Tania Cecconi (Chairperson)

As a senior manager and executive, Tania Cecconi has worked across the public and not for profit sectors, specialising in post compulsory education, training and employment. She is motivated by improving the workforce participation of vulnerable groups in society, particularly women’s participation.

Tania currently is a program director at Champions of Change Coalition. She works across the coalition as well as supports the National 2021 group that she established in 2021 made up of Western Australian headquartered leaders in resources and construction. Until recently Tania led CEOs for Gender Equity as its first employee since March 2016. In this role she accumulated over 10 000 hours of observing, facilitating, engaging and coaching conversations on gender equity and achieving gender balance in organisations and successfully shifted the conversation in WA from fixing women to fixing workplaces.

Tania has frequently been invited, on referral, to provide long-term solutions for particular issues and established herself as an interim executive offering independence, objectivity and added value as a ‘game changer’. Key assignments have included developing strategic business models and undertaking strategic reviews in health, training and employment services for a government utility, a university, TAFE college and an Aboriginal corporation.

Tania has a Post Graduate Certificate in Organisational Coaching from Swinburne University of Technology and a Bachelor of Business from ECU. Tania is also a Fellow of AIM.

Sarah Van Gent (Deputy Chairperson)

Sarah Van Gent joined the WLSWA Board as Treasurer in 2019. Working as a Director in the Ernst & Young Assurance practice, Sarah has over 10 years’ experience in audit and accounting. She has worked with listed entities, large proprietary companies and not-for-profit entities across a diverse range of industries. Sarah is a current member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.

Ciemone Rowbottam (Secretary)

Ciemone is a dedicated, energetic, and values-driven HR Executive and Operations Leader and a Wellness Coach with significant diverse experience in technology start-ups, resources and energy, engineering, and allied health industries. She has successfully executed grow-to-scale initiatives and led people to transform companies and executives to achieve exceptional organisational performance with engaged employees. She is proficient in either operational executive leadership roles or in a consultancy advisory capacity.

Ciemone’s ability to work in fast-paced environments and to quickly understand and adapt to new issues has been integral to her success. She is a trusted advisor who has overseen company fiscal activity, governance and compliance, developed culture transformation programs, designed and executed business development and marketing strategies, led complex mergers and acquisitions, worked with the executive boards on operational and strategic goals, and built positive alliances and partnerships. Ciemone creates an environment that promotes enhanced performance and positive morale.

In her spare time, Ciemone is the Chairperson at Holy Spirit Primary School and a mentor and sponsor for year 10 -11 girls in the Future Female Leaders Program.

Zoe Weir (Ordinary Member)

Zoe Weir has recently joined the Board and taken on the role of Secretary. Zoe is passionate about empowering women and giving them the right to justice and wants to support the great work WLSWA provides in the community.

Zoe is a Partner at HWL Ebsworth Lawyers, practicing in workplace relations and safety. Zoe has a diverse skill set, having worked as a lawyer for 18 years as well as an HR strategic advisor for almost 8 years. This combination of legal knowledge and practice and broad range of hands-on HR experience enables Zoe to provide a strategic and practical approach to issues. In addition, having been on the Board of Deckchair Theatre for 7 years, Zoe understands the challenges and opportunities faced by the not for profit sector.

David Vlahov (Treasurer)

Joining the Board in 2021, David Vlahov is a very experienced management accountant. David is currently the Vice President of Finance for the Asia Pacific region, for international company Metso Outotec.

Lilly Stanton (Ordinary Member)

Lilly Stanton joined the WLSWA Board in 2021. Lilly is a First Nations professional, with experience working in the resources and business industry and Aboriginal Affairs and Communities. Lilly is a proud Gunnaikurnai woman. She is currently working for Indigenous Business Australia.

Julie Whitlock (Ordinary Member)

Julie Whitlock joined the board in May 2019, and has brought with her a diverse background in strategy, marketing, customer experience, digital channel management and large scale transformation programs. She is currently the Associate Director Engagement & Experience at Murdoch University within the Marketing & Communications directorate. In 2018 and 2021 Julie was honoured to elected by her peers to the Murdoch University Senate, the governing body of the University. With a desire to encourage more women in STEM careers, she recently founded the Murdoch Women in IT networking group. Julie is a member of the Health Consumer’s Council and the Consumer & Community Health Research Network. Additionally, she has completed a number of executive education courses in the areas of leadership and management as well as holding a Graduate Diploma from ECU.

Melissa Callanan (Ordinary Member)

Melissa Callanan joined the Board in May 2019. She is currently the Centre Manager of the Warmun Art Centre. She is passionate about developing alternative revenue streams within the not-for-profit sector and has contributed to building sustainability within many creative organisations and developed best practice models in business development for social impact organisations. Previously she was the Project Director FameLab with the Foundation for the WA Museum, and has held a number senior management positions with leading creative organisations including Barking Gecko Theatre Company, Perth International Arts Festival, RTRFM 92.1, Fashion Council WA and the Australian Writers’ Guild. Melissa has just completed a Juris Doctor at UWA Law School and remains inspired to seek justice for women.

Kirsty Moore (Ordinary Member)

Kirsty Moore joined the Board in May 2019. She currently works as the Executive Director for Products and Markets at Indigenous Business Australia, a Commonwealth Government agency that furthers the economic development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Australia through the provision of financial products and services. Prior to this Kirsty spent three years as a Director of Commercial Activity for the WA Government. In this role, Kirsty acted as head of both the Business Development and Asset Management Directorates of the Housing Authority. She was responsible for managing the $14.5bn WA social housing asset portfolio. As a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Kirsty has a strong background in technical accounting, corporate governance and commercial finance. Before joining the public sector, Kirsty worked for Pricewaterhouse Coopers and National Australia Bank.