Tasmania’s most influential women

THE gender pay gap and career opportunities for women dominated news yesterday as International Women’s Day was celebrated globally.

The theme was #Press for Progress and governments have been quick to point out their advancements — Tasmania has a target of 50 per cent of women on boards by July 2020 while the Victorian Government is pushing for the same and says currently 47 per cent of chair positions on 235 of its paid government boards are filled by women.

However, while challenges remain, in Tasmania, women are leading the charge.

The Mercury’s Head of News SARAH FITZPATRICK GRAY profiles some of the state’s most influential women

KATE WARNER

Professor Warner is an Emeritus Professor of Law at the University of Tasmania where she taught criminal law and criminology before her appointment as Governor of Tasmania in December 2014. She was director of the Tasmania Law Reform Institute from 2002 until 2014. She has served as Dean of the Faculty of Law and Head of Department in the Law School and on numerous boards including the Sentencing Advisory Council (Tasmania). She is a fellow of the Australian Academy of Law and a fellow of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology. She is patron on a number of organisations, including the Allanah and Madeleine Foundation with Princess Mary of Denmark.

FRANCES BENDER

Ms Bender is executive director of Huon Aquaculture. The Huon Aquaculture Group produces more than 17,000 tonnes of fresh salmon a year and is recognised globally as one of the premium producers of fresh and smoked salmon products. A company founder, she has 30 years’ experience farming fish and is a leading voice both nationally and internationally in the industry. She was a keynote speaker at the 2014 World Aquaculture Forum in Adelaide and led the industry’s response to the Federal Government’s Biosecurity Bill. Ms Bender was nominated in the Pride of Australia Medal environment category in 2014, was voted Tasmanian Rural Woman of the Year in 2001, and was awarded the Centenary Medal for service to agribusiness and community in 2001.

JANE BENNETT

Ms Bennett is managing director/CEO of TasFoods Ltd and has served as a board member on a number of top state and national entities over recent years, including CSIRO and the Brand Tasmania Council. She has 20 years experience as a senior executive in vertically integrated dairy operations in Tasmania and UK. Also a director of Food Innovation Australia Ltd and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Ms Bennett was named 2010 Tasmanian Telstra Business Woman of the Year and 1997 Australian ABC Radio Rural Woman of the Year.

SUSAN FAHEY

The former barrister and solicitor in 1999, has made an enormous impact since being named CEO of the Women’s Legal Service Tasmania, improving services and support for Tasmanian women and their families and winning national recognition in the process. Ms Fahey moved from private practice family law to the WLS in 2002. Ms Fahey has managed the service since 2007, providing a free government-funded community legal service throughout Tasmania and making the legal system more accessible and responsive to issues affecting women. In 2014,Ms Fahey won the Tasmanian Women Lawyers Biennial Achievement Award for outstanding contribution to the practice, development and education of law and social justice and was a Telstra Business Women’s Awards 2015 finalist.

KYM GOODES

Ms Goodes has become a powerful, open, intelligent and reasonable voice in the welfare sector since taking charge of the Tasmanian Council of Social Services, preferring to play the issues well ahead of the politics. She has a background in the private, government and community sectors and has been Director of 3P Consulting for the past six years, working across a range of industry and sector areas. Before this, Ms Goodes worked at a senior level in both the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services. In these policy development roles her focus included transition and retention of young people, career and transition support, and “youth at risk” models. She has undertaken work for Health, Human Services and Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Directorate including the major consultation with the government sector, consumers and carers for the Rethink Mental Health project.

KIRSHA KAECHELE

She may be Mrs Mona, having married David Walsh, but Kirsha Kaechele was first an American contemporary art curator, artist, and practitioner of sustainable architecture. She has been behind a gun buyback scheme in her native country and ridding the River Derwent of metal pollution here as well as the 24 Carrot program, an organic food program in partnership with the Tasmanian Department of Education and private funders which operates in 13 primary schools in neighbourhoods of greatest need. She is also a curator at Mona.

JACQUI LAMBIE

Ms Lambie was thrust into the spotlight when she became an Senator in 2013, first as a member for the Palmer United Party. She received

national prominence for her grassroots campaigning and take-no-prisoners attitude before leaving PUP to form the Jacqui Lambie Network. She was elected to a six-year term in 2016 but was ousted in 2017 when it was revealed she retained dual nationality as a result of her father’s UK birth. JLN ran candidates in the recent state election and although it failed to win a seat, Ms Lambie intends to continue pushing for a return to the Senate and is a strong voice for disenfranchised voters in the state’s NorthWest.

MARY MASSINA

A well-known business lobbyist, Mary Massina has carved out a unique career across the public, private and community sectors, as well as within the political sphere. Former Tasmanian Property Council boss and chairwoman of the Planning Reform Taskfroce, Ms Massina helped develop Australia’s first single statewide planning scheme. She is currently CEO of the Macquarie Point Development Corporation and has been tasked with progressing the Mona vision that has been embraced by the State Government. She has been a member of a number of Tasmanian boards and task groups.

TONI MOATE

CSIRO Marine research leader Toni Moate is Tasmania’s Telstra Business Woman of the Year. Ms Moate, who also won the Public Sector and Academia Award, joined the CSIRO in 1991 as a project officer and now, as national collections and marine infrastructure director, oversees ocean research activities. One of her major projects has been leading the design, building and commissioning process for Australia’s only bluewater research ship, The Investigator. Ms Moate was also awarded the Public Service Medal for outstanding public service in Australian marine and atmospheric science, as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours for 2015

CATHERINE GEASON

Tasmania’s first female Chief Magistrate was appointed in 2016, replacing former Chief Magistrate Michael Brett, who joined the Supreme Court that year. After completing her law degree, Ms Geason (nee Rheinberger) worked as a judge’s associate where she became convinced a legal career was for her. She went on to a role as senior Crown counsel with the Director of Public Prosecutions before becoming a magistrate in 2009. During her time on the bench, she has served as a magistrate on the Youth Justice Court and the Court Mandated Drug Diversion Program. Ms Geason was a magistrate for more than eight years.

KATRENA STEPHENSON

In 2015, Dr Stephenson was appointed as CEO of the Local Government Association of Tasmania (LGAT), the first woman in the role in the organisation’s 100-plus year history. Before that, Dr Stephenson held the position of LGAT’s Policy Director for several years. Before entering the local government sector, Dr Stephenson held operational, policy and evaluation roles in a number of State Government departments and in the UK. Dr Stephenson advocates on behalf of the Tasmanian Local Government sector and is responsible for the overall planning, management and administration of the organisation.

TRISHA SQUIRES

Trisha Squires was named the 2006 Young Australian of the Year for her work in the aftermath of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, an event which claimed the life of her husband, Melbourne Demons footballer Troy Broadbridge. She moved to Tasmania in 2016 to start a business with husband Jack Squires and her two daughters. This year she was named AFL Tasmania’s first female CEO after previously serving as community engagement and partnership manager with the organisation. Before that she was chief executive for the REACH foundation and CEO for the St Kilda Youth Service.

BRETT TOROSSI

One of the state’s most respected tourism and cultural figures, the awardwinning property developer wears a number of hats. She is a passionate Tasmanian, with a keen interest in the state, its heritage, identity, brand and future. She is an acclaimed business woman, tourism operator and property developer, and has had extensive leadership and management experience on private, public and voluntary boards. Ms Torossi is a Trustee of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery ( TMAG), a member of the Board of Tourism Tasmania, a board member of the Tasmanian Development Board, a board member of Creative Partnerships Australia, a board member of the Australian Festival of Voices and was a commissioner on the Tasmanian Planning Commission ( TPC). Now she has been appointed chairwoman of the Tasmanian Heritage Council until December 31, 2020.

REBECCA WHITE

Ms White is Leader of the Labor Party in Tasmania and has been a member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly in the electorate of Lyons since the 2010 state election. Before she was leader, Ms White served as Shadow Minister for Health and Human Services, and Opposition Spokeswoman for Children. Much has been made of her tilt for the role of Premier during the recent election and, despite some criticism over her handling of the campaign, she has emerged as one of the state’s likely future leaders.