Team DCA
Our Board
DCA has a prestigious Board of Directors with extensive experience in the fields of business, HR, law, information technology, management and accounting.
Sunita Gloster AM - Chair
Sunita (she/her) is an experienced Non-Executive Director combining current board and governance experience with a career spanning over 30 years in the professional services sector in Australia and internationally.
Sunita was appointed the Chair of DCA in May 2024, she also serves as a Non-Executive Director for Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, RAA and the SA Tourism Commission. She is a Fellow for the Federal Government’s Centre for Australia-India Relations and a Senior Advisor at Accenture. She has also served as an advisor to UN Women Australia.
Sunita has worked in non-executive, advisory and CEO/C-Suite roles with listed companies, private companies, government bodies and not for profit entities. She has extensive executive and board experience with member associations in regulated arenas including safeguarding community standards. Honoured as a Member of the Order of Australia for her contributions to the media and marketing industry and gender equality, Sunita is an experienced director and globally recognised leader in creating value through customer led strategy, digital and technology platforms and stakeholder management.
Sunita has held a consistent position in Australia’s B&T Women in Media Power List for eleven years and was ranked first in 2024. She is an active member of Chief Executive Women and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Beyond her Board and Advisory work, she is a sought-after keynote speaker, commentator, and guest panellist on ABC TV’s Gruen.
Chris Lamb - Deputy Chair
Chris (he/him) recently completed a 4-year term as Deputy Commissioner at the NSW Public Service Commission. His role included leadership of Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging for the Commission which oversees the largest workforce in Australia.
Prior to this, Chris spent 12 years at Lendlease and served at different times as the HR Director – Australia, Global Head of Organisational Development and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer. During his career, Chris has held HR Executive roles across Asia Pacific, the UK and Europe and driven inclusion programs across the globe.
Chris previously served on DCA’s board from 2010 – 2019 and was a foundation member of the Pride in Diversity (PiD) Advisory Board in 2010, serving until 2020. In 2015 Chris received AHRI’s Diversity Champion Award and in 2018 he completed further postgraduate education in Aboriginal Studies. Chris is also a Non-Executive Director of Netball NSW and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Chris is a registered psychotherapist and sees clients in private practice several evenings each week to play his part in increasing access to mental health support services.
He lives in Sydney with his wife of 30 years, and they have two adult children.
Chris is also the Chair of the People & Culture Committee of the DCA Board.
Julie Canepa - Director
Julie Canepa (she/her) leads Cisco’s Digital Transformation and customer experience strategy across the Asia Pacific, Japan, and China region. Julie is a seasoned business partner for Cisco’s customers, bringing her extensive experience as a chief information officer across eight years to help businesses unlock their technology to drive desired business outcomes and strategy.
Working as a CIO Advisor, Julie draws on her 28 years of industry experience to help organisations drive, and thrive, with their digital transformation initiatives – focusing on technology, process, and people. Currently, Julie counts many companies in the ASX as part of her remit, along with strategic regional customers across a diverse range of industries including finance, public sector, service provider, retail and more.
Prior to this, Julie was the Chief Information Officer for Cisco across Asia Pacific, Japan, and China. In this role she led Cisco’s internal enterprise transformation focusing on growth, productivity, and user experience across a broad technology portfolio and by leading digital IT initiatives throughout APJC. Her strong commitment to operational excellence and aptitude for partnering cross-functionally resulted in great synergies between business and IT. Julie is proud to be named as one of the top 50 CIOs in Australia by CIO Magazine for five years running in recognition of the large-scale transformations she has led in the areas of Commerce, CRM, cloud, hybrid work and data/analytics. Julie shares her passion for technology through active involvement in the IT industry including keynote speaking and media engagements.
With a special interest in promoting STEM education and championing diversity, equity, and inclusion, Julie is executive sponsor for ’Women of Cisco’ Australia and New Zealand. She has supported key programs during her tenure, including ‘Mentor Me’, an annual program which provides over 1,100+ university women with access to mentors through a structured program, and she has championed Cisco’s top talent program which has accelerated women in the organisation into leadership roles. She established, and is executive sponsor of, Cisco’s Cancer Support Network for Asia Pacific, and is active with Cisco’s First Nations Allies Network and ANZ Sustainability.
Julie proudly serves on the Board of Directors for Diversity Council Australia and is Chair of the IT Committee. Julie mentors many young professionals in the IT industry, including women looking for practical guidance and support, and has served as a member of the Industry Advisory Board at the University of Sydney’s School of Computer Science. Julie is a mother to three children and lives in Sydney.
Peter Chun - Director
Peter (he/him) joined UniSuper as CEO in September 2021, bringing more than 30 years’ experience in financial services. His leadership is instrumental in helping shape the future for one of Australia’s largest super funds, with more than 650,000 members and over $149 billion in funds under management (as at 31 December 2024).
Migrating from Hong Kong to Australia at age eight, Peter’s experience of integrating into a new culture instilled in him a passion for diversity and inclusion.
Peter promotes inclusion across both business and community. At UniSuper, he is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace, seeing his role as a way to improve the world for today and for future generations.
He’s an active sponsor and advocate of gender and cultural initiatives. He is passionate about the business benefits of inclusion and how it contributes to improved outcomes for UniSuper’s members, creates strong organisational culture, and better business performance. By fostering an environment where diverse perspectives are valued, people can drive innovation and achieve greater success.
Peter is a qualified Actuary with a Bachelor of Economics from Macquarie University. He holds Graduate Diplomas in Applied Finance and Investments and Financial Planning from the Securities Institute of Australia; and has undertaken the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School (Boston, USA). Peter is a Member of the ASFA CEO Advisory Committee and the Australian Chamber Orchestra Finance Audit & Risk Committee.
Peter also serves on the Finance, Audit & Risk Committee of the DCA Board.
Bronwyn Dodd - Director
Bronwyn Dodd (she/her) is a proud Ngarrindjeri woman and accomplished executive with over two decades of leadership experience spanning the banking, government, and health sectors. As National General Manager of Indigenous Banking at Westpac, Bronwyn leads strategic initiatives that promote financial inclusion and drive sustainable economic outcomes for Indigenous communities across Australia.
Her career is distinguished by a commitment to social impact and operational excellence. Prior to joining Westpac, Bronwyn held senior executive roles including Executive Director, Customers and Services at the South Australian Housing Authority, and leadership positions in finance and human resources within both public and private healthcare systems. She has also delivered strong commercial results across SME, Commercial, and Agribusiness markets in the banking sector.
Bronwyn serves as a non-executive director on the boards of Cancer Council SA and Indigenous Business Australia’s Investment Board, where she contributes her expertise in governance, strategy, and community engagement.
She holds an MBA from the University of Adelaide, completed Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) course, and is undertaking a Diploma in Psychology.
Ian Goshko - Director
Ian (he/him) is the Global Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) at Telstra, Australia’s leading telecommunications and technology company operating in 30 countries. He works with leaders to ensure equitable practices and outcomes, increase diverse representation, and create an environment where everyone is valued and respected. Prior to this current role, he served as the Regional Head of DEI at Macquarie Group for Australia & New Zealand.
Before embarking on his DEI career, Ian had a tenured career in management consulting specialising in change management, IT and HR transformation, and employee experience. Ian worked with global clients in retail, telecom, tech, oil and gas, and mining. He started his career in recruitment, initially in executive search at Odgers Berndtson and then in talent acquisition at Deloitte.
Ian received an Honours in Business Administration (HBA) from the Ivey Business School in London, Canada and is a Certified HR Leader (CHRL) with the Canadian HR Professionals Association. In his spare time, Ian volunteers with Out for Australia and the Canadian Australian Chamber of Commerce (CACC) and sits on the Board of Queer Screen. He also enjoys spending time with family, travelling, and playing tennis.
Ian also serves on the People & Culture Committee of the DCA Board.
Zak Hammer - Director
Zak Hammer (she/her) is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of experience leading transformation across aviation, government, health, and technology sectors. As the Global Head of Delivery, Risk & Transformation at BlueScope Steel, Zak is responsible for driving strategic technology initiatives, governance, and capability uplift across the enterprise.
Previously, Zak held senior leadership roles including APAC Chief Operating Officer for Bupa Technology and Executive Director at the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), where she led a team of over 500 across various portfolios including, IT, digital and data, workforce transformation, program delivery and human resources. Her tenure at Qantas spanned two decades, culminating in roles such as Chief of Staff to the Group CIO and Group Head of Inclusion and Wellbeing, delivered award-winning diversity strategies and operational efficiencies.
Zak is a CEW Scholar (INSEAD) and serves on the Advisory Board of the UNSW Gender Equality Hub. She volunteers and works closely with MKUD Ilinden Sydney one of Australia’s oldest folkloric performing arts groups and is a mother of three. Zak brings deep expertise in organisational transformation, cultural change, and inclusive leadership.
Elizabeth Hristoforidis - Director
Liz (she/her) is a partner in Ashurst’s Risk Advisory practice and, as a regulatory risk and engagement expert, brings a unique perspective and insight from ‘inside the regulator’s mindset’ on governance, accountability, strategy, culture, risk management, conduct, compliance, regulation, supervision and enforcement. Committed to improving organisational and sectoral capability in a way that is aligned with good practice and stakeholder expectations, Liz delivers transformation programs that effect change sustainably, leveraging diversity of thought to inform decision-making.
Across banking, superannuation and wealth management sectors, Liz has shaped major law reform and guidance, and assessed operational readiness and implementation, through a range of previous roles with the conduct regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and the Macquarie Group over almost two decades. She played a pivotal role in establishing ASIC’s enhanced supervisory approach, leading the supervisory teams responsible for the ‘close and continuous monitoring’ of two of Australia’s Big Four banks and another major institution.
Liz has a clear appreciation of good governance frameworks informed by her previous experience as an Associate to the Honourable Justice Neville Owen at the HIH Royal Commission and more than 15 years of applied governance practice as a non-executive Chair and Director in the for-purpose sector. A former Board Director of KU Children’s Services and Chair of the KU Marcia Burgess Foundation Committee, and former Board Chair of Shopfront Arts Coop and Ensemble Offspring, Liz has recognised inclusion and diversity as a pillar of good governance and sustainability throughout her career and is proud to serve Diversity Council Australia and its membership as a Board Director.
She holds a Master of Laws and Management, Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing) and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Liz is Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee of the DCA Board.
Tara Le Friedman - Director
Tara Le Friedman (she/her) is a transformation executive and board director with over 25 years’ experience across the financial services and energy sectors. She is currently Strategic Advisor at Increment. Tara brings expertise in digital transformation, data, strategy, change management, and business operations – helping organisations navigate complexity to deliver business-critical change enabled by data and technology.
Tara’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is deeply grounded in her lived experience. As a Vietnamese refugee who resettled in Canada as a child, she grew up navigating barriers shaped by cultural difference and financial hardship. Over the course of her career, she has forged a path in sectors where women, particularly those from diverse backgrounds, remain underrepresented. Her personal journey has shaped her belief that true inclusion means belonging: being seen, valued, and supported to thrive, regardless of race, gender, or background.
Tara began her career as a Process Engineer in Canada before moving to Australia, where she became the first female Production Superintendent at Caltex’s Kurnell Refinery. Prior to joining Increment, she held executive roles at QBE Insurance and Commonwealth Bank, leading major transformation portfolios, simplifying technology platforms, and driving change adoption to enable scalable, customer-centred services.
Tara also serves as Non-Executive Director (Deputy Chair) for Fair Foundations, a not-for-profit supporting one of Australia’s most culturally diverse and socioeconomically challenged communities in southwest Sydney, where she also sits on the Risk Committee. She is also an Advisor to a UK-based fintech startup to support its progression from early development through to scalable, market-ready growth. Tara actively mentors’ women and culturally diverse leaders, particularly in roles and industries where they remain underrepresented.
Tara holds a Bachelor of Science (Biological Sciences), a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering, an Executive MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Tara lives in Sydney with her husband, their two sons, and two energetic toy cavoodles.
Louise Monger - Director
Louise’s (she/her) leadership credentials and diverse experience characterise her passion for advancing how people and technology perform in the rapidly changing environments in which we live today.
Her expertise comes from 20 years spent working in diverse sectors; including energy management, technology, real estate, and facilities management.
Louise began her career as an electrician in the mining industry, which is where her interest in advocating for diversity and inclusion began. Today, she proudly continues this work as a board member of the Diversity Council Australia.
Louise joined Schneider Electric in November 2020 and leads a 350-person team delivering energy management and automation solutions across all industries.
Previously, Louise was Program Director for Technology and Innovation at AMP Capital. Here she led the real estate division’s digital and innovation team to ensure maximum client and business value was derived from technology investment. Louise has also held senior roles in property management, operations, and facilities management.
Louise is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a member of Chief Executive Women, holds a Masters of Facilities Management, and remains a qualified electrician.
Louise also serves on the IT Committee of the DCA Board.
Craig Mutton - Director
Craig Mutton (he/him) is currently Transformation Executive at Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, leading the design and mobilisation of the firm’s enterprise transformation roadmap. His remit includes shaping governance, building delivery capability, and driving cultural and ways-of-working uplift to enable strategic execution across the firm. Prior to this, Craig was Chief Digital Officer and Vice President Digital at the University of Canberra, where he championed digital and innovation capability uplift, technology and engineering delivery, and reimagined the student and staff digital experience.
Craig’s career spans more than 25 years across the private, public, and higher education sectors. He possesses deep skills in business, corporate, and digital strategy, digital and information technology, enterprise transformation, cyber security, data analytics, and data science, as well as service design and enterprise agility.
Craig has held previous non-executive director roles at Hepburn Health Service (2016–2019) and Castlemaine Art Museum (2016–2023). At Hepburn Health, he was Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee, as well as a member of the Clinical Governance and Credentialing Committee. At Castlemaine Art Museum, Craig was Chair (2018–2022), and a member of the Audit and Risk Committee. Craig is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).
Craig holds a Bachelor of Computing (CompSc) from Monash University, a Master of Project Management from RMIT University, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Melbourne Business School. Craig lives in Melbourne.
Craig also serves on the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee and IT Committee of the DCA Board.
Annie Pettitt - Director
Annie (she/her) is currently the Director of Culture and Inclusion at Transport for NSW, where she is responsible for shaping the strategic direction for the creation of an inclusive, respectful and collaborative workplace culture, together with overseeing the organisation’s employee wellbeing programs and psychosocial hazards mitigations.
Prior to joining Transport for NSW Annie was Director for Women’s Economic Outcomes at NSW Treasury, where she led the development and implementation of NSW’s Gender Impact Assessment Policy, together with the delivery of the NSW Government’s annual Gender Equality Budget Statements as part of the State Budget from 2022 to 2025. Annie also oversaw NSW Treasury’s First Nations Expenditure and Outcomes Budgeting reports, and has been Co-Chair of NSW Treasury’s Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Network since 2021.
Annie has held executive leadership roles in the non-government and public sectors and led her own consulting practice supporting organisations to improve their diversity and inclusion and employee wellbeing policies. Annie worked for seven years in senior leadership roles at the Australian Human Rights Commission, where her work focused on integrating human rights and diversity and inclusion into school curricula, and public service, vocational training and business sector policies and processes.
Annie is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds a PhD in Criminology (human rights and policing), which she completed at Monash University in 2009.
Annie lives in Sydney with her wife and their two young children.
Laura Raymer - Company Secretary
Laura (she/her) commenced as DCA Company Secretary in June 2024.
Laura is the Managing Director and Founder of CFO Strategic, a specialist chartered accounting firm comprising of experienced Chief Financial Officers and Company Secretaries.
Laura began her career in corporate evaluation and business turnaround working for Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (Australia), and PricewaterhouseCoopers (UK). Following that she worked in senior finance executive roles including Finance Director and Operations Director of AOL|7, and CFO of IGT (Australia) Pty Limited.
Since founding CFO Strategic in 2004 Laura has been engaged as CFO, company secretary and operations director and committee chair and governance consultant by clients including ASX listed companies, private companies, start-ups, and not for profit organisations.
Laura has also volunteered as a non-executive director, and committee chair, for not-forprofit organisations including Discovery Australia, Artspace, Relationships Australia NSW and the War Widows Guild NSW.
Laura holds a Bachelor of Business from Queensland University of Technology. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Research External Advisory Panel
DCA’s Research External Advisory Panel is a group that oversees DCA’s research. Members include leading academics and researchers with knowledge of D&I theory and practice.
The panel meets approximately four times a year to provide strategic direction to DCA’s Research function. It assists DCA to deliver on its research vision to work in partnership with members to generate groundbreaking diversity research that enables Australian organisations to leverage the benefits of D&I fully. Panel members provide expert guidance to DCA about our direction and collaborations with the industry. More specifically, this involves:
- Reviewing DCA research vision, research priorities and research projects
- Identifying ‘ahead of the curve’ research topics and emerging issues for possible future research projects
- Assisting in identifying appropriate research partnership and sponsorship opportunities
Annie (she/her) is currently the Acting Director of NSW Treasury’s Women’s Economic Outcomes Team, where she is responsible for providing specialist advice, developing strategic policy initiatives, and collaborating across government to improve women’s economic outcomes.
In 2022, Annie led the drafting of New South Wales’ inaugural gender budget statement, the Women’s Opportunity Statement, which followed the NSW Government’s Women’s Economic Opportunities Review. Annie also oversaw NSW Treasury’s First Nations Expenditure and Outcomes Budgeting reports, and has been Co-Chair of NSW Treasury’s Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Network since 2021.
Prior to joining NSW Treasury, Annie held executive leadership roles in the non-government and public sectors and led her own consulting practice supporting Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) to improve their diversity and inclusion and employee wellbeing policies. Annie worked for seven years in senior leadership roles at the Australian Human Rights Commission, where her work focused on integrating human rights and diversity and inclusion into school curricula, and public service, vocational training and business sector policies and processes.
Annie previously served as a board member of the Women’s Rights Action Network Australia for five years, during which time she was also Co-Convenor of the Women’s Rights (CEDAW) Report Card to the United Nations.
Annie holds a PhD in Criminology (human rights and policing), which she completed at Monash University in 2009. Annie lives in Sydney with her wife and their two young children.
Raymond Trau is senior lecturer at Macquarie Business School in Macquarie University. Raymond’s research focuses on diversity and inclusion. The most notable contribution of his research is on theory and practice of LGBTIQ inclusion
Raymond’s research has been published in a number of international journals including Journal of Applied Psychology, Human Resource Management and British Journal of Management. His research has received research mentions and interviews by major international and domestic media outlets including the Financial Times, Bloomberg, CBS News, Globe and Mail, Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, ABC TV, ABC News, SBS News, ABC Radio, HRM AM, HRM Monthly and HR Daily. Raymond also has contributed opinion pieces to the Harvard Business Review, HRM AM, The Conversation and Work180.
Raymond’s work has a strong link with industry via research collaboration, consultation and co-authorship with profit, non-profit and government organisations including Diversity Council of Australia, Pride in Diversity, Deloitte, QBE, Department of Premier and Cabinet of Victoria, Queensland Health and BHP Billiton.
Dr Dimitria Groutsis is the Program Director of the Dalyell Scholars Stream and Senior Lecturer in the Discipline of Work and Organisational Studies at the University of Sydney Business School.
Dimitria is a leading scholar in the field of migration, labour mobility and cultural diversity in the business context. Her work has appeared in leading national and international peer review journals, book chapters and she has co-edited and co-authored several books. Her consulting role sees her working with the Diversity Council Australia, the Australian Human Rights Commission, the Australian Institute of Company Directors, large corporate sector partners and key stakeholders in the government and non-government sectors. Dr Groutsis has received a number of competitive external research grants, with total funding in excess of 1.5 million dollars. Along with Professors Collins and Reid, she is the recipient of an ARC Linkage grant, examining Syrian-Conflict refugees: settlement, employment and education outcomes.
She currently serves as the Associate Editor of the European Journal of Management, and is an Advisory board member of the Journal of Immigrant and Refugee Studies. She has served on the advisory board of the Diversity Council of Australia (DCA), consulting on their cultural diversity in leadership project and is on the DCA’s Research Committee. She has also been working closely with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) on preserving a large migration archive.
Dimitria is the Convenor of the Migration, Ethno-Racial, Cultural and Intersectionality@Work Research Group at the University of Sydney Business School. Established in 2011, the Research Group provides an important platform for researchers and policy makers to present, discuss and debate research on migration and diversity management in the business context, bringing together a broad audience including: academics, the business community, and representatives from government.
Professor Peter Anderson is from the Walpiri and Murinpatha peoples of the Northern Territory and is Professor and Director Indigenous Research Unit at Griffith University. Professor Anderson’s research spans the area of Australian Indigenous education, educational systems, curriculum and pedagogical interventions and the intersecting relationships with indigenous peoples both globally and domestically. A member of the ARC College of Experts, a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a Fellow of the Queensland Academy of Arts and Science and member of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies and a Lifelong Fellow of the Atlantic Institute at Oxford University. He also holds research advisory positions for the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, the Diversity Council of Australia and the Australian Education Research Association.
Over 400,000 educated Greeks left their country between 2008-2017, looking permanently for more advanced economies due to the Greek financial crisis; Sophia was one of them.
Her experience as a mature professional and a carer of a disabled child seeking better employment, better pay, and better social and economic prospects in a new country defined her professional identity. She is passionate about access to jobs, inclusive workplaces, job quality and businesses that care for local communities.
Sophia holds an MA in Mass Communications from the University of Leicester, a Bachelor of Communications and Mass Media from the University of Athens and undertook the MA of Social Impact by Research from the Swinburne University of Technology in 2016. She focuses on impact frameworks, impact measurement and ways of using media and communications to enable projects with a distinct social purpose.
She is currently the Communications, Marketing and Evaluation Manager at Jobsbank, a for-purpose, not-for-profit independent organisation helping businesses navigate social procurement, diversity and inclusion.
Disability and Accessibility External Advisory Panel
DCA’s Disability and Accessibility External Advisory Panel (EAP) is an external group that provides guidance and advice on DCA’s accessibility and disability-related direction and activities.
The EAP was established as part of DCA’s commitment to ensuring that people with disabilities’ voices are centred in any discussion or work related to accessibility and inclusion.
The EAP is made up of respected leaders in the disability and accessibility community, representing a wide range of lived experiences.
The EAP meets regularly throughout the year to assist DCA, through its members, promote and facilitate accessible inclusive workplaces, including better labour market engagement and recognition of the talents and untapped potential of people with disability.
Manisha (she/they) has worked in innovation, design, environmental advocacy, and with not-for-profits for the past 30 years. She is passionate about social justice and human rights and has skills in the areas of strategy, policy, program design, co-design, and inclusion. She is also the host of With, Not For, a podcast helping companies with practical insights into inclusion by design.
As a neurodivergent, CARM woman, Manisha was the CEO of the Centre for Inclusive Design (CfID) creating Australia’s fist world class Centre for Inclusive Design. She is now the Founder and CEO of the Inclusive Design Collective, a social enterprise leading the conversation in the power of thinking from the edge and Founder of the Inclusive Design Collective. Manisha brings a wealth of experience in the understanding and implementation of inclusive design and human-centred strategy and facilitation. She also has the demonstrated ability to build strategic partnerships and manage complex stakeholder relationships.
Manisha currently sits on the Boards of Bambuddah Group, and Nautunki Theatre Company, as well as the SBS Community Advisory Panel. She was a former Board member and Deputy Chair of ADHD Australia.
Christina (she/her) is the CEO and Founder of the Disability Leadership Institute; a governance and strategy specialist who has now turned her expertise towards disability leadership diversity.
As an active leader in the Australian disability community for over 20 years, Christina worked at an international, national and local level to change the diversity agenda, while mentoring and supporting numerous people with disabilities to their own leadership success. She pioneered the use of mainstream forums by disabled women at the United Nations.
After 20 years working in community sector management, Christina realised that the levels of violence and marginalisation experienced by disabled people were the direct outcome of inequality, and that to address this we need a growth in disability leadership across the public domain.
So in 2016, Christina established the Disability Leadership Institute as a professional hub to build & support our disability leaders. It is the first organisation of its kind globally, run by and for disability leaders. The DLI aims to grow the presence and recognition of disability leaders across all sections of our community while providing specialist leadership development. It is now Australia’s largest professional network of disability leaders. Christina is a regular keynote speaker and commentator, a respected leadership coach, and regularly writes about disability leadership.
In 2013 Christina was acknowledged as one of 100 women of the Canberra Centenary. She was a finalist in the 2014 ACT Telstra Businesswomen’s Awards, and was awarded the Lifetime Achievement in Inclusion at the 2015 ACT Chief Minister’s Inclusion Awards. Christina was a 2017 Westpac Social Change Fellow.
The Disability Leadership Institute was a finalist in the 2018 Telstra Business Awards emerging and energised (start-up) category.
Darren (he/him) has a passion for inclusion and diversity, not just because it is the right thing to do (which it is), but because it is essential for organisations (both commercial and not-for-profit) to succeed and thrive. Organisations which do not genuinely embrace inclusion and belonging as part of their DNA will be left behind.
Darren is blind and has a lived experience of the diversity and inclusion barriers experienced because of impairment. He knows first-hand how important universal design, positive attitudes and open minds are when it comes to ensuring disabled people are treated with the value and dignity they deserve, but unfortunately also knows first hand how rare these things are in our workplaces and society more generally.
Darren looks forward to the day when impairment is no longer a barrier to obtaining, maintaining and succeeding in employment, when the physical, environmental, technological and most importantly attitudinal barriers which prevent people with impairment from participating in society are removed permanently.
Tahlia-Rose (she/her) is a proud Woppaburra woman with a disability, a carer for her mum and Traditional Owner of the Keppel Islands. Tahlia-Rose is dedicated to making visible the institutional and systemic discrimination that perpetrates cycles of violence, exploitation, and disadvantage against her people. She has worked across government, private and community sectors to improve services for First Nations women, girls, and mob with disability. She has expertise in Indigenous feminisms, governance, intersectional analysis, policy, government, family safety, education, and social justice.
Following 10 years in the Australian Public Service Tahlia-Rose has recently taken up the role of National Policy & Systemic Advocacy Manager of the First Peoples Disability Network (FPDN), a position that has enabled her appointment to the CTG Justice and Housing Policy Partnership. Tahlia-Rose is the Chair of the ACT Government’s Ministerial Advisory Council on Women and is the inaugural Chairperson of Sisters in Spirit Aboriginal Corporation, the ACT’s only all-female governed Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisation.
Tahlia-Rose is also passionate about the empowerment of her peoples through education, serving as a Board Director at the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) the ACT’s public and largest vocational education provider and as a Board Director of CIT’s wholly own subsidiary, CIT Solutions. In her spare time Tahlia-Rose is undertaking a Master of Applied Anthropology and Development (Advanced) at the Australian National University (ANU). She also holds tertiary qualifications in government, business, leadership, and human resources management and a Bachelor of Criminology from the ANU.
Kenny (he/him) is a passionate AI and Cyber Security Leader with extensive experience in building diverse, purposeful teams that help customers and partners Digitally Transform with AI and Security front and centre. he is currently the Director of Modern Work & Cyber Security in the Partner division for Microsoft Asia.
Over the last 12 years at Microsoft, Kenny has served customers and partners in a number of roles including Lead Architect in Microsoft Consulting Services, Cyber Security Lead in the Microsoft partner division, National Cyber Security GTM strategy lead and Director of Cyber Security & Privacy Customer Success at Microsoft ANZ.
For over 20 years, Kenny has been heavily involved in all aspects of the Accessibility software standards development and delivery lifecycle. He worked on the Accessibility of Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) standard in the W3c, the epub standard in IDPF, and has been working closely with several engineering teams at Microsoft to make our products and services more accessible to all.
Kenny is the co-chair of the Microsoft global Disability Employee Resource Group (ERG), leads Accessibility for ANZ and also leads Inclusive Hiring in region.
Catherina (she/her) is an out and proud queer, neurodivergent, chronically ill and disabled woman living on unceded Gadigal country. She has worked in Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) for over 20 years in Europe and Australia, in both public & private sectors.
Currently, Catherina leads the D&I portfolio for Suncorp across Australia & Aotearoa (New Zealand), responsible for building a diverse workforce and an inclusive workplace where all employees can thrive. Delivering an intersectional and sustainable approach, Catherina shifts strategic focus to the policies, processes and practices that marginalise employees.
Inclusion is more than a ‘day job’ for Catherina, it is core to her identity and lived experience. Acknowledging her privilege as a white woman, Catherina is committed to creating space for all diverse stories, increasing corporate knowledge of intersectionality, and addressing systemic barriers to full and equal workforce participation.
Alex (she/her) is the Chief Change Officer at Amaze—Australia’s peak autism body—where she’s all about making autism inclusion the norm in every aspect of life. With over 20 years of experience spanning three continents in higher education, organisational learning, and leadership development, she’s passionate about making work more human for every neurotype.
Before joining Amaze, Alex started a PhD exploring how team climate and leadership behaviour impact neurodivergent inclusion in mixed neurotype teams—and she jokes that she’s not sure if she’ll ever finish it! In her previous role as the Strategic Learning Advisor at Melbourne Business School, she led initiatives that tackled evolving leadership challenges in our rapidly changing world.
Being Autistic and ADHD herself—and a parent of two neurodivergent children—Alex is dedicated to crafting innovative, high-impact solutions that mobilise organisations, spark positive change, and empower Autistic people to thrive.
The DCA Team
DCA has an experienced and dedicated team that is passionate about diversity and inclusion in Australia. Together, we represent many diversity dimensions and we know that our strength as a team lies in our broad range of expertise and lived experiences.
Work with us
At DCA, we’re proud to foster a supportive and inclusive culture. We encourage true flexibility and aim to create a work environment where every member of our team feels valued and empowered to contribute and progress fully.