WomenCAN Australia
Heather Saunders is an accomplished leader with extensive experience in various roles dedicated to financial inclusion and development. Currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer at WomenCAN Australia since January 2025, Heather has previously held significant positions at Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand, including General Manager for Service Ecosystem Design and Development and General Manager for Financial Inclusion & Access. Prior to that, roles at Juma Ventures involved Chief Development Officer and Director of Development. Heather's experience also includes management positions at the Brotherhood of St Laurence, First Nations Foundation, and The Salvation Army, where a focus on financial capability and youth development was prevalent. Educational qualifications include a Masters of Applied Anthropology and Participatory Development from The Australian National University and dual Bachelor's degrees in Commerce and Information Systems from the University of Melbourne.
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WomenCAN Australia
WomenCAN Australia was set up in 2019 to help women get skills and jobs, often having been out of the paid workforce for years providing care to others. We do this while providing confidence, connections, and peer support through The Placement Circle, in which women walk side-by-side on their path to financial independence. The genesis of WomenCAN Australia is ingrained unfairness. The barriers of bias and discrimination against women compelled Mikaela Stafrace to set up the organisation after she realised her successful corporate law career had left her needing a fuller sense of purpose. So she quit her job and started helping other women get jobs. WomenCAN Australia is surging. Women, often facing difficult circumstances, get free training and guaranteed work. They ‘earn and learn’ at the same time. Employers get dedicated, reliable, skilled staff. Women needing trades work done get quality, affordable trades work done through our social enterprise. And the economy and communities get stronger. The organisation focusses on aged care, childcare, transport, and trades for the moment. But its close connection to communities means it picks up on what’s happening in the labour market early, and so is well-placed to help Australia’s women help fix Australia’s skills shortage. We have tax-deductible charitable status and are registered with the Australian Charities Not-for-profit Commission, the Australian Taxation Office and Social Traders.