Winners of the 2025 WID Awards

Dr Ariella Heffernan-Marks is a doctor, scientist, and founder reshaping womens healthcare. As a young intern, she witnessed women fearful of the medical system, misdiagnosed, and left searching for answers online. Driven to change this, she built Ovum an AI health partner designed for women. Ovum empowers women to track, understand, and advocate for their health, while creating the worlds first women-specific AI dataset. Ariella raised $1.7M pre-seed to tackle a $1T global gender health gap, leading a quiet revolution against a system that has excluded women for centuries. Her vision is bold yet deeply personal: a future where women are seen, heard, and believed with healthcare that reflects their physiology, their complexity, and their worth.

Judges Comment: Ariella was recognised for her visionary use of AI to close the gender health gap, demonstrating exceptional passion, clarity, and tenacity in building Ovum to transform women’s healthcare.

An unwavering advocate and a beacon of allyship for women in digital and in IT, Dan Evans, Chief Information Officer at Rio Tinto, is a transformative and impactful ally, renowned for his unwavering commitment to fostering a respectful and inclusive work environment. His dedication to equality and inclusion is evident through his depth of approach to understanding individual and organization wide feedback and sentiments and his openness in addressing Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) issues in the face of cultural barriers. Dan’s genuine care and ability to create safe spaces for honest conversations and diversity of thought have made a significant impact on not only women but all individuals in the organisation. His passion and proactiveness in creating a respectful, diverse and inclusive work environment has driven lasting change, not only in elevating women but also in improving the workplace for everyone.

Judges Comment: Dan was recognised for his impactful and authentic allyship, using his influence to drive meaningful, large-scale change while also championing everyday inclusion and equity across the organisation and industry.

“Kim McDonnell is the founder and CEO of Saveful, an award-winning tech platform helping Australian families make smarter, more sustainable food choices – saving money, food, and time. A passionate social impact innovator, Kim created Saveful to address household food waste and cost-of-living pressures by empowering people to use what they already have at home to make meals they love. Raised in Mount Isa, Kim brings a deep appreciation for the resilience of regional communities, which continues to inform her mission-driven work. She is also the founder of Thankful for Farmers, a national movement supporting sustainable agriculture and the people behind it. From boardrooms of Melbourne, Sydney, New York to the United Nations, Kim has united industries, brands, and communities to drive scalable, measurable
change. As a speaker and advocate for climate-smart tech, she’s committed to building a better future – from the farm gate to the dinner plate.

Judges Comment: Kim was recognised for her innovative, tech-driven approach to tackling food waste and sustainability, demonstrating a deep understanding of both the problem and solution while driving meaningful, women-centred change from the ground up.

Renee leads the customer service function across a global base of over 1100 customers. She ensures every customer has the support and resources they need to succeed. Renee plays a vital role in product development, bringing customer insights into the design and evolution of the EventsAir platform. As a key link between product, customer service, the executive team and account
management, she ensures alignment across teams. Her purpose is to champion the customer at every level and deliver exceptional experiences through both innovation and service.

Judges Comment: Renee was recognised for her clear, metrics-driven approach to elevating customer experience, demonstrating strong execution, measurable impact, and a consistent focus on delivering value through innovation and service.

Celeste Lowe is a visionary cybersecurity leader known for her pragmatic approach, strategic clarity, and deep commitment to diversity in tech. As the CISO at The Lottery Corporation, since August 2024, she led a transformative uplift program that strengthened the organisation’s security posture, aligned with NIST 2.0, and delivered measurable maturity gains. Celeste’s
leadership style is inclusive and empowering mentoring emerging female talent, simplifying complex risk conversations, and embedding secure-by-design principles across the business. She’s a trusted advisor to executives and the Board, known for her ability to translate technical risk into business impact. Passionate about innovation, she’s championed AI governance, DevSecOps enablement, and secure experimentation frameworks. Celeste brings warmth, kindness, and an open mindset to every challenge enabling secure growth without stifling creativity. Her work continues to shape TLC’s reputation as a resilient, forward-thinking digital lottery operator.

Judges Comment: Celeste was recognised for her innovative and forward-thinking approach to cybersecurity, particularly her leadership in AI governance and secure innovation, demonstrating strategic foresight and a strong commitment to empowering others.

Kathryn is a visionary leader in AI and machine learning, driving innovation at Mantel Group and across our industry. With expertise in AI strategy, MLOps, and data science, she has led groundbreaking initiatives across various industry sectors and geographies. She is passionate about scaling AI for business impact, she champions ethical AI adoption and practical solutions that drive measurable outcomes. Kathryn excels in translating complex AI concepts into transformative strategies, ensuring organisations harness AI’s full potential. She is a thought leader, recognised for her ability to bridge technical excellence with executive vision, empowering teams to push the boundaries of machine learning. Her commitment to responsible AI ensures businesses build sustainable, future-ready solutions that prioritise fairness and transparency. Kathryn’s influence extends beyond technology. She cultivates a culture of innovation, mentorship, and collaboration, inspiring the next generation of AI talent while shaping the future of AI leadership.

Judges Comment: Kathryn was recognised for her visionary leadership in scaling ethical and practical AI solutions, translating complex concepts into real business impact while championing innovation, responsibility, and collaboration across the industry.

Eva Knutsson is the Head of Marketing Operations at Megaport, where she combines strategic insight with technical expertise to drive measurable business outcomes. With over 15 years of experience across Marketing Automation, Lifecycle Marketing, and RevOps, Eva is known for transforming complex processes into scalable systems that boost efficiency, retention, and revenue. Holding an MBA and a Data Science Certificate, she bridges data-driven strategy with hands-on execution, improving campaign performance and strengthening collaboration across Sales, Data, and Customer Success teams. Beyond her operational excellence, Eva is a dedicated mentor and inclusive leader who fosters growth, confidence, and curiosity within her team.

Judges Comment: Eva was recognised for her exceptional ability to blend strategy, data, and empathy, streamlining complex marketing operations to deliver real business impact while leading with authenticity and collaboration.

Alice Tang is Co-CEO of Amplify AI Group, a GenAI consultancy helping fund managers and super funds unlock the power of artificial intelligence through the A, B, C of GenAI: Advisory
(strategy), Build (implementation), and Coaching (education). With 25 years of experience at Macquarie, MA Financial, and Deloitte, Alice has led large-scale transformation in financial services. As Chief Operating Officer of Asset Management at MA Financial, she built a 55-person cross-functional team and helped grow Assets Under Management from $3.5bn to $10.3bn over six years. At Macquarie, she delivered a global Salesforce rollout across 1,200 investment bankers in 30 offices.  Alice is a passionate advocate for women in finance and technology. She has mentored students formally for 15 years and contributes to industry through her Committee roles on the UNSW Alumni Advisory Committee and 100 Women in Finance Australia and as Secretary of Women in Super NSW.

Judges Comment: Alice was recognised for leading complex, organisation-wide transformation with measurable impact, uniting senior leaders to drive strategic, people-focused change that extends far beyond traditional cost efficiencies.

Squiz is a global Digital Experience Platform company serving complex, service-led organizations with our Gartner-ranked DXP. With 370+ employees across 13 offices worldwide, we’ve pioneered web content management since 1998. Our diverse leadership team (44% women at senior levels) drives innovation in digital experiences for government, education, and enterprise clients.

Judges Comment: Squiz was recognised for its thoughtful, comprehensive approach to inclusion, demonstrating clear short- and long-term goals, measurable impact, and a strong commitment to embedding diversity and equity into both its culture and products.

Rebecca Manly is a proud Darkinjung / Dharug woman and seasoned Product Lead at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), with over a decade of experience in product management across the arts, media, and finance industries. At the ABC, her key achievements include delivering personalisation across the ABC ecosystem and re-launching the ABC Kids App.

Curious and tenacious by nature, Rebecca is driven to create impactful digital experiences through data-informed, collaborative, and principle-led decision-making. Known for her ability to “untangle the headphones” within organisations, she excels in navigating between aspirational vision and operational execution.

With expertise in managing complex projects—including large-scale system re-architectures, experience redesigns, and data privacy reform—Rebecca brings clarity and cohesion to transformation initiatives. As Chairwoman of the ABC’s Gender Equity Network, she is deeply committed to fostering an equal-opportunity workplace and ensuring that all people, including women, benefit from digital transformation.

Judges Comment: Rebecca was recognised for her aspirational leadership and commitment to learning, mentorship, and giving back—demonstrating a deep understanding of how digital transformation can empower others and create meaningful, lasting impact.

Mani Sahihi is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Foxo, a leading Australian healthtech company transforming healthcare through secure, AI-led, real-time pathways connecting anyone, anywhere in health. Through collaborative leadership, Foxo has scaled rapidly across radiology, hospitals, pharmacy, and virtual care, with leading organisations including Aspen Medical, Sydney Adventist Hospital and Gold Coast Health. Mani is deeply committed to making healthcare equitable and patient-centred. Her vision focuses on removing the communication barriers and frictions that delay care. Beyond her executive role, Mani is a passionate mentor and advocate, championing the diverse contributions professionals from all disciplines can bring into the healthtech industry. Recognised internationally, she was a 2024 AmCham Alliance Award finalist in Biotech, panellist in Women in Tech in Malaysia, and presented in the Texas Life Science Forum where Foxo was named one of the Top 10 Most Promising Life Science Companies by Rice Alliance and Biohouston.

Judges Comment: Mani was recognised for her transformative leadership in healthtech, driving innovation that improves communication and patient care while championing collaboration, diversity, and equity across the healthcare industry.

Hayley Saddington is an award-winning entrepreneur and innovator in medical technology. Growing up in rural remote Australia, later she founded HALO Medical Devices, creating a world-leading movement assessment tool now used in 23 countries and featured on SharkTank and ABC’s New Inventors. Named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and Telstra Business Woman of the Year, Hayley has worked with global organisations including the NBA, NBL, and Boston Ballet. Now leading Peak Medical, she’s harnessing AI to transform the $48 billion orthopaedic industry, aiming to impact millions of patients by 2030 while advancing sustainable, equitable healthcare. Recently, she was a finalist in the Australian Technology Awards and Paul Shetler Disruptor of the Year. Hayley is currently focused on driving innovation and healthcare impact across Australia and India.

Judges Comment: Hayley was recognised for her groundbreaking innovation in medical technology, leveraging AI to transform orthopaedic care globally and demonstrating visionary leadership with measurable, real-world impact.

Tania Hyde is a Senior Product Manager at Greencross Pet Wellness Company, where she leads the product vision and strategy behind Australia’s #1 pet wellness app. With over 15 years’ experience in digital product leadership, Tania has a proven track record in delivering high-impact digital products that delight customers and drive business growth.

At the core of GPWC’s digital transformation, Tania led the development of the Petbarn App—a groundbreaking platform that brings together shopping, vet care, and loyalty in one seamless experience. Central to the app’s innovation is PetAI, an industry-first generative AI solution that delivers personalised expert advice and enables integrated, AI-driven commerce.

Since launch, the app has exceeded expectations: 380K+ downloads, #1 ranking in the App Store, and a 42% lift in conversion. Tania’s blend of strategic insight, inclusive stakeholder engagement, and customer focus continues to reshape the future of pet care in Australia.

Judges Comment: Tania was recognised for delivering an exceptional, industry-leading product with impressive results, demonstrating strong strategic vision and execution early in her career.

Louise Mercer is Principal consultant and CEO of Nova Sight, experienced in applied AI and governance. She consulted to lead the design and deployment of the Queensland Government’s AI solution for schools, applying deep technical, product and ethical expertise. Louise holds an MBA, GAICD and post-graduate qualifications in AI & Machine Learning. Louise is a Non-Executive Director at World Vision Australia and chairs its People, Culture & Governance Committee. With over 20 years’ experience in technology, data and innovation across not-for-profit, education and financial services, she brings a strong understanding of risk, impact and leadership in complex contexts.

Judges Comment: Louise was recognised for her innovative and ethical leadership in applying AI to transform the education sector, delivering impactful, real-world change in a space not traditionally known for digital innovation.

Annabel Zhou is a Software Engineer at Google and the co-founder of Toastie, a health tech startup developing AI-powered tools that help individuals with chronic illness better manage and understand their health – an initiative inspired by her own lived experience. A First Class Honours graduate in Software Engineering from UNSW, Annabel completed her thesis in machine learning for cognitive load detection. At Google, she has developed and launched various features across Google Photos, Chrome/ChromeOS, and now works on site reliability for Android, improving the stability and performance of a platform used by over 3 billion devices globally. Annabel combines deep technical expertise with a strong sense of empathy, building solutions that prioritise accessibility, inclusion, and real-world impact. A former Startmate Fellowship coach and UNSW academic tutor, she is deeply committed to supporting the next generation of technologists, mentoring women in tech and regularly speaking at industry  events.

Judges Comment: Annabel was recognised for her exceptional technical expertise and creativity, going above and beyond to develop innovative, impactful solutions that combine empathy, accessibility, and engineering excellence.

Nisha Amanulla is an Engineering Manager at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), where she leads multiple teams, in the development of scalable personalisation platforms. With over two decades of experience across Australia, India, and the UAE, she has delivered complex technology solutions across industries including aviation and media. At ABC, she has played a key role in designing a unified personalisation ecosystem that includes recommendations, search, identity, and marketing automation, serving millions of Australians across digital platforms.
Nisha is known for her collaborative leadership style, fostering cross-functional alignment and mentoring diverse engineering talent. She champions inclusive innovation by embedding experimentation, observability, and data-informed decision-making into ABC’s technology culture. She is also committed to advancing diversity in tech. Through mentorship and volunteer work with non-profits, Nisha supports the growth of women in technology and leadership, helping to build a more inclusive and empowered industry.

Judges Comment: Nisha was recognised for her collaborative and inclusive leadership, driving complex technical innovation at scale while fostering diverse talent and embedding a culture of experimentation and continuous improvement.