VIC Council celebrating International Women’s Day with the Hon. Natalie Hutchins MP

Details

Join us as we celebrate International Women’s Day with the Hon. Natalie Hutchins MP, Minister for Women, Minister for Government Services, Minister for Treaty and First Peoples and Minister for Prevention of Family Violence.

March Forward is the theme for International Women’s Day 2025, commemorating 30 years since the United Nation’s Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action achieving gender equality. March Forward reminds us to take decisive steps to turn our commitment into action and continue to drive change and ensure a truly equal future for all women and girls.

The Minister will share her journey from a women’s perspective before joining a panel with and Amanda Holt, CEO at SYPAQ, moderated by AIIA Council Member, Nadine ‘Noodles’ Groves. 

Together we’ll honour the strength, resilience, and determination that continue to shape our future.

A light breakfast will be served as we come together to reflect, inspire and March Forward in support of gender equality and women’s rights.

Let’s celebrate, inspire and March Forward toward a more equitable world!

Keynote speaker

The Hon. Natalie Hutchins

Minister for Women

Minister for Government Services

Minister for Treaty and First Peoples

Minister for Prevention of Family Violence

Member for Sydenham

Victorian Government

The Hon. Natalie Hutchins MP is the Minister for Government Services, Treaty and First People, Prevention of Family Violence and Women – and the proud Member for Sydenham which is in Melbourne’s west.

Natalie was born to parents living in high-rise public housing in the inner city before moving to the western suburbs. She has always been a fierce advocate for gender equality, for workers’ rights and for justice for Aboriginal Victorians.

Recently she has commenced the roll-out of free pads and tampons across Victoria and announced that Melbourne will host Women Deliver in 2026 – one of the biggest gender equality events in the world – and she also continues the important work toward a Treaty with Victoria’s First Peoples.

In her previous Ministerial roles, Natalie created laws to improve conditions for vulnerable workers through regulating Labour Hire and introducing portable long service leave, she strengthened Aboriginal cultural heritage laws, established Respect Victoria and worked to ensure that no child is left behind in our education system.

Before entering Parliament, Natalie worked as a Union organiser, was senior advisor to former Premier Steve Bracks and made history as the first woman elected as assistant secretary of the Victorian Trades Hall Council. She has ran a small business focusing on research and communications.

Elected in 2010, Natalie is committed to ensuring her electorate is fair and inclusive to reflect the active, diverse, resilient and proud community that she represents.

Panellists

Amanda Holt

CEO

SYPAQ

As the Chief Executive Officer and a Director of SYPAQ, winner of the AFR’s Most Innovative Company award in 2023, Amanda has consistently demonstrated her capability to lead and influence complex organisational improvements across technology, plans, and people. Her collaborative approach has consistently delivered effective results, from the boardroom to the battlespace.

An accomplished and respected defence industry leader, Amanda commenced her career in military systems engineering developing interoperable combat, communications and simulation systems for the Royal Australian Navy in roles at Adacel, ADI and Thales.

Amanda holds tertiary qualifications in aerospace engineering and business, complemented by post-graduate studies in remote sensing, systems and software engineering. She also obtained a Senior Executive MBA from Melbourne Business School.

She is a Fellow and engineering executive of Engineers Australia, a member of the RMIT Aerospace Engineering Advisory Board, co-chair of the Defence Maritime Environmental Working Group and Land Environmental Working Group, and Non-executive Director of PWR Holdings and CEA Technologies – two innovative Australian advanced technology businesses. 

Cressida Wall

Former Commissioner

Better Regulation Victoria

Economic Growth Victoria

As a Former Commissioner for Economic Growth and Better Regulation Victoria in January 2024, Cressida has a deep understanding of government from working across both public and private sector roles for two decades.

In her previous role as Office of Projects Victoria CEO, Cressida oversaw transformative major projects reporting and policy reform. In previous roles as a senior adviser to premiers and government ministers and as a chief of staff, Cressida specialised in infrastructure policy, strategy, and major projects. To drive innovation and efficiency, Cressida advocates for strong collaboration between the private and public sectors.

A commercial litigator by trade, Cressida has worked at Minter Ellison and Corrs, Chambers Westgarth and was a Director on the Board of State Trustees Victoria and an OPV Advisory Board Member. She established a private equity company and was the CEO of its property division.

Cressida has also advocated to the government as the Victorian Executive Director of the Property Council of Australia.

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