Meet Our Team

Our WiTWA Patron

works tirelessly to ensure that we develop a more diverse STEM and Innovation community.

Professor Lyn Beazley

WiTWA Patron | STEM Champion
Member Bio

We are incredibly proud to have Professor Lyn Beazley, AO FTSE, inductee of the Western Australian Science Hall of Fame and former Chief Scientist of WA, as the Patron of Women in Technology WA and Champion of Techtrails. For Professor Lyn Beazley, science is a lifelong passion. After graduating from Oxford and Edinburgh, Lyn has dedicated over 30 years to neuroscience, researching recovery from brain injury and changing clinical practice in the treatment of premature infants.

As Western Australia’s Chief Scientist from 2006 to 2013, Lyn advised governments on science and innovation, worked closely with industry and was a science ambassador in Australia and internationally. Lyn has been determined to demonstrate that science is not just a theoretical exercise, but a practical one too. She helped establish a nationwide ‘hotline’ for school laboratory technicians, worked for healthier waterways by establishing Dolphin Watch, spearheaded a program supplying microscopes to over 450 primary schools and introduced the international science communication competition Famelab to Australia. Lyn was also part of the negotiating team that ensured Australia would co-host the Square Kilometre Array of radio-telescopes, the world’s largest science endeavour. Lyn’s goal is for every Australian child to learn and love science.

WiTWA Governing Board

is a collection of inspiring women who guide WiTWA both from a strategic perspective and in our day-to-day initiatives.

Terra Tormey

WiTWA Special Projects | Technology Graduate at Bankwest
Member Bio
Terra is a Technology Graduate at Bankwest, with a background as a Digital Marketing Specialist. She’s all about championing diversity and inclusion in STEM. As a member of WiTWA’s Central Committee, she brings a fresh perspective on the challenges and opportunities for women in tech and helps steer the direction of the organisation.
Terra loves learning, tackling new challenges, and making a difference. She’s here to inspire and support young professionals diving into STEM careers, proving that tech is a space where everyone belongs.

Janie Plant

WiTWA Chair | Senior Legal Counsel at Capgemini
Member Bio

Janie previously had a 15-year IT career in training, desktop support, network administration and infrastructure project management before retraining and moving into the law.  Her association with WiTWA started in WiTWA’s very early years as one of the first speakers at WiTWA’s predecessor to the Techtrails program.  Today Janie is a Senior Legal Counsel at Capgemini Australia and sits on a number of committees and advisory boards dedicated to supporting lawyers who are navigating disruption and new technologies that are transforming the legal profession.  A long-time strong supporter of WiTWA, Janie is committed to increasing representation of and promoting women in STEM and and is honoured to Chair WiTWA’s Governing Board.

Emma Richards

WiTWA Operations Lead | Customer Experience Manager at Inspired IT Services Perth
Member Bio
With over 30 years of experience spanning IT, Accounting, Civil Engineering, Advertising, Mining, and Architecture, Emma Richards is a powerhouse in senior management. She has a proven track record of driving business success through her expertise in technical operations, sales, finance, and HR, seamlessly integrating these functions to create high-performing teams and exceptional customer experiences.
Emma thrives in customer-focused environments, where her ability to build strong relationships, understand complex client needs, and deliver tailored solutions sets her apart. Her leadership journey has been defined by spearheading transformative projects, optimizing business operations, and fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation.
A dynamic and results-driven leader, Emma is passionate about talent development, team empowerment, and strategic growth. She possesses a holistic understanding of business operations, allowing her to align company objectives with customer expectations, ensuring sustained success and long-term client partnerships.

Jessica Coverley

WiTWA Treasurer | Lead Treasury at South32
Member Bio
Jessica is an accomplished risk management and finance professional, with over a decade’s experience across risk, treasury, and commercial.
Jessica’s experience working in a treasury team for a global mining company has exposed her to financial markets, and given her hands-on experience in liquidity management. Her expertise in designing and monitoring financial risk frameworks has been instrumental in embedding strong risk management practices within her team.
Her professional journey is underpinned by academic qualifications in finance, economics, and accounting. Jessica is a member of the Chartered Accountants Non For Profit WA working group with the aim of improving governance and financial literacy across local NFPs.
Photo Kay Hargreaves

Kay Hargreaves

WiTWA Deputy Chair | CEO & Founder of Colleagues Matrix
Member Bio

Kay specialises in transforming the way organisations collect, manage, use and apply data. With over 30 years working and consulting experience in digital data, Kay is passionate about technology and uses her natural enthusiasm for continuous improvement and her technical experience to help organisations gain a competitive advantage through innovation. Kay encourages people to question normality and promotes collaboration to generate new ideas that improve productivity and lead organisations towards high performance.

Courtney Carr

WiTWA Secretarial & Risk Lead | Industry & External Engagement Lead at AusSRC
Member Bio
Courtney is a passionate professional in the technology industry, who loves to be challenged and is constantly asking questions.
She joined the WiTWA Techtrails team in 2020 and moved into the Central Committee in 2023, she cares deeply about social justice and inspiring young women and gender diverse people into STEM+ careers. Courtney is always looking for ways to educate herself and work with others to create diversity, inclusion and positive change in our communities.
Courtney brings her technology project, stakeholder management, and outreach experience to her role as the AusSRC Industry and External Engagement Lead at the Curtin Institute of Radio Astronomy. She supports the AusSRC with finding opportunities to translate scientific outcomes to industry and facilitate complimentary projects to make greater impact.

Raissa Amaral

WiTWA Conference & Awards Lead | Partner at Visagio
Member Bio

Raissa is a Partner at Visagio, she holds a Bachelor in Computer Science, with great interest in making technological solutions understandable by anyone. She has led and developed projects ranging from web development, data visualisation and data analytics. She is passionate about building interfaces that make user’s lives better, and why not, prettier?! When offline, she loves spending her time doing some (sometimes successful, sometimes not) house DIY’s.

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WiTWA Operations Team

is your go-to team for anything partnerships.

Emma Richards

WiTWA Operations Lead | Customer Experience Manager at Inspired IT Services Perth
Member Bio

Zaya Altangerel

Marketing Officer
Member Bio

With a diverse background in digital content production, Zaya brings creativity, fresh ideas, and a passion for storytelling to the role. She’ll be supporting WiTWA’s communications and campaigns across all channels — helping us spotlight the incredible work of our community and grow our reach across WA and beyond.

Ana Drummond

Business Development and Marketing Coordinator
Member Bio

With over 10 years’ experience in marketing strategy, stakeholder engagement, and project coordination, Ana brings a wealth of expertise and energy to the role.

She’ll be leading the charge on WiTWA’s marketing and communications, while also taking the reins on our sponsorship and partnership programs — working closely with our corporate partners to ensure we deliver meaningful value and build long-term, impactful relationships.

If you’re interested in sponsorships or partnerships, feel free to connect with Ana on LinkedIn or [email protected].

Petra Trinke

Strategic Programs and Community Impact Lead
Member Bio

Petra brings extensive experience in program design, stakeholder engagement, and community development, and is deeply passionate about creating inclusive pathways into tech.

In her new role, Petra will lead the coordination and delivery of some of WiTWA’s flagship programs — including Cyber Thrive, Techtrails, and STEMpower — all focused on inspiring the next generation, empowering women, and strengthening WA’s future workforce.

With a clear focus on measurable impact and meaningful community connection, Petra’s work will help expand WiTWA’s reach across the state and ensure our programs continue to drive real change.

If you’re interested in WiTWA’s strategic community programs, feel free to connect with Petra on LinkedIn or [email protected].

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WiTWA Volunteers

are the welcoming faces at all events who work hard to make sure the events happen and we all feel welcome and valued.

Katherine Berrosco

WiTWA Awards Committee | Tech Problem Solver | Leading with empathy and purpose
Member Bio
Experienced Practitioner and Certified Agile BA, CSPO, and PSM with a decade of expertise across diverse industries, including public transport, engineering, automotive, health insurance, and banking. As a positive, results-driven, and tenacious Product-Business Analyst, Katherine excels at transforming concepts into tangible outcomes and solving complex business challenges using technology.

Katherine believes that empathy and compassion are not signs of weakness; rather, they are her superpowers, enabling her to build bridges between people and teams for better outcomes. She is a strong advocate for diversity and belonging, drawing from her personal journey as a professional immigrant woman. Through mentoring, she has empowered other women to reconnect with the workforce in Western Australia.

Marlo Rae

Digital innovation, content and strategy
Member Bio

Marlo is a creative collaborator focused on creating valuable experiences for customers and communities. With a background in content and digital strategy, she has worked on exciting projects with talented teams in public, corporate, and non-profit sectors in Perth and Melbourne.

She is passionate about improving digital experiences and creating engaging, inclusive, and accessible content. Marlo appreciates the processes that lead to these outcomes, and loves learning and collaborating to find creative solutions and new ideas that combine effective communication with great experiences. She’s also a proud book nerd and pop culture enthusiast!

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.

Photo of Karolina Plange-Korndorfer

Karolina Plange-Korndorfer

Corporate Finance Professional
Member Bio

Karolina is a highly competent, motivated and dedicated Treasury professional with years of experience within the Finance sector. Her can-do attitude and financial analysis abilities allow her to operate with a level head, enabling her to take on any task and complete it thoroughly and with the highest level of quality.

Karolina believes that together we can help our next generation drive for equal opportunity and a more diverse workforce. We need to lead by example and help each other and female professionals around us to speak up and be bold.

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WiTWA Ambassadors

are proud representatives of WiTWA in the community.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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Join WiTWA

Want to stay up to date with the latest on what’s happening at WiTWA? Become a member to receive invites to our upcoming events, hear about our annual WiTWA Tech [+] awards, and get news about all things tech [+].

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