Fiona Simpson was elected in 1992 as the Member for Maroochydore and the Liberal National Party Government win in March 2012 saw Fiona elected to the position of Speaker, making her the Queensland Parliament’s first female Speaker in its 150 years. After the 2024 State Election when the LNP formed Government, Fiona was appointed to the Crisafulli Ministry as Minister for Women and Women’s Economic Security, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, and Multiculturalism. As the State Member for Maroochydore, Fiona Simpson is committed to serving her community and keeping the Sunshine Coast liveable and beautiful. In her ministerial roles, she is passionate about respecting the diversity of Queenslanders backgrounds and working with them to create a better future for themselves and their families with hope, dignity, and opportunity. Fiona subscribes to the motto of service above self.

Tricia Stroud is a Kungarkan and Waramungu women with family ties throughout the Northern Territory. Tricia is the Registrar of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations, appointed in May 2022. The Registrar is an independent Statutory Office Holder appointed under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (CATSI Act). Supported by the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC), the role regulates and supports some 3400 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations nationally, a third of whom are also registered charities. Tricia has operated at the senior executive level in the Australian Government’s Indigenous portfolio for over 15 years, leading strategic, policy and performance reforms.

Leading Beyond Boundaries

In today’s changing and challenging work environments, effective leadership means thinking beyond previous boundaries to inspire transformative change. Effective leaders must embrace innovative strategies that prioritise adaptability, foster collaboration, and enhance communication to drive team success. In this session, our expert panel will share their personal journeys and lessons they have learned as flexible, adaptive and innovative leaders. Through their experiences, you’ll gain practical insights and actionable tools to navigate the complexities of modern leadership.

	Sammy Herbert (She/Her) Head of Developer Experience, SixPivot Sammy Herbert is the Head of Developer Experience at SixPivot, a forward-thinking consultancy specialising in .NET application development and cloud consulting. With a commitment to inclusive leadership and developer advocacy, Sammy has been pivotal in shaping SixPivot’s employee experience, earning the company recognition as Australia’s #1 Best Place to Work by the Australian Financial Review. Her work on SixPivot’s public employee handbook reflects her dedication to transparency and creating people-first workplaces. An influential voice in the tech community, Sammy also organises Muses Code JS, a volunteer initiative offering free coding events for women, non-binary, and trans folk, aimed at creating a more diverse and inclusive technology sector. As an advocate and mentor, she continues to inspire the tech industry to prioritise equity, access, and belonging.
	Gemma Lloyd (She/Her) Co-Founder & CEO, WORK180 After spending a decade in the tech industry, facing sexism and discrimination, Gemma Lloyd co-founded WORK180 in 2015 with the mission to create a more equitable working world for women. WORK180’s mission is to give every woman the power of informed choice when making career decisions. Trusted by millions across the U.S., U.K., and Australia, WORK180 champions workplace transparency and progress. Gemma is a regular contributor to media and industry events, speaking on diversity, equity, inclusion, and women’s entrepreneurship. Her work has been featured on Channel 10’s The Project, Channel 7’s The Today Show, Sky News, ABC Radio, and The Drum. She has also spoken at prominent events such as SXSW and AIM’s International Women’s Day Great Debate. Gemma has received numerous accolades, including being a finalist in the 2022 Women’s Weekly Woman of the Future Awards and winning the Women in Technology Entrepreneur of the Year and the Victorian Minister of Innovation’s TechDiversity Award.
	Geraldine Chin Moody (She/Her) Non-Executive Director & Board Performance Principal Geraldine is a Non-Executive Director at Future Group and Relationships Australia (QLD) and the Advisory Board Chair of the ANU Centre for Asian-Australian Leadership. As a Board and Governance Principal at Directors Australia, she works with boards and directors on continuously improving board and board committee governance and performance. Geraldine has held Senior Executive roles in financial services, aviation and professional services with a focus on strategy, operations, people and sustainability. She has also held board director roles over the last 20 years including with the Australian National Committee for UN Women and the Refugee Advice and Casework Service. A qualified lawyer, Geraldine also holds a Master of Science in Coaching Psychology and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
	Lachlan McCarthy (He/Him) Cost Planner & Data Analytics and Systems Lead, Lendlease; Inaugural Recipient of the NAWIC QLD Male Ally of the Year Award Lachlan is a Cost Planner at Lendlease Construction, where he works closely with project teams to provide competitive bidding on a wide range of projects, ranging from budget estimating through to hard dollar tender submissions. An innately curious individual who loves to unpack challenging problems, Lachlan works collaboratively with key stakeholders to address the challenges facing the built environment sector of tomorrow. Beyond the scope of his day job, Lachlan supports and advocates for a number of causes in the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion space including leadership positions with organisations such as NAWIC; driven by his belief that opportunities should be afforded to all regardless of gender, sexuality or any other distinguishing factor. He replicates that effort internally within Lendlease, playing an active committee role in both the Gender Equity and LGBTQ+ Enterprise Resource Groups. Lachlan is also engaged as a Semester Teaching Fellow at Bond University.
	Carina Nixon (She/Her) Project Engineer, GPA Engineering Carina is a young, passionate leader who champions diversity and collaboration in the STEM world. As a Project Engineer at GPA Engineering, she’s tackling decarbonisation head-on, from hydrogen projects to sustainable solutions for gas infrastructure. With a double degree in Engineering and Business, Carina doesn’t just talk the talk – she’s walked the walk as CEO of Youth Without Borders, Chair of Spark Engineering Camps and Gender Equality Advocate for the Women in Pipelines Forum. Her mission? Inspire a diverse new generation of STEM leaders and prove that collaboration across cultures, genders, ages and types of people isn’t just nice – it’s necessary for our future.

This interactive development session will explore the role of artificial intelligence in business and leadership. Through discussions, activities, and real-world examples, we will examine how AI can be used effectively and ethically, and when to proceed with caution. You will gain practical insights and decision-making strategies to navigate AI’s impact in your organisation.

Winitha is a globally recognised and award-winning leader and speaker. She’s got a background as a professional dancer as well as over 20 years’ experience as a C-Suite executive working in North America and Australia, leading organisation-wide transformation projects and managing billions of dollars. Winitha was also awarded an Order of Australia Medal and is known for being an exceptional change-maker working with local grassroots community organisations and service providers at a local, state and federal level. Winitha is committed to delivering real truths in an empowering, challenging and entertaining way. She’s a status-quo breaker, problem-solver and your number one cheerleader. Winitha will help you succeed!

Receiving The 2025 QLD Award for Excellence in Women’s Leadership

Anja is an award-winning disability advocate, named one of the International Day of People with Disability Ambassadors for 2023, model, author and social entrepreneur. Anja’s ventures, including the Women with Disabilities Entrepreneur Network (WDEN), SHH!T Happens, Champion Health Agency and Against the Grain Coffee focus on creating sustainable opportunities for leadership, autonomy and social and economic participation for people with disabilities, driven by the community and inspired by her own lived experience.

Kathryn was called to the Bar in 1987 and was appointed Silk in 2006. She is the Deputy Chair of the Crime and Corruption Commission. Kathryn was an Adjunct Professor of Law at the TC Beirne School of Law, University of Queensland. In 2019, she was Lawyer’s Weekly “Woman Barrister of the Year”. Kathryn is a qualified Family Law Arbitrator and is an accredited mediator. In 2018 Doyle’s Guide, she was recognised as a Leading Family Law Senior Counsel (Australia). She was involved in 3 Royal Commissions: for the State of Queensland in the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Sexual Abuse and the Disability Royal Commission and for various clients in the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. She provided advice, with the constitutional unit of Crown Law, to Dame Quentin Bryce’s ‘Not Now, Not Ever’ Report as to various aspects of domestic violence reform.

Born in the UK, Mel at just 3 months old and her Australian mum arrived back in Melbourne with her West Indian father staying in the UK. She took up cricket and was part of the winning teams in the 1997 and 2005 Women’s Cricket World Cups. After retiring from playing, Mel has focused on supporting, developing, and expanding opportunities and careers for women in sport. In 2015 Mel became a commentator, one of the first-ever female commentators for Indian Premier League (IPL), and is a now part of the coverage for Fox Sports alongside some of the biggest names in the game. In 2019, she received the Medal of the Order of Australia for services towards cricket and the community and has since become a director on the board of Cricket Australia. Her next innings is in the world of startups. Built by women for women, JET Group International is focusing on immersive global experiences for women to thrive in the business of sport by challenging and enhancing their skills, networks and passion. Mel is currently an ambassador for Victoria University and Red Dust Role Models.