Following our announcement of the Women in Defence Awards 2024 finalists, ADM will be introducing each of our amazing finalists across the categories in more detail. Today we are focusing on the finalists in our Technical Trade category.
In this category, judges were looking for entries that exhibited outstanding success in a Defence/defence industry trade in 2023. The finalists in this category all demonstrate a high level of prowess with their chosen trade, with additional evidence of having overcome personal challenges to do so and for the impact their success had on the wider Defence and industry community.
The winners and Hall of Fame inductee will be announced at a gala dinner at The National Arboretum, Canberra, on 17 October 2024. Book your tickets here – we hope to see you there!
Erin Ashworth
Marine Technician – Electrical
Royal Australian Navy
Erin conducted training, technical publication validation for the OPV class to support the ship acceptance for NUSHIP Arafura and the introduction for the OPV class platform into service. This included extensive OPV technical training, civilian electrical systems and platform-specific operator training. Erin recently provided secondment employment assistance to Luerssen Australia.
Stephanie Bradshaw
Operating and Technical Lead, Naval Combat Systems Group
Saab Australia
Stephanie is the Operating and Technical Lead in Saab’s Naval Combat Systems Group. She supervises a team of six Field Service Representatives who she guided through a major restructure of Saab’s waterfront services. She had to overcome client resistance to the change and was successfully able to gain wide acceptance of the approach after initial success with the first project. Her technical abilities and willingness to adjust on the fly were major contributors to her success in 2023.
Victoria Hohnke WINNER
Foreman Horizontal Construction, Construction Troop, 23 Support Squadron, 1st Combat Engineer Regiment
Australian Army
During 2023 Victoria was responsible for coordinating the maintenance of 22 pieces of plant, 27 Trucks of multiple descriptions (including heavy combinations), and many items of associated equipment for earthwork operations. She volunteered to conduct Exercise Hari’i Hamutuk, which saw her working with the JGSDF and F-FDTL in Timor-Leste to conduct road repair. She is the only female soldier in Construction Troop.
The judging panel was impressed by the many ways in which Victoria is a trailblazer for other women was highlighted by the judging panel. She is a shining example to not only women in Defence trades within Australia but also through her volunteer road construction work in East Timor.
Rose-Marie Johnson
Trials Technician – Communications
Royal Australian Navy
Rose-Marie has continually demonstrated that she holds a high level of technical mastery within the communications systems environment. Seconded outside to the RAN structure to Luerssen Australia as a technical officer, Rose-Marie played a pivotal role in communications equipment installation, set-to-work and defect remediation. Her technical expertise and innovative approach have significantly contributed to the successful implementation of communication systems on-board NUSHIP Arufura in build, thereby enhancing the Navy’s operational capabilities.
