Women in Aviation/Aerospace Australia
Brisbane Summit
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This year’s Women in Aviation/Aerospace Summits will reflect on the International Women’s Day theme #BreaktheBias.

The Summit will bring together leaders and change-makers across the aviation, aerospace, and space sectors to discuss the important topics raised throughout the country. 

Over the past 9 years, we’ve held 16 Women in A/AA Summits with almost 200 industry presenters, reaching thousands of people. We ask you to join Women in A/AA for a full day of invaluable insight and empowering discussions from some of the industry’s leading trailblazers.

A/AA would like to thank our Venue Sponsor, Brisbane Airport Corporation, and our Stationary Sponsor, Airservices Australia.

Speaker presentations, panel discussions, breakout sessions and workshops will engage participants in the power of diversity, inclusion and equality within the workplace, champions of change and the role of industry, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and maths) outreach collaboration and connection, and breaking the notion of limits.

PROGRAM

#BreaktheBias PRESENTATION

/ Lisa Burquest | Chief People Officer at Virgin Australia

Lisa has over 26 years’ senior experience as a people and culture specialist working for significant ASX and private companies including BHP, Origin Energy, Jetstar/Qantas Airlines, The a2 Milk Company and currently, Virgin Australia. Lisa is Virgin Australia’s Chief People Officer, and has helped navigate the airline’s 6,000 strong workforce through the significant impacts of COVID-19 as well as Virgin Australia’s transformation after relaunching under new ownership in November 2020.

Lisa is equipped with strong practical expertise in developing and executing successful people and culture strategies in fast paced environments undergoing significant transformation and growth.  Lisa’s more recent experience also included Safety and Sustainability leadership. With experience across a variety of geographies, particularly Asia, Lisa thrives in a dynamic, complex and fast paced working world.

SUMMIT FACILITATOR

/ Natalie Davies - White | Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) Rescue Co-pilot at LifeFlight Australia, and Non-Executive Director at Aviation/Aerospace Australia

Natalie Davies-White is a Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) Rescue co-pilot for LifeFlight, and flies a range of rescue and medical mission in SE QLD. She has extensive military helicopter experience after her 14 year Naval career, including deploying to several Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) response, as well as to Afghanistan with the United States Army in 2013.

Natalie is also athlete who represented Australia at the World Championships for Olympic Distance triathlon in Chicago in 2015, as well as a Kona Ironman Qualifier and Finisher in 2015. She has a BSc (Physics, Oceanography) and a Masters in Business from UNSW, and is an Affiliate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. 

She is passionate about women’s involvement in STEAM careers and women’s employment in male dominated industries, as well as encouraging the younger generation to seek unusual and non-traditional careers. 

WORKSHOP: STEM Outreach - Cool Aeronautics

/ Emily Hughes |  Director, Phantom Works International at Boeing Australia & President Elect at Royal Aeronautical Society Australian Division

As Director of Phantom Works International, Emily Hughes is responsible for Boeing’s Phantom Works business in Australia, the United Kingdom, Korea, and India. Hughes leads a dedicated team specialising in concept development, mission systems, advanced simulation, modelling and analytics. Additionally, she provides executive leadership and council as a Board Member of Boeing Defence Australia and Insitu Pacific. In 2022, Hughes was announced as the first female President Elect for the Royal Aeronautical Society Australian Division for her contribution to the advancement of the aerospace industry.

Hughes’ previous Boeing roles were as chief engineer with Boeing Phantom Works International, where she provided engineering and program leadership and advice, including the introduction of new technologies, best practices and the identification of appropriate performance metrics to the team. Hughes was also a Senior Systems Engineer for the Currawong Battlespace Communications System (LAND 2072), a networked Battlespace Communications System capability for the Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force. Prior to Boeing, Hughes spent over ten years in defence aerospace in the UK and Europe. She was BAE Systems’s Assistant Chief Engineer - Future Capability and held key technical roles on fast jet aircraft, Tornado, Harrier and Hawk, the Nimrod MRA4 maritime patrol aircraft, and a number of large uncrewed air vehicles. 

Hughes holds a Masters degree (MEng) in Aeronautical Systems from the University of Salford, United Kingdom. She is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and the Institute of Engineers Australia, and a Chartered Engineer. She is passionate about changing the stereotype for the next generation and supports a range of STEM initiatives. Her proudest moment was when her daughter asked if boys could be engineers too.

#BreaktheBias PRESENTATION

/ CAPT Elizabeth Kelderman | Senior Instructor, Roatary Wing Aircraft Maintenance School at Australian Army

Elizabeth joined the Australian Army at the age of 18 and commissioned as an officer within the corps of Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. She has held engineering and command roles within the 1st Aviation Regiment, where she provided ARH Tiger fleet management and through life support, coordinated the return to fly program following the fatal German Tiger crash in Mali and coordinated the Australian-based logistic node for the Tiger First of Class Flight Trials.

Elizabeth has also spent time in her career as a team leader for specialist recruitment to achieve national diversity recruitment directives for the ADF, and recently as the Senior Instructor at the Rotary-Wing Aircraft Maintenance School, training technicians and junior engineers. Elizabeth holds a BE(Aero) and a Masters in Systems Engineering (Space Operations) from the UNSW Canberra.

WORKSHOP: Engaging the Future Pipeline with It’s Rocket Science Adventures

/ Cran Middlecoat | Founder & Aerospace Nerd at It’s Rocket Science Adventures

Born in Brisbane, Cran has had a lifelong obsession with all things aerospace. Being a pilot since the age of 16, his career has taken him from flying clinic runs for the Royal Flying Doctor Service in outback Australia, to being qualified on multiple commercial jet airliner types. Cran most recently flew the Boeing 787 Dreamliner with one of Australia’s leading international airlines.

Cran is also a qualified drone pilot, being one of the first in Australia to be granted Chief Pilot approval by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

During Australia’s first International Model Rocketry meet in 2015, Cran witnessed how engaging rocketry was for children of all ages and developed It’s Rocket Science Adventures to promote the significant educational benefits that the science of rocketry and flight could offer all school students across multiple subjects. 

With his love of public speaking and passion for aero-science, it is Cran’s desire to inspire the aerospace professionals of tomorrow.

BREAKING THE NOTION OF LIMITS – tips and tricks on how to influence people

/ Andrea House | Manager Airworthiness, Engineering at Airbus Australia Pacific

Andrea is recently appointed into the Manager Airworthiness role at Airbus, where she is the Chief of the Office of Airworthiness for the Airbus Military Design Organisation as well as the Brisbane Production Manager for the Airbus Military Production Organisation. Andrea joined Airbus in 2010 and has spent the past 12 years in various engineering, leadership and management roles.

Prior to this, Andrea spent time with other organisations such as CRC-ACS, GKN Aerospace, Boeing Australia and Lockheed Martin Astronautics. With over 25 years of experience in the aerospace sector, Andrea has worked for programs such as Atlas (launch vehicles), G-650, F-35, A380, A310, MRH90, NH90, ARH Tiger and P3-Orion. Andrea also coaches softball and was the 2019 QLD softball U19 assistance coach and 2020 QLD softball U18 head coach.

PANEL: The Power of Diversity, Inclusion & Equality in the Workplace

/ Marilyn Andre | Board Member at Civil Aviation Safety Authority

As an experienced executive, consultant and lecturer, Marilyn has an extensive background across the transport and tertiary education sectors, with expertise in simulation and training, regulations and risk management. She is a strategic thinker, passionate about strengthening talent pipelines and removing systemic barriers in the workplace.

Marilyn has flown Airbus A319/A340 and Boeing 747 aircraft, and is considered the first female in world history to found and operate her own airline.

Marilyn currently lectures on the Master of Aviation Leadership Program at Griffith University and is on the Intersectionality Advisory Committee of the National Association of Women in Operations. She is on the board and audit and risk committee of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

Marilyn held the position of Director for Boeing Australia Holdings and was previously a member of The Air Force Cadets National Council.

She has lived in South Africa, China and Rwanda and is an enthusiastic ocean canoer.

/ Rachel Ong | Aerospace Engineer at BAE Systems Australia

Rachel Ong is an Aerospace Engineer with BAE Systems. Since having graduated from RMIT University with a Bachelor in Aerospace Engineering in 2012, she has run the gamut of working in Academia, industry and defence in both Automotive and Aerospace and is currently completing a PhD investigating the effects of incipient heat damage on the structural integrity of aircraft composites. 

In 2017, Rachel joined Multimatic Engineering Australia as a CAD Design Engineer designing body panels, vehicle packaging and limited aerodynamics for a hyper car and race car. She then moved into a role as a Project Engineer in 2018 to deliver an electric passenger vehicle prototype for Australian and overseas markets, acting as the client interface for international stakeholders. 

Rachel joined Tiger Spider in 2019 as a Mechanical Engineering Consultant modelling the dynamics of heavy vehicles to ensure suitability and safety of non-standard designs, as well as to support expert witness testimony in high profile accident cases involving heavy vehicles. She left as a Business Development Engineer identifying areas of growth and fostering new business, a role that saw her work informing local government decisions regarding the transport sector.

In her current role as an Aerospace Engineer with BAE systems she leads a small multi-disciplinary team and carries out mechanical design and aerodynamic simulation and modelling. Rachel slates travel and working with diverse high performing teams to solve complex problems as definite highlights in her career so far.

Rachel has been an active member of the A/AA NextGenNetwork Committee since 2016, even co-chairing for a year, and credits the connections she's made through her work with A/AA for many of the opportunities that have seen her career take off - if you'll pardon the pun.

/ Mark Wagstaff | General Manager, Air, Information & Space at Nova Systems

Mark is an internationally experienced executive, project manager, and engineer who has applied his expertise in Defence, Aerospace, Simulation, Training, C4ISR and Leadership Development. Mark is a Graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Fellow of Engineers Australia, Chartered Professional Engineer, and proud veteran.

He has a special interest in the implementation of complex projects and programs using holistic systems-based approaches, and is passionate about innovation. Leading technical teams in some of the most challenging environments in the world has provided Mark a strong background in the development of leaders and high performance teams.

PANEL: STEAM Outreach – Connection & Collaboration

/ Olga Hansen | Communications & STEM Outreach at Royal Aeronautical Society Australian Division

Olga is the National Coordinator for Cool Aeronautics, the STEM Outreach Program for the Royal Aeronautical Society Australian Division, and the National Communications focal for the Society in Australia. She brings significant experience in communications, stakeholder engagement and STEM education delivery to these roles.

As the Cool Aeronautics National Coordinator, Olga facilitates the design, development, and delivery of the Society’s STEM outreach programs nationally.  Her hands-on involvement in the delivery of these programs gives her an insight into the learning needs of students, and the educational delivery requirements of teachers. She actively collaborates with educators, industry and government to align the Society’s programs with national STEM initiatives.

Olga has a B.Com and MBA from Griffith University. She is an Affiliate of the Royal Aeronautical Society Australian Division, Member of Women in Aviation/Aerospace Australia and actively volunteers with the Australian Air League.  She advocates for diversity by encouraging girls and women to become a part of the aerospace industry; through the development and implementation of community events to encourage female participation in aviation.

She is passionate about the future of aerospace in Australian through STEM education and is enthusiastically anticipating the burgeoning opportunities in aerospace for the next generation.

/ MAJ David McEVOY AAAvn | Officer in Charge, Aviation STEM Motivation Program at the Australian Army

Over his 36 years of fulltime service with Army Aviation, he enjoyed a number of postings around Australia and Overseas. Some of these roles have included: Unit Operational positions within Flying units, Executive Officer Australian Embassy Washington DC, Assistant Defence Attaché Iraq, National Operations Officer for Defence Force Recruiting, Army Advocate at the RAAF’s Aviation Candidate Management Centre and Aviation Selections Officer for Army.  He has deployed to Bougainville, Egypt and Iraq.

He currently fills the role of Officer In Charge of Army Aviation’s STEM Motivation Program; the program that created in 2020 after identifying the short fall of STEM engagement programs for school students.

/ Xiaoyu Wu | Ph.D. Lecturer, Griffith Aviation at Griffith University

Xiaoyu received an undergraduate degree in engineering at the Civil Aviation Flight University of China, majoring in air traffic management. After his internship as an air traffic controller in Shanghai, he decided to further his education in the United States where he received a master's degree in science at aeronautics at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Daytona Beach) in 2012.   Xiaoyu was rewarded a Ph.D. in Aviation degree in 2018 at Saint Louis University Parks College of Engineering, Aviation, and Technology.

Xiaoyu had both industrial and research experiences in air traffic control, airspace operation, airport modeling, and safety management. He previously held an internship at the Air Traffic Control Bureau of Eastern China as an air traffic controller intern. In the summer of 2012, he conducted an internship at the Florida NextGen Test Bed which is a research facility of the Federal Aviation Administration. While there, he participated in several NextGen research tasks, such as flight data object exchange, air traffic flow management, etc. He can use Total Airspace and Airport Modeler (TAAM) to assist with some research projects on airport and airspace operations. Most research tasks have co-operated with different countries, such as Japan, the United Kingdom, and Australia. He has a strong background in air traffic management, aviation technology, aviation regulations, and aviation safety.

He has achieved in-depth research experience in the aviation field. In his Ph.D. years, he has participated in a couple of research projects at Saint Louis University, such as foreign pilots' job satisfaction, safety climate in air traffic control facilities, and internal safety auditing at the department. He also participated in some machine learning projects in data mining ASRS database and published a paper. During his time as an academic, he continues his research on cockpit culture forming as well as the machine learning application in pilot training. His newest research topic is about using weather radar data to monitor birds’ activities to tackle potential risks about bird-UAV conflicts.

PANEL: Champions of Change - the role of industry, organisations, and men in Australian aviation, aerospace and space sectors

/ Wing Commander Elizabeth Beston | Commanding Officer 295 Squadron at Royal Australian Air Force

/ Cassie Windsor | Manager Operations Control Centre and Duty Tasking at Royal Flying Doctor Service Queensland Selection

Cassie Windsor is the Operations Control Centre Manager for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland Section) and manages the operational team responsible for deploying aeromedical retrieval teams across Queensland. Cassie has 15 years of experience as an airline pilot, internationally flying the Airbus A380 and A330 as well as previous domestic experience as a regional airline Captain on the Dash 8 Q400. 

After developing an interest in disaster response, Cassie seized the inadvertent opportunity from COVID to return to university and complete a Graduate Certificate in Emergency and Disaster Management. This built on her previous Bachelor of Aviation and transferrable skills from the flight deck in strategic management and complex decision making within a dynamic environment. 

Cassie is keen to see new approaches to attract the best available candidates into aviation and is passionate about promoting the wide benefits of a career propelled by STEM.

More speakers to be announced soon. 

COVIDSafe Events 
Thank you for your consideration and understand of the point below, to ensure all guests comfort; 
/ If you feel unwell do not attend the event and advise A/AA as soon as possible 
/ Be aware of social distancing 
/ Sanitise regularly 
/ Check in with the venue QR code as required
/ Mask according to Government regulations and/or venue policy 
/ Full refunds will be made if you are unable to attend the event due to illness. You must notify us prior to the event for refunds to be issued.