Meet our Sydney Speakers
View the list of industry experts who will be speaking at the Sydney Women in Construction Summit.
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Amin Mangat
John Holland
Amireh Amirmazaheri
PMO Solutions
Angela Lopez
Deicorp
Annaliese Thomsen
Metricon
Ashley Barnes
Icon
Bronwyn Williams
Chantelle Yousif
ARA Fire
David Collett
BG&E
David Madden
MBM
Diana Bowden
Downer
Elouise Robinson
WSP
Gladys Woods
Haslin Constructions
Greg Rafferty
DT Infrastructure
Hannah Tierney
CBRE
Jennaya Suddick
Hicon
Jillian Rheinberger
RP Infrastructure
Kate Leone
UGL
Leanna Fuller
John Holland
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Louise Azzopardi
Empowered Women in Trades
Margot Brassil
Infrastructure NSW
Melissa Byrne
Master Builders Australia
Michelle Doolan
John Holland
Mona Chao
HYECORP
Rebecca Sostarko
Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Robyn Simpson
Coates
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Sandra Nilsen
BESIX Watpac
Sinèad Redmond
GeelongPort
Sonja Syre
Denton Corker Marshall
Vanessa Riley
Richard Crookes Constructions
Amireh Amirmazaheri
Chief Executive Officer & FounderPMO Solutions
Amireh is the CEO and founder of PMO Solutions, specialising in project governance, portfolio management and delivery capability. He works with organisations to improve decision-making, accountability and performance across complex project environments.
Speaking at
09:00
Masterclass A: Advanced Project Management for Construction Professionals
Bronwyn Williams
Keynote Speaker, Mentor, PhD ResearcherBronwyn is the founder of BronWilliams, advising organisations on leadership, future skills and workforce transformation. She works with senior leaders to navigate change and build capability in complex and evolving environments.
Speaking at
09.00
Masterclass B: Empowered Leadership for Women in Construction
Rebecca Sostarko
General Counsel, Director - Work, Health & SafetyAustralian Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Rebecca leads legal and work health and safety functions at ACCI, advising on regulatory compliance, governance and employer obligations. She works with members across a broad range of industries.
Speaking at
09:00
Building safer, fairer workplaces in construction
Melissa Byrne
National Director, Policy & LegalMaster Builders Australia
Speaking at
09:00
Building safer, fairer workplaces in construction
Jennaya Suddick
Pre-Construction ManagerHicon
Jennaya manages pre-construction activities at Hicon, supporting planning, procurement and early project development. She works closely with clients and delivery teams to de-risk projects before construction begins.
Speaking at
09:40
Owning your career journey: how to advocate for yourself at every career stage
Sandra Nilsen
General Manager - Design & EngineeringBESIX Watpac
Sandra oversees design and engineering functions at BESIX Watpac, supporting the delivery of major construction and infrastructure projects. She works across technical governance, design coordination and delivery assurance.
Speaking at
10:10
Getting ahead and moving up: what practical actions actually lead to leadership or alternative career success?
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Gladys Woods
General ManagerHaslin Constructions
Gladys is General Manager at Haslin Constructions, responsible for operational leadership and project delivery. She oversees teams across commercial construction projects, with a focus on performance, safety and client outcomes.
Speaking at
10:10
Getting ahead and moving up: what practical actions actually lead to leadership or alternative career success?
Diana Bowden
Project Manager, Social Infrastructure & Citizen ServicesDowner
Diana is a Project Manager at Downer, working on the planning and delivery of infrastructure projects. She supports coordination across teams, manages project controls and contributes to achieving time, cost and quality outcomes.
Speaking at
10:10
Getting ahead and moving up: what practical actions actually lead to leadership or alternative career success?
David Collett
Director - Victoria & South AustraliaBG&E
David leads BG&E’s Victorian and South Australian operations, overseeing engineering services across transport, infrastructure and built environment projects. His role includes strategic growth, client engagement and delivery oversight.
Speaking at
10:10
Getting ahead and moving up: what practical actions actually lead to leadership or alternative career success?
Sinèad Redmond
General Manager – Infrastructure DeliveryGeelongPort
Sinead leads infrastructure delivery at GeelongPort, responsible for planning and execution of port and maritime assets. Her role includes capital works delivery and long-term asset planning.
Speaking at
11:30
Mastering 5 critical non-technical skills that every construction professional needs
Michelle Doolan
Principal Track Engineer, Engineering ManagerJohn Holland
Michelle is a Principal Track Engineer at John Holland and a Captain in the Australian Army. She brings experience in rail engineering, infrastructure delivery and leadership across civilian and defence environments.
Speaking at
13:50
How can we build our own paths and achieve success in a male dominated industry?
Chantelle Yousif
General ManagerARA Fire
Chantelle is General Manager at ARA Fire, overseeing operations, strategy and growth across fire protection and life safety services. She has experience delivering complex projects across commercial and infrastructure sectors.
Speaking at
14:20
What I wish I knew earlier: real world triumphs, failures & lessons learned on the path to diversity & career progression
Greg Rafferty
Head of Social ImpactDT Infrastructure
Greg leads social impact strategy at DT Infrastructure, embedding social value, workforce inclusion and community outcomes into infrastructure delivery. His work focuses on aligning project delivery with long-term community and economic benefits.
Speaking at
14:20
What I wish I knew earlier: real world triumphs, failures & lessons learned on the path to diversity & career progression
Hannah Tierney
Principal, Development & InfrastructureCBRE
Speaking at
14:20
What I wish I knew earlier: real world triumphs, failures & lessons learned on the path to diversity & career progression
Leanna Fuller
Stakeholder & Community DirectorJohn Holland
Leanna is a passionate leader with over 17 years’ experience in the rail and construction industry, excelling in stakeholder engagement and project management. Passionate about fostering collaboration, she thrives in complex, multidisciplinary environments, driving innovative solutions and meaningful community outcomes. Leanna’s expertise in communication strategies and social initiatives ensures proactive engagement and strong, lasting connections. Her dedication to delivering outstanding results has made her a trusted leader on high-profile, large-scale infrastructure projects, benefiting clients, stakeholders, and communities alike.
Speaking at
14:20
What I wish I knew earlier: real world triumphs, failures & lessons learned on the path to diversity & career progression
Angela Lopez
Retail Project Manager (Construction)Deicorp
Angela manages the delivery of retail construction projects at Deicorp, overseeing contractors, schedules and stakeholder coordination. Her role focuses on ensuring quality outcomes while managing risk, cost and program across active construction sites.
Speaking at
Roundtable 1: Navigating new horizons: identifying & moving into new roles & career opportunities
Mona Chao
Development ManagerHYECORP
Mona is an experienced development and design professional specialising in complex residential and mixed-use projects from site acquisition through planning approvals, delivery, and settlement. She has held senior roles across private development companies and major developers including Hyecorp Property Group, Coronation Property Co, Meriton and Stockland. Her expertise spans development feasibility, acquisition due diligence, planning strategy, design leadership, stakeholder management and construction delivery. Mona has led State Significant Development Applications, design excellence competitions and complex strata and site consolidation processes, while maintaining financial accountability and programme oversight. She currently leads several high-profile mixed-use developments in Sydney with combined project values exceeding $320 million.
Speaking at
Roundtable 2: Managing a diverse team on a high-pressure project
Kate Leone
Project EngineerUGL
Kate is a communications engineer working across infrastructure projects within UGL and the CIMIC Group. She specialises in the design and delivery of communications systems for complex operational environments.
Speaking at
Roundtable 3: Overcoming imposter syndrome: strategies to build confidence and thrive
Ashley Barnes
Head of Design ManagementIcon
As Head of Design Management at Icon, Ash Barnes is known for elevating design quality, strengthening documentation standards, and enabling predictable project delivery across complex built‑environment programs. She leads high‑performing multidisciplinary teams with a focus on aligning design outputs with project intent, construction realities, and commercial certainty.
Ash is committed to industry‑wide improvement, championing initiatives that enhance documentation completeness, reduce rework, and lift consultant performance. Beyond her organisational role, she plays an active part in driving cultural and structural change regionally and in the trades sector as Chair of NAWIC’s Regional and On the Tools NSW committees—advocating for safer, more inclusive, and more sustainable pathways for women in construction.
With a calm, engaging style and a passion for continuous improvement, Ash brings both strategic insight and hands‑on experience to every conversation, helping shape a more capable, equitable, and future‑ready construction industry.
Speaking at
Roundtable 4: Shaping high impact culture & high performance through leadership
09:30
How can mentorship, skills development and real opportunities drive long-term change for women in construction?
Jillian Rheinberger
Project DirectorRP Infrastructure
Jillian Rheinberger is a Project Director at RP Infrastructure with over 15 years’ experience delivering complex capital works and infrastructure projects across Australia and New Zealand. She has led major programs in health, education and government, managing multi-million dollar projects from early planning through to delivery and commissioning.
Jillian’s background spans senior roles with TSA Management, health authorities in NSW and New Zealand, and The Building Intelligence Group in Christchurch, where she worked on large-scale redevelopment and seismic strengthening projects. She is known for her practical, hands-on approach to project leadership, stakeholder management and navigating high-pressure delivery environments.
Alongside her professional career, Jillian has been actively involved in NAWIC in both Australia and New Zealand, holding leadership roles including Events Chair (ACT) and Canterbury Chairperson, and is a strong advocate for improving culture, equity and career pathways for women in construction.
Speaking at
Roundtable 5: Overcoming gender bias and ensuring your voice is recognised and valued
Vanessa Riley
Chief People OfficerRichard Crookes Constructions
Vanessa is Chief People Officer at Richard Crookes, leading workforce strategy, culture and capability across construction operations. She works closely with leadership to support performance, safety and organisational growth.
Speaking at
09:00
Tools, tactics and behaviours to change site culture from the ground up
Louise Azzopardi
Speaker and Life CoachEmpowered Women in Trades
Louise Azzopardi is a heavy vehicle mechanic turned coach, speaker and advocate for tradeswomen who are ready for more than just “putting up with it.” Starting her apprenticeship at just 15 years old, Louise built a successful career in heavy vehicle mechanics, culminating in representing Australia at the WorldSkills International Competition in 2017, where she placed fourth in Heavy Vehicle Maintenance.
Throughout her time in the trades, Louise repeatedly heard that women needed to have “thick skin” to survive in male-dominated industries. She lived that reality herself — until she realised resilience alone wasn’t the answer. Rather than accepting burnout, isolation, or silence as the cost of entry, Louise chose to create a better way forward.
After working as a trainer and assessor to support the next generation of tradespeople, Louise stepped into coaching — a less-travelled path at the time, particularly for women in blue-collar industries. Today, she works with tradeswomen and tradespeople through coaching, workshops and speaking engagements that focus on practical tools, emotional intelligence, confidence, communication and sustainable success.
Louise is known for her honest, relatable and no-nonsense approach. She doesn’t sugar-coat the realities of working in masculine environments, but she also doesn’t leave people stuck there. Her work empowers individuals to build self-belief, navigate challenges, and create real change in their workplaces without losing themselves in the process.
As the host of Building Confidence podcast, Louise continues to challenge outdated narratives in the trades, creating space for conversations around mental health, identity, leadership and growth — all grounded in real experience, empathy and action.
Speaking at
09:30
How can mentorship, skills development and real opportunities drive long-term change for women in construction?
16:00
How do you thrive on site or in the office? Real strategies for succeeding in the day-to-day reality of construction work
Amin Mangat
People & Capability Manager - Rail & TransportJohn Holland
Amin (Aman) Mangat, CAHRI, is a people-focused leader recognised for her contributions to employee engagement, diversity, and industry collaboration. Passionate about creating inclusive workplaces and empowering individuals. Aman actively supports diversity initiatives, particularly championing women in male-dominated industries by challenging outdated workplace norms. Her impact in fostering workplace culture and meaningful connections has earned her the Australasian Railway Association Employee Engagement Award , also a finalist in the Crystal Award category at the NSW NAWIC Awards. Known for her authenticity and people – first approach, Aman continues to inspire positive change through her leadership, industry involvement, and commitment to empowering others.
Speaking at
09:30
How can mentorship, skills development and real opportunities drive long-term change for women in construction?
David Madden
Founding DirectorMBM
David is a Founding Director of MBM with extensive experience in cost management, commercial advisory and project delivery. He has worked across major construction and infrastructure projects in both public and private sectors.
Speaking at
09:30
How can mentorship, skills development and real opportunities drive long-term change for women in construction?
Margot Brassil
Executive Director, Strategy, Planning & InnovationInfrastructure NSW
Executive Director - Strategy, Planning and Innovation, Infrastructure NSW
Program Lead - NSW Women in Construction Program
Margot is a leader with global experience in project management, stakeholder management and delivery across complex projects and strategic innovation programs for both the NSW Government and the private sector.
As Executive Director in the Strategy team at Infrastructure NSW, Margot leads partnership with the construction sector for the $118.5 billion NSW infrastructure pipeline, working closely with government infrastructure delivery agencies and industry stakeholders.
Prior to joining the NSW Government, she spent over seven years in New York working in corporate strategy roles, advising major global corporations including Procter & Gamble, General Mills and Anheuser Busch.
Speaking at
09:30
How can mentorship, skills development and real opportunities drive long-term change for women in construction?
Robyn Simpson
National Manager Environment and SustainabilityCoates
Robyn leads environment and sustainability initiatives at Coates, focusing on reducing environmental impact across operations. Her work supports emissions reduction, sustainable practices and compliance across the business.
Speaking at
13:40
Building green, building forward: how sustainability is reshaping construction & your role in 2026
Elouise Robinson
Principal Digital Engineering LeadWSP
Elouise leads digital engineering initiatives at WSP, focusing on data-driven design, digital delivery and asset lifecycle integration. She works with project teams to embed digital practices that improve decision-making and long-term asset performance.
Speaking at
15:00
Leveraging data-led digital engineering to elevate your projects
Sonja Syre
DirectorDenton Corker Marshall
Sonja Syre is a director at Denton Corker Marshall, leading architectural design across civic, transport and commercial projects. She brings experience balancing design excellence, functionality and long-term asset performance.
Speaking at
15:30
From resistance to results – turning industry shifts into project success & career growth
Annaliese Thomsen
Site ManagerMetricon
Annaliese is a Site Manager at Metricon, responsible for day-to-day construction delivery, site safety and quality control. She works closely with trades, suppliers and clients to ensure projects are delivered to program and standard.
Speaking at
16:00
How do you thrive on site or in the office? Real strategies for succeeding in the day-to-day reality of construction work
Louise Azzopardi
Speaker and Life CoachEmpowered Women in Trades
Louise Azzopardi is a heavy vehicle mechanic turned coach, speaker and advocate for tradeswomen who are ready for more than just “putting up with it.” Starting her apprenticeship at just 15 years old, Louise built a successful career in heavy vehicle mechanics, culminating in representing Australia at the WorldSkills International Competition in 2017, where she placed fourth in Heavy Vehicle Maintenance.
Throughout her time in the trades, Louise repeatedly heard that women needed to have “thick skin” to survive in male-dominated industries. She lived that reality herself — until she realised resilience alone wasn’t the answer. Rather than accepting burnout, isolation, or silence as the cost of entry, Louise chose to create a better way forward.
After working as a trainer and assessor to support the next generation of tradespeople, Louise stepped into coaching — a less-travelled path at the time, particularly for women in blue-collar industries. Today, she works with tradeswomen and tradespeople through coaching, workshops and speaking engagements that focus on practical tools, emotional intelligence, confidence, communication and sustainable success.
Louise is known for her honest, relatable and no-nonsense approach. She doesn’t sugar-coat the realities of working in masculine environments, but she also doesn’t leave people stuck there. Her work empowers individuals to build self-belief, navigate challenges, and create real change in their workplaces without losing themselves in the process.
As the host of Building Confidence podcast, Louise continues to challenge outdated narratives in the trades, creating space for conversations around mental health, identity, leadership and growth — all grounded in real experience, empathy and action.
Speaking at
09:30
How can mentorship, skills development and real opportunities drive long-term change for women in construction?
16:00
How do you thrive on site or in the office? Real strategies for succeeding in the day-to-day reality of construction work
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