Behind spence

Our Board

We are run by a talented volunteer Board of Directors, made up of professional women from a range of industries who offer their time and expertise to bring to life the vision of Spence Club.
Laura Cremen

Laura Cremen

With over 15 years’ experience across 4 continents, Laura is an experienced leader across diverse non-governmental organisations, with a focus on gender-based violence, migration, public health and human rights. Her work focuses on building strong, collaborative teams and partnerships to maximise impact in addressing complex social issues. She is currently the Alliance Senior Manager for the South Australian Domestic and Family Violence Safety Alliance.
General Board Member
Catherine Maynard

Catherine Maynard

Catherine is a Tanzanian Australian. A Marketing, Management and Community Development Specialist. With a career spanning 15+ years, Catherine has held diverse range of roles in the not-for-profit sector, local and State Government. Catherine is an inclusive, collaborative, agile and curious leader with the ability to motivate and inspire others to achieve their organisational and personal goals.
General Board Member
Sara Siami

Sara Siami

Sara, Founder of The People Plugin, melds 15+ years in People & Culture with a startup fervor. Dedicated to cultivating engaged teams, Sara envisions business triumph and human flourishing by guiding optimal employee experiences. A lifelong learner, she studied at Flinders, Monash, and the University of South Australia. Recently featured in the University of Adelaide leadership course, Sara was interviewed for South Australia's premier business and leadership podcast.
General Board Member
Beth Shimmin

Beth Shimmin

Beth has over 12 years’ experience working in marketing, communications and project management roles across the tertiary education, arts and private sectors. Currently the Manager, Global Engagement & Intelligence at the University of Adelaide, she has also won a netball premiership with the Adelaide Thunderbirds. Beth holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Adelaide and a Master of Marketing from the University of South Australia.
General Board Member
Zviko Masiiwa

Zviko Masiiwa

Zviko works in the technology sector, specialising in visitor, contractor and compliance management software. Currently working at Honeywell Sine, she enjoys helping businesses of all sizes make their workplace safer, more secure, and more productive by digitising paper-based processes. Zviko is also a committee member with the University of Adelaide Young Alumni Network.
Secretary
Melissa Day

Melissa Day

Melissa Day is a Senior Project Manager who delivers strategic and complex projects within corporate and government teams. Her current role working for South Australia Police supports various stakeholders, with some of the largest emergency services infrastructure projects in SA. Melissa is passionate about mentoring and as a qualified Yoga teacher, her side hustle keeps her heart open, life balanced and spine healthy.
General Board Member
Darcey Watson

Darcey Watson

Darcey Watson is an established space industry professional, specialising in education, engagement and innovation strategies for the sector. She holds qualifications in Molecular and Biomedical Sciences from the University of Adelaide as well as Space Studies from the International Space University. Darcey is a committee member with the International Astronautical Federation and Co-Founder of CoLab Society Podcast.
Chairperson
Olivia Martin

Olivia Martin

For the past five years, Olivia has held Middle and Senior Management positions across Health, Disability and Community services within South Australia. As a qualified Physiotherapist, Olivia enjoys working with multi disciplinary teams to achieve and exceed outcomes for vulnerable individuals. Olivia has recently been appointed as a Board Member for her local Sports Recreation Centre.
General Board Member
Alexandra Paxinos

Alexandra Paxinos

Alexandra (Alexi) Paxinos has spent 10+ years in global marketing and product development and works at the South Australian Tourism Commission where she supports businesses to develop new or enhanced tourism experiences and grow market share. With a firmly cemented career in tourism marketing, Alexi has won several awards for her work including B&T’s coveted 30 Under 30 Award for Marketing.
Deputy Chairperson
Alisa Burns

Alisa Burns

Alisa is an experienced Financial Adviser and owns her own holistic advice firm, Align Wealth. She has over 15 years’ experience supporting clients on their wealth journey, and holds a Bachelor of Commerce & Bachelor of Business (International Business) as well as being certified by the Responsible Investment Association of Australasia. She is passionate about supporting sustainability & gender balance in finance.
Treasurer
Michelle Kalsan

Michelle Kalsan

Michelle Kalsan has over 10 years' experience in Marketing and is currently Marketing Manager at tech company, SRA. She holds a Bachelor of Media from the University of Adelaide and a Mini MBA in Marketing through Marketing Week with Mark Ritson. Michelle is a Board Director of Newosis Mental Health Foundation and Possible Dreams International. She is also a long-standing volunteer at Vision Australia Radio.
General Board Member
PREVIOUS Board Members
Bridie Letford
.
Christina Gulliver
.
Sophie Horwood
.
Sonali D’silva
.
Lisa Pritchard
.
Serena Gasparini
.
Jackie Chen
.
Rebecca Sandford
.
Kelly Graham-Sutton;
.
Emma Finnie
.
Evelyn Johns
.
Catherine Purvis
.
Sarah Collyer-Braham
.
Alexandra May
.
Briony Kent
.
Sally Storey
.
Lucinda Hewitson
.
Kasia Jaruzelska
.
Tamara Tomic
.
Libby Trainor-Parker
.
Leila Hallak-Low
.
Jordan Bell
.
Purdie Hider
.
Lauren Novak
.
Megan Down
.
Ilona Schultz
.
Sarah Curtis-Fawley
.
Sally Woolford
.
Candice Keller
.
Jamie Doran
.
Natasha Cheshire
.
Genevieve Lewis
.
Sian Dodd
.
Angie Gilchrist
.
Amanda Goodfellow
.
Emily Welyhorskyj
.
Ashleigh Dumont
.
Karina Albanese
.
Madhu Jeyakumaran
.
Shelley O’Connell
.
Kacy Ratta
.
Gemma Cooper
.
Rebecca Clafton (nee Wu)
.
Fiona Stapleton
.
Rebecca Bendikov
.
Anna Kennett
.