Women in leadership

With four women on our Executive team at UTS College, including CEO, Morwenna Shahani, Dean, Sally Payne, Executive Director, Operations, Anna Krajewska and Executive Director, People, Lauren Kelly, and 66 per cent female senior leaders, UTS College values the vision, determination and unique contribution that women bring to our organisation.

Each year, UTS College sponsors the UTS International Alumni Awards, which recognises outstanding achievement by a graduate enrolled as an international student while attending UTS. For the past three years, those outstanding UTS College and UTS international alumni have been incredible women, making a huge impact in their respective fields and demonstrating leadership, innovation and creativity in all that they do. Scroll down to read and view their stories as we celebrate our women in leadership. 

Pham Thi Bich Ngoc, a distinguished UTS alumna, was honoured with the 2024 UTS International Alumni Award, sponsored by UTS College. Her journey from a small town near Hanoi to becoming a high-profile diplomat is truly inspiring. Pham’s path to success began with encouragement from a neighbour, leading her to study law in Vietnam. She then enrolled in the Academic English pathway at UTS College leading to a Master of Laws at UTS. This experience not only prepared her for academic success but also opened doors for her future career in international cooperation. Watch and read more about Pham below!

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Growing up in a small village 40 kilometres from Surabaya in Indonesia, Nurul Barizah dreamed of studying at the best high school in the city. She never imagined she would hold her current role of Professor of International Law at the Universitas Airlangga. It was on a training course where she met a professor from UTS. That chance meeting led to her completing her Masters, followed by a PhD, at UTS. Now, Professor Barizah is the Chair of the Quality Assurance Board at the Universitas Airlangga in Surabaya. Specialising in international law, international intellectual property law, international trade law and international dispute resolution, Professor Barizah is a sought-after speaker and expert, consulting with Government ministries, NGOs, civil societies and social organisations in Indonesia. Watch Nurul's interview at UTS College as our 2023 UTS International Alumni Award winner below!

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Aisha Jalil has dedicated her career to helping close the gap in women’s sports in her home country Pakistan. She strives to break attitudinal barriers and inspire other girls to enjoy the sport she loves so dearly – cricket. In 2022, as a result of this dedication, Aisha was named winner of the 2022 UTS International Alumni Award. Today, Aisha works to make women’s sport more equitable as a Player and a Game Development and Team Manager for Women’s Cricket at the Pakistan Cricket Board. She also continues to develop talent programs for young girls in cricket. They prepare the girls for a career as an elite athlete while teaching them life skills. You can read and watch more on Aisha below!

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