We’re so incredibly excited to return again and make Assisterhood accessible for more people all over Australia, Aotearoa, Singapore, and beyond! If you’re not sure whether you’d be able to attend the other Assisterhood programs in person, Online is the one for you.
Don’t let borders define you! Apply – even if you live somewhere else.
ELENA DEL VILLAR (WA)
Lead Experience Designer, MiClub | startUXup
Elena is a seasoned UX Designer and product strategy consultant, born and bred in the design-loving city of Barcelona and currently based in the beautiful beaches of Perth, WA. With over two decades of professional expertise and a rather eclectic background – think of art direction for advertising, animation movies & software development in the mix - Elena has worked for a myriad of industries across the globe and most recently, within the Ogilvy/WPP network in Australia.
Her passion for fusing different disciplines such as Design, Tech and Psychology with a holistic and Human-Centered approach led her to hone her skills in UX design with a special focus in digital product strategy - from helping small start-ups to launch mobile apps to deliver intricate software for big corporations.
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JANATH GAMAGE (Singapore)
Creative Director at Ogilvy Singapore
His name’s Janath Gamage. Around advertising, he’s just Jay – a Sri Lankan creative on an adventure. He gets paid monthly to be a Creative Director at Ogilvy Singapore & WPP-Unilever (allegedly).
He’s made paint from flowers, created an AI that helped women in India, etched out snake-skin patterns scale by scale, and conjured up dragons, tigers, and rabbits out of spirits. He’s also picked up pencils, cubes, angels, lotuses, diamonds, stars and many other precious metal along the way.
On a personal note, his love for Bayern Munich has cost him a tattoo and greying hair - he says it’s the price of loyalty, but it might be the 3 AM matches. Thanks to this, he looks much, much older than his age. Unlike his age though, his jokes are so far ahead of their time, they’re still waiting for us in the future.
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LAURA JIEW (QLD)
Marketing Communications Manager, ON Innovation Program at CSIRO
Laura's career has taken her through education, non-profits, STEM, and cyber/information security. With a bachelor's degree in Science and postgrad qualifications in Marketing and Event Management, she's quite the versatile professional. Laura sees herself as someone who's people-oriented, tech-savvy, and a great communicator. She thrives on making genuine connections and helping stakeholders succeed. She's all about building stronger, more connected STEM communities, and her current gig at CSIRO fits like a glove!
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VALERIE MADON (Singapore)
Former Chief Creative Officer APAC
Painter. Ceramist. Gelatiera. Creative Leader. Mother of two amazing humans and one 4-legged barking machine.
Leadership was never the destination for me. Creation was. My north star has always been joy that comes from making the work so I’m always getting my hands dirty.
For me, creativity never clocks out. Beyond building brands for others, I’ve built my own Licktionary, an ice-cream brand I created with my husband, Farrokh Madon. Today, I’m devoting more of my time to shaping a more tactile expression of my creative practice as a ceramist.
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MAIKE MORITZ (SA)
Co-Founder, Creative Strategy & Brand Experience Designer at stickbird.studio
Meet Maike Moritz, a German-born creative with a career shaped by global brands and cross-European collaboration. After years of working with international teams in Germany, she swapped bratwurst and cold winters for rolling hills full of birds, amazing beaches, and plenty of sunshine in Australia.
With 18 years in the industry—12 of them down under—Maike knows firsthand what it takes to establish a career in a new country. As the founder of stickbird.studio and an Executive Committee Member of the Adelaide Advertising & Design Club (AADC), she's passionate about creating meaningful brands and fostering an inclusive, diverse creative industry. Her mantra? "Be Yourself"—because when authenticity leads, creativity and connection naturally follow.
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SOUAD SAIED (Los Angeles)
Senior Vice President, Client Experience at Jack Morton Worldwide
Souad Saied is an SVP at Jack Morton Worldwide, where she leads Client Experience on the West Coast and works closely with senior clients across Amazon, NVIDIA, and Apollo.
Her work is focused on one thing: turning complex client relationships into meaningful, long-term growth. That often means navigating ambiguity, fixing what isn’t working, and building teams that can operate at a higher level than the brief demands.
She’s spent her career across APAC, Europe, and the US in roles from growth to Managing Director, and has learned that most of the job isn’t what’s written down, it’s judgment, relationships, and knowing where to push.
As a mentor, she brings a direct, practical perspective on how to build a career, earn trust, and operate with confidence in environments that are often unclear and high-pressure.
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MAREE TAYLOR (QLD)
General Manager, Marketing and Communications at Exercise & Sports Science Australia
Maree is a collaborative marketing and communications leader with 20+ years’ experience helping purpose-driven brands turn big ideas into meaningful impact.
She's worked across health, education, property, tourism and professional services, leading brands, campaigns and teams that connect people to a bigger mission. Her signature move is transformation — taking underdeveloped or outdated brands and rebuilding the foundations, strategy and brand equity they need to evolve and thrive.
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JENI WONG (QLD)
Digital Analytics Lead at Entain
Data Scientist & Marketing Analytics Leader with 10+ years’ experience in brand and performance marketing. Skilled at building machine learning models, marketing mix modelling, and predictive analytics to optimize digital campaigns, customer segmentation, and engagement. Proven success partnering with marketing teams at PwC, KFC and Uber to drive ROI, personalization, and real-time decision-making. Finalist in the B&T Women Leading Tech 2023 (Data Science).
I bring a unique blend of creativity and analytics, with deep expertise in data strategy, marketing technology, and test-and-learn frameworks that challenge traditional thinking and unlock innovative solutions. Passionate about mentoring the next generation, I have lectured at UQ and QUT, and I hold a Master of Data Science Strategy and Leadership (RMIT, Distinction). I thrive on turning data into powerful stories that inspire smarter decisions and accelerate business growth.
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Ready to become an Online mentee?
This is your chance to propel your career forward with one of our incredibly impressive leaders from APAC and beyond! What are you waiting for?