Celebrating Women

Host

• Michelle Redfern

  

  Michelle is the founder of Advancing Women, an enterprise providing research and advisory services on workplace gender equality, diversity and inclusion. Michelle hosts the Advancing Women in Sport podcast, is co-founder of A Career that Soars! co-host of the Lead to Soar podcast, and co-founder of CDW (Culturally Diverse Women).

  She is an experienced Non-Executive Director with Board and advisory roles in the finance, sport, for purpose and supply chain sectors. She is a proud Ambassador for Flexible Working Day and Girls Uniform Agenda. She has held executive leadership roles at ASX & FTSE listed companies NAB, Telstra and Serco during her 30-year corporate career.

  Michelle is a Graduate of the AICD, holds an Executive MBA (Distinction) and holds various accreditations in organisational diversity and coaching. She is an in-demand speaker and is a regular contributor to the discussion and advocate for gender equality and inclusion in sport and business workplaces.

Panellists

• Dr Susan Carland

  Dr Susan Carland is an academic, author, and social commentator. She has a PhD from Monash University and is a Discovery Early Career Research Award (DECRA) Fellow and a Churchill fellow, researching the intersection between gender, Islamophobia, and social cohesion.

  Susan hosted the television quiz show Child Genius, and currently hosts the podcast What Happens Next? Her first book, Fighting Hislam: Women, Faith and Sexism, was published by Melbourne University Publishing. She is a columnist for Sunday Life in the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age, and her writing has also appeared in the Guardian, the Age, The Saturday Paper, The Conversation, The Australian Women’s Weekly, Australian Vogue, The Quarterly Essay, in academic publications, and numerous anthologies.

  She has provided training and expert commentary on Islam and Muslims in Australia to organisations such as the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and spoken about her research at the UN in Geneva. She currently sits on Victorian Government Anti-Racism taskforce, the board of Benevolence Australia, and the advisory board for the Valmae Frielich Project for the Study of Bigotry at the Australian National University.

  Susan is an ambassador for UNICEF Australia and is also a certified scuba diver.

• Dr Abarna (Abi) Arulanandarajah

  

  Dr Abarna (Abi) Arulanandarajah – Medical Workforce Unit, Western Health

  Abi graduated from the University of Liverpool, UK in 2005 and worked as a junior doctor in the NHS before migrating to Australia.

  Since completing her Medical Administration (RACMA) training at Monash and Northern Health, she has most recently worked as the Acting Exec Director Medical Services at Kilmore District Health and locum Chief Medical Officer at Daylesford, Kyneton and Castlemaine Health Services.

• Tess Lye

  General Counsel, Western Health

  Tess Lye joined Western Health as General Counsel in February 2022. Tess is a commercial lawyer who has worked in a range of in-house legal roles in the healthcare, banking and mining sectors, in government and in volunteer roles in the arts and community services. Her current volunteer roles are deputy chair of The Sexual Assault and Family Violence Centre in Geelong and a director of Uniting Housing Victoria.

Presenter

• Suellen Bruce

  Executive Director People Culture Communications, Western Health

  Suellen graduated as a registered nurse in 1979 and holds a Graduate Diploma in Nurse Management and a Masters in Nursing. Suellen joined Western Health in 2013 as the Director Workforce Planning & Development. In April 2016 she was appointed to the role of Executive Director People, Culture & Communications.

  Throughout her career, Suellen has been committed to supporting the best possible quality patient care, initially as a nurse and later, through her leadership in workforce development, education and people services in both NSW and Victoria public health systems.

  Suellen’s leadership has led to the establishment and implementation of the WH ‘Positive Workplace Strategy’ aimed to strengthen and sustain a positive workplace environment where employees and volunteers feel safe to work and reach their full potential. She is a committed to leadership and improving workplace culture as this is vital in achieving Best Care for our patients and their families.