WINNER: Best Graduate Development Program

Powerlink Queensland

Justin Howe

Manager, Talent

Currently Manager of Talent at Powerlink Queensland, Justin Howe leads employer branding, recruitment and early careers programs to attract, develop and retain top talent. Passionate about building future-ready workforces, Justin combines deep expertise in talent management with a commitment to creating opportunities that connect people with meaningful careers.

Manager, Talent

Justin Howe

facebook.com/barwonwater

@ruytongirlsschool

Joshua Fayle

People and Culture Manager

Joshua Fayle

@TDSLaw

Joshua Fayle is the People and Culture Manager at Penrith City Council. He oversees the Human Resources, Organisational Development, Work Health and Safety, and Payroll and Systems teams. Joshua provides a high level of strategic advice on a range of industrial relations matters. Joshua leads the design and implementation of initiatives to improve and strengthen the employee experience across the employee life cycle.

Powerlink Queensland is a leading Australian provider of high-voltage electricity transmission network services, combining innovation with insight to deliver safe, cost-effective and reliable solutions. We are a government-owned corporation that owns, develops, operates and maintains Queensland’s high-voltage electricity transmission network. Our network extends 1,700km from Cairns to the New South Wales border and includes 15,449 circuit kilometres of transmission lines and 152 substations. Through our unique central position in the power system, we guide the market to help influence the energy system of the future – one that effectively balances customer needs while transforming to a lower-carbon future comprising a diverse array of generation and storage technologies, including large-scale wind and solar developments, batteries, pumped hydro and gas turbines. Our purpose is to connect Queenslanders to a world-class energy future, providing electricity to more than five million residents and 241,000 businesses.

Linda Ross

People and Children Manager

Linda has over 27 years’ experience in leading People and Culture teams, incorporating OD, WHS, HR, Payroll and Systems. This experience spans hospitality, theme parks, airline, manufacturing and, for the last five years, local government industries. Linda is passionate about achieving sustainable business outcomes with people at the forefront of everything. In the last three years, in addition to the People and Culture department, Linda has led the Children Services portfolio encompassing 44 children services – 18 long day care, five pre-schools, 15 before- and after-school care and six vacation-care services. The timing of her appointment has seen her lead the portfolio (as well as People and Culture) through the unprecedented times of COVID. In the last financial year, 3,100 children aged 0–12 years attended the services, and Linda loves the difference that this portfolio makes to the community including young people. In Linda’s spare time she contributes to finding a cure for cancer, by volunteering and most recently cycling with Tour De Cure and raising much-needed funds for researchers.

People and Children Manager

Linda Ross

Amita King

Organisational Development Manager

Amita leads Penrith City Council’s Organisational Development (OD) Team and brought with her extensive private sector OD experience upon joining Council three years ago. She has worked across a number of industries including Telecommunications and Retail, leading change management, internal communications, learning and development, leadership, talent and much more. Her passion lies in leading organisations to continually evolve and enhance strategic performance and organisational culture through the investment in contemporary people-centric frameworks and programs that grow and unleash the potential of their people.

Organisational Development Manager

Amita King

As an independent, forward-thinking girls’ school we are committed to preparing girls for a lifetime of learning, leadership and engagement in our global community. We believe in girls. At Ruyton Girls’ School we foster the individuality of each girl in a caring and safe environment, nurturing her intellectual, physical, social and emotional qualities that are essential to flourish. Powerful learning is central to the Ruyton culture, building on our strong academic reputation. We focus on advancing the learning of every girl through the engagement of intellectual curiosity, building their knowledge and skills about how to learn, and supporting them to achieve their personal best and be exemplary citizens. We believe in real-world learning beyond the classroom, collaborating with the wider community to promote growth, discovery and sustainability. We empower our girls to lead lives of purpose with courage, character and compassion. Through the development of values and action-focused learning they are inspired to pursue equity and justice for self and others. By embracing diversity and raising their voices, our girls effect positive change and make a difference.