People

Board

Kristen Wallwork

Co-Chair

Kristen is a highly experienced social justice leader and a lawyer who has dedicated more than 20 years to serving local communities. She is currently the Executive Director of the South-East Monash Legal Service, where she leads an impact-driven team providing legal support, social support, community development and advocacy for marginalised communities.

Dr Kar Mei Tang

Co-Chair

Dr Kar Mei Tang is Head of Oceania for the UN-backed Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), the world’s leading international network of investors supporting responsible investment. Prior to this she was Chief Circular Economist with the state government-backed NSW Circular and held senior executive roles in the NSW Government in various environmental and economics portfolios. She was formerly Head of Policy and Research with the Australian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (now Australian Investment Council) and began her career as a financial services regulator in Malaysia. She is currently Deputy Chair (Industry & Policy) of the Women in Economics National Committee and sits on the Gateway Bank’s Sustainability Advisory Board, Deakin University’s Real Estate Advisory Board, and Economic Society of NSW Council.

 Tinai Colawai

Ms Colawai is an experienced Human Resources professional and a social impact entrepreneur. She has more than 15 years’ experience as a specialist and strategic business partner in HR with ANZ Banking Group. She has worked in Australia, Asia and the Pacific in Fiji, PNG and American Samoa in a range of HR roles encompassing governance, industrial relations, change, strategic planning and leading teams. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Management & Finance) from the University of the South Pacific, Fiji and is an Associate Member of the Career Development Association of Australia.

 Ivy Josiah

Ms Josiah is a gender consultant, trainer and facilitator, writer and producer who lives in Malaysia. She has deep and extensive experience in promoting and advocating for women’s human, civil and political rights in the Asia Pacific region and in global forums. Her work has been recognised through many awards including Woman of Courage, U.S. State Department (2007) and Her World Malaysia, Woman of the Year (2008).

Posed photo of a smiling womanShehani Noakes

Ms Noakes is an experienced international strategic leader with a career that has spanned Asia, Europe and Australia. She has a strong commercial and strategy background having worked across the Financial Services, Retail and Technology sectors for some of the largest multinationals globally.  She has a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Mathematics and Economics from the London School of Economics and an MBA from INSEAD.

Sharon Parker

Sharon Parker is a Chartered Accountant with over 25 years experience and is currently a Lead Partner at Fordham Business Advisers, a Chartered Accounting Firm which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Perpetual Limited. Sharon provides advisory services to Private Business Owners and Aboriginal Communities located across Australia.   These services include, succession planning, working with clients to improve financial literacy, structuring advice, tax advice, managing growth, assistance with complex family matters and reporting on family and community distribution programs.

Chantelle Stratford

Chantelle Stratford PSM is a globally recognised gender policy expert with extensive experience in international advocacy and women’s rights. She currently serves as Chair of APEC’s Policy Partnership on Women and the Economy and is Australia’s lead on Women’s Empowerment at the G20. In 2024, she was awarded a Public Service Medal for her outstanding leadership in gender equality and women’s policy. Chantelle has a strong background in economic equality and empowerment, social policy, and gender-based violence prevention, and has spearheaded significant reforms, including legislating pay transparency, introducing Australia’s first gender budgeting system and securing record investments for women’s safety.

Company Secretary

Sarah Barker

Sarah is an IT professional. She is the Chief Technology Officer of SmartyGrants (an enterprise of Our Community), overseeing the technology behind Australia’s leading and most-loved grants management system. Sarah is also Co-Chair and Company Secretary of Social Impact Measurement Network of Australia (SIMNA). She holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Software)/Bachelor of Commerce, a Graduate Certificate of Sustainability and a Diploma of Governance (ICDA).

Staff

Nayomi Kannangara

Chief Executive Officer

Nayomi joined IWDA as CEO in February 2024.

Nayomi brings a wealth of experience and expertise to IWDA, having built a distinguished career in international development. Her previous role was Head of Global Programs at Save the Children Australia, based in Melbourne, where she demonstrated a strong commitment to feminist principles and a proven track record in driving impactful change.

Nayomi has over two decades of impactful leadership experience in the non-profit sector, marked by a consistent focus on results, strategic growth, fostering innovation, and diversifying donor partnerships. Prior to her role at Save the Children Australia, she honed her expertise across diverse organisations including Save the Children International, Plan Australia, Oxfam, and ChildFund US, holding key technical and leadership positions in each. This strategic acumen was complemented by her unwavering dedication to driving organisational cultural shifts towards greater gender and diversity inclusivity.

Nayomi arrived in Australia from Sri Lanka on a prestigious AusAid scholarship for academic excellence as a young adult. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Arts from Monash University of Australia and a Master’s degree in International Development from Deakin University of Australia.

  • Director, Systemic Change & Partnerships: Grishma Bista
  • Director, People, Finance and Operations: Gemma Hardie
  • Director, Knowledge Translation & Equality Insights: Joanna Pradela
  • Director, Resource Growth and Communications: Phoebe Tan
  • Company Secretary: Sarah Barker