WiTWA Tech [+] Conference 2025: Agenda

Our unique offering to the WA community. Meet our role models, members, community and supporters in one place at our annual WiTWA Tech [+] Conference.

Registration (30 min)

Welcome, Housekeeping, Intro & Minister Address (45 min)

Banu Kannu 

MC

Janie Plant 

Chair (WiTWA)

Opening Keynote: From Underrepresented to Unstoppable: Accelerating YOU in Tech (45 min)

Michelle Redfern

Michelle Redfern

Confidence is often sold as the key to career success. For women in tech, confidence alone is not enough to accelerate careers. What makes the difference is Business Intelligence (BQ), the ability to understand the business, think strategically, and deliver measurable results.

In this keynote, Michelle Redfern, Gender Equity Strategist, founder of Advancing Women, and author of The Leadership Compass, speaks to women in tech at every career stage. Whether you are starting out, moving through mid-career, aiming for senior leadership, or already shaping strategy at the top, she explains why BQ is missing from most career advice for women and how developing it accelerates leadership impact.

You will learn what holds women in tech back, the skills that drive influence and recognition, and how to position yourself to reach your full potential.

Morning Tea Break (30 min)

Exploration and Entry

Keynote Early Career Stage: Stepping into the Unknown (45 min)

Talar Anjer Koushian

Talar Anjer Koushian

Talar Anjer Koushian is a dynamic leader in Cybersecurity Awareness and Engagement at South32, whose journey from finance to technology is a powerful story of courage, resilience, and transformation.

As a refugee, Talar overcame immense challenges early in life, experiences that have fueled her determination and adaptability in navigating an entirely new career path with limited technical experience.

In her keynote, Talar will share her inspiring journey of stepping boldly into the unknown, the challenges she conquered, and the lessons she learned, offering invaluable insights for anyone looking to make a meaningful career change or overcome obstacles in their professional life.

Early Career Stage Panel: Starting Strong in Tech (30 min)

Breaking into tech is exciting — and intimidating. This panel brings together women who have walked the early-career tightrope, navigating unconventional pathways, landing that first role, and finding their place in the industry. Through real stories and courage, they’ll share how to build confidence in rooms where you feel like the least experienced, how to turn volunteering and community into career-building networks, and how to stand out when your starting out.

Whether you’re pivoting into tech or just starting out, you’ll leave with practical strategies for building resilience, backing yourself, and seeing your “beginning” as your unique strength.

Panelists

Talar Anjer Koushian

Cyber Security Awareness Specialist

(South32)

Alicia Lopez

Associate Developer

(Matrix Data)

Sarah Mateljan

Founder

(Law CPD, GenLearn)

Jessica Suszek

System Administrator

(Quartex Software)

Lunch Break (30 min)

Growth and Leadership

Keynote Mid Career Stage: Owning your Growth (45 min)

Emily Cannings

From Airbnb to Canva, Emily Cannings has led QA teams inside two of the world’s most recognised tech companies. Her career has also spanned five countries, giving her a global perspective on resilience, influence, and the power of optimism in leadership.

You’ll walk away with fresh optimism — and the tools to turn it into your next big step.

Mid Career Stage Panel: Owning Your Growth (30 min)

The middle stretch of your career can be the most dynamic — and the most challenging. In this panel, women share the reality of moving from “doer” to leader, advocating for themselves with confidence, and navigating the plateaus, pivots, and setbacks that often come mid-career. Expect honest insights on preparing for leadership before you have the title, and balancing empathy with results when leading others.

This conversation is about momentum and resilience — how to keep growing without burning out, how to find sponsors as well as mentors, and how to step into influence even when self-doubt creeps in. You’ll leave with strategies you can apply the very next day to take ownership of your growth.

Panelists

Emily Cannings

QA Manager

(Canva)

Katherine Berrosco

Senior Product Owner

(Bankwest)

Janaki Gunawardhana

Manager IT Automation

(Rio Tinto)

Sangeetha Mohan

Senior Project Manager

(SoftwareOne)

Afternoon Tea Break (30 min)

Influence and Impact

Keynote Senior Leadership Stage: Rising Together (45 min)

Vannessa Van Beek

Vannessa Van Beek is no stranger to the zig zags, setbacks, and messy-but-meaningful paths that come with building a career.

Today she is the Global CISO at Fortescue, but her story is less about titles and more about resilience, risk-taking, and learning to back herself before she felt “ready.”

In her keynote, Vannessa speaks directly to women in tech at every stage—sharing the challenges she faced, the lessons she’s learned, and the moments she almost gave up. Her talk is real and unpolished, reminding us that failure, burnout, or loss don’t disqualify us—they shape us. Attendees leave with permission to hope, to take bold steps, and to lift one another along the way.

Senior Leadership Stage Panel: From Leading Teams to Leading Strategy (30 min)

What’s next when you’ve mastered senior leadership? This panel explores the leap from leading teams to shaping strategy, and from the executive table to the boardroom. Leaders who have made the transition will share how they raised their strategic profile, built governance readiness, and navigated the complex dynamics of influence at the highest levels.

The discussion will highlight the skills, networks, and mindset shifts that prepare women for the C-suite and beyond — as well as the responsibility senior leaders carry to open doors for others. Attendees will leave with clarity on how to position themselves for executive opportunities, confidence in their ability to influence authentically, and a bold vision for women shaping the future of governance.

Panelists

Vannessa van Beek

Global CISO (Fortescue)

Janelle Baily

Asst. Director Data Science and Analytics (WA Police)

Lakshmi Harindran

Head of Digital Office (Woodside)

Tash Wick

Chief People Officer (Data #3)

Closing Keynote (45 min)

TBA

Close

Thank you and close (15 min)

Janie Plant

Chair (WiTWA)

Networking Drinks

Michelle Redfern to book sign

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