulting
Member Bio

Leveraging today’s unprecedented growth in digital technology, Anitra has developed her expertise in driving global transformation projects that align people and technology within the mining and healthcare sectors.
Before joining Deloitte, Anitra spent 13 years working with Rio Tinto and BHP on major optimisation projects, cybersecurity and automation projects including the introduction of autonomous trucks and drilling technology as part of Rio Tinto’s Mine of the Future® programme.
In healthcare, Anitra partnered with industry and leading universities to establish evidence-based applications of virtual and augmented reality, robotics and data science in medical training and patient care.  Anitra accepted the role as WITWA Ambassador in April 2019.

LinkedIn.

Photo Sheryl Frame

Sheryl Frame

Deputy Chair, WITWA from 2004 – 2017 & Director, EDICT International Consultants
Member Bio

Sheryl works as a Commercialisation Adviser for Accelerating Commercialisation – an element of the Entrepreneur Infrastructure Program (EIP) , a federal government initiative. She worked for many years with innovative technology-based business, helping them take their product or services to market. Sheryl has a number of Institute memberships, including the Institute of Directors (South Africa), the Institute of Marketing Managers (South Africa and Australia), the Computer Society (South Africa and Australia), and is a previous member of the PHISC (Private Healthcare Industry Standards. She is a strong supporter of workplace equality, volunteers for SpringBoard Enterprise and served on the WiTWA committee in various capacities from 2004 until 2017. Sheryl accepted the role as WITWA Ambassador in April 2019.

LinkedIn.

Marjolein Towler

WITWA Chair from 1998-2016 & Principal Consultant (Business Process & Promapp) – Director, Consultas Pty Ltd
Member Bio

Marjolein was part of WiTWA for nearly 20 years and played an incredibly significant role in building the network and program scope, while creating a vibrant network with real impact. She continues to champion diversity and equity in the workplace and encourages government to continue to support this change. Marjolein is an Information Designer, Facilitator, certified Project Management Professional (PMP), and Certified Process Professional Champion (CPPC). She has extensive experience in the development of Business and Project Management Systems through Business Process Mapping, as well as teaching and training development & delivery. Marjolein accepted the role as WITWA Ambassador in April 2019.

LinkedIn.

Leisa Aitken

Principal Consultant, Department of Education
Member Bio

Passionate about ICT and STEM education, Leisa assisted in the establishment of the Ashdale STEM Focus Group and subsequent STEM Institute which develops students’ skills in emerging technologies and creative thinking. She is an advocate for the early immersion of girls into STEM education. Leisa believes that ICT access and high-quality ICT education is the key to ensuring students have a successful future, regardless of their background. Recognising that some found the introduction of new technologies in their homes daunting, she initiated workshops to enable parents to understand its impact and to feel more comfortable with their children’s use of technology. Leisa assisted in the development and delivery of STEM initiatives to students at Ashdale Secondary College and the wider community including an annual STEM Girls Day Camp, STEM Champions Workshops for parents and STEM Expo for the community. She is on the Techtrails sub-committee, ensuring that students from many other WA high schools also have the opportunity to connect with STEM role models and are encouraged to pursue STEM careers.

Diana Adorno

Global Head of Design (Operations), ThoughtWorks
Member Bio

As a Head of Design, Diana looks at design across the enterprise using a service design and evidence-based approach. She is a designer, researcher and strategist who produces digital products using an Agile and Lean approach. She continually experiments with different aspects of the design process to reveal intuitive, feasible designs as well as the transformation for people and organisations. She has worked across many industries and pulls insights across all of them. She has a technical, design and a qualitative research background in Cognitive Anthropology. Diana has worked globally as consultant on digital products in Australia, Asia, UK and Europe. She supports diversity in thought, action and creed.  Diana supports diversity in every aspect of life and culture.

Photo Aparna Burke

Aparna Burke

Communications Advisor, RSM Australia
Member Bio

Not afraid to disrupt the status quo, Aparna identifies as a change agent and is constantly seeking ways to enhance or improve business.

Prior to this, Aparna had a career in corrections spanning 18 years providing crisis counselling and rehabilitation programs to prisoners, slowly transitioning into policy development and communications.

Aparna champions strong female role models and diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Pia Turcinov profile photo

Pia Turcinov

Past WiTWA Chair | Director, FundWA | Co-Founder VentureX HQ
Member Bio

Pia joined WITWA in 2014 initially as a Committee Member and later taking on the role of Chair until stepping down in 2020. Pia is a recognised leader for her work in empowering women and supporting entrepreneurship. With qualifications in law, business and corporate governance, and 30+ years professional and commercial experience, Pia is a seasoned businesswoman and strategic advisor to innovators, corporations, and policy makers. Her lived entrepreneurial experience, commercial know-how and diverse networks enable her to leverage, support and amplify the opportunities which innovation, entrepreneurship and the digital economy offer. Pia manages a portfolio of interests, is a director of FundWA, co-founder of VentureX HQ and sits on a number of boards in the technology, property, health and energy sectors.

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