ABOUT THE EVENT

This International Women's Day we celebrate Women in A/AA's 10 year anniversary!

Join Women in A/AA for breakfast at Thales Australia on 9th March as we listen to a panel of of diverse speakers discuss their experiences throughout their exceptional careers, the progress made over the last 10 years, and the work still to come.

To mark 2023's IWD theme #embraceequity, we invite all genders to hear from prominent change-makers who are looking to make meaningful impact for women across the sector.

FACILITATOR

/ Sarah McSwiney | Strategy & Operations Manager, Office of the Chief Engineer at Boeing Defence Australia

GUEST SPEAKER

/ Professor Virginia Kilborn |  Chief Scientist at Swinburne University of Technology

INDUSTRY SPEAKERS

/ Wing Commander Melanie Buswell | Commanding Officer Air Training and Aviation Commons System Program Office, Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group at the Royal Australian Air Force

/ Delphine Spaterna | Airspace Mobility Solutions Engineering Manager at Thales Australia

/ Associate Professor Chrystal Zhang | Aerospace Engineering & Aviation, STEM College, School of Engineering at RMIT University

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

/ Wing Commander Melanie Buswell | Commanding Officer Air Training and Aviation Commons System Program Office, Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group at the Royal Australian Air Force

WGCDR Melanie Buswell has had a range of engineering roles across Air Force and Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group. She has had the opportunity to deploy on operations with 37 Squadron and was posted to the USA as a Technical Liaison Officer and to Japan as the Air Force Attaché.

Melanie is currently responsible for delivering Air Training capabilities on behalf of Air Force working closely with Industry Partners. She is passionate about mentoring, encouraging young people into STEM and helping people achieve their personal and professional goals.

/ Professor Virginia Kilborn |  Chief Scientist at Swinburne University of Technology

Professor Virginia Kilborn is Swinburne's inaugural Chief Scientist, working to further education, research, policy and equity at Swinburne and beyond. Virginia’s research background is in radio astronomy, where her research interests include tracing galaxy evolution by studying the neutral hydrogen gas in galaxies. Virginia undertook her PhD studies at the University of Melbourne, and following a post-doc at Jodrell Bank observatory in the UK, she returned to Melbourne to take up an ARC-CSIRO linkage fellowship at Swinburne in 2003. Virginia has held a range of leadership roles at Swinburne including Dean of Science, before taking up the role of Chief Scientist in 2021.

Virginia is an enthusiastic educator and has taught into the Swinburne Astronomy online program and helped to instigate Swinburne's new and innovative space education programs. She undertakes numerous public outreach opportunities including STEM talks and programs for schools, and space and astronomy outreach with the general public. Virginia is active in the Australian Astronomical community and is current Chair of the Academy of Science National Committee for Astronomy. Virginia is co-founder of the WATTLE Women in Leadership program for the university sector.


/ Sarah McSwiney | Strategy & Operations Manager, Office of the Chief Engineer at Boeing Defence Australia

Sarah McSwiney is the Senior Manager of Strategy and Operations for the Office of the Chief Engineer at Boeing Defence Australia. Prior to this Sarah held various engineering and management roles for the past 16 years at Boeing, most recently as the Composites Technology Manager at Boeing Research and Technology Australia, leading a team in Resin Infusion material and process development and helping guide the Enterprise Resin Infusion Roadmap. Sarah previously led the liaison engineering team across all programs at Boeing Aerostructures Australia, and prior to that she worked as a design engineer and an liaison Engineer both in Melbourne and Seattle. 

A graduate of the Australian Institute of Company directors, Sarah is also the Deputy Chair of Kilvington Grammar and is on the industry advisory boards for Aerospace Engineering at both Monash and RMIT Universities. Sarah holds an Executive MBA from Monash University and a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering (Hons) from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. 

Sarah is passionate about gender equality and encouraging more young women into the fabulous Australian Aviation and Aerospace industry.


/ Delphine Spaterna | Airspace Mobility Solutions Engineering Manager at Thales Australia

Delphine Spaterna is the Airspace Mobility Solutions Australia Eningeering Director at Thales Australia, manaing a team of over 320 people.

Delphine has spent 23 years in Thales Group, including 22 years in France with an European footprint and first year in Australia, with four main Global Business Unit in this group in Defense, Digital, Space and AirSpace

Previously Delphine has worked as a Software developer, technical leader WPM, business manager, delivery manager, innovation manager, and engineering manager. Delphine Spaterna graduated in Software education in France.


/ Associate Professor Chrystal Zhang | Aerospace Engineering & Aviation, STEM College, School of Engineering at RMIT University

Dr Chrystal Zhang is an Associate Professor of Aviation in School of Engineering, RMIT University. She has brought with her extensive experience having served in industry, government and academia in China, the UK and Australia. She has expertise in aviation regulatory framework and policy making, airline/airport strategies and marketing, airport operation and management, and traveller's behaviour and wellbeing.

She publishes extensively in leading aviation law and tourism/aviation management and marketing journals and shares her thought leadership in mainstream media outlets such as ABC News 24, ABC Radio, Radio New Zealand, BBC, Financial Times, and Deutsche Well. Her latest book is published by Routledge: China’s trade policymaking on international air transport: policy goals, driving forces and its impact.

More speakers to be announced.

TICKETS

A/AA Member Tickets

/ Sole Trader - x1 complimentary ticket

/ SME Member - x2 complimentary tickets

/ Corporate Member - x5 complimentary tickets

/ Women in A/AA Sponsor - x7 complimentary tickets

/ Partner - x10 complimentary tickets

/ NGN Member - x1 complimentary ticket

/ WA/AA Member - x1 complimentary ticket

/ Additional Member Ticket - $25.00

Non-Member Tickets

/ Non-Member Ticket - $45.00
 

NB: Photo ID will be required for this event