Following our announcement of the Women in Defence Awards 2026 finalists, ADM will be introducing each of our amazing finalists across the categories in more detail. Today we are focusing on the finalists in Executive Management.
In this category, judges were looking for entries that evidenced success in executive management in 2025, as well as a clear effort to promote Defence above and beyond the scope of their roles or to promote inclusion within their organisations. In addition, judges also looked for entries that evidenced the overcoming of personal and professional challenges on their way to success.
The winners and Hall of Fame inductee will be announced at a gala dinner at The National Arboretum, Canberra, on 29 October 2026. Book your tickets here – we hope to see you there!
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Celanie Meyer As a director on the Defence Teaming Centre board, Celanie redesigned the Defence 101 program into a practical 9-step onboarding pathway, lifting attendance from 8 to 43 registrants per session. She also volunteers in dog rescue and dog assistance organisations, while completing an Executive MBA with the Hender Consulting Prize for Academic Excellence. |
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Lauren Spring Lauren leads AECOM's national PFAS investigation and remediation program for Defence, directing delivery across Singleton, Williamtown, Richmond, Jervis Bay, Katherine, Darwin and Oakey whilst strengthening governance and stabilising community confidence on a highly visible issue. She has personally mentored 15 early-career professionals into Defence careers, and champions women in STEM through programs in local schools and universities. |
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Louisa Pontonio
Since taking on Leidos' Mission Software Solutions leadership in 2025, Louisa grew the business over 28 per cent to exceed $200 million in revenue, won an Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation sustainment tender, led the JP2096 ISR data inference team and delivered the JP2060 Health Knowledge Management system's national go-live. As Executive Sponsor of Leidos' Women and Allies Network, she lifted the number of female leaders and drove gender parity in early careers hiring. |
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Rebecca Livesey Rebecca led ASC's shift to a multi-program submarine business, aligning sovereign submarine capability delivery with AUKUS's Optimal Pathway. Her leadership of a transformation spanning operating models, technology and workforce will see ASC scale from 2,000 to 8,000 employees in a time of significant corporate change. Rebecca has also been ASC’s Executive Sponsor of Diversity and Inclusion for five years. |
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Sue-Ellen Jahshan Sue-Ellen is Deputy Chief Operating Officer at ASC. In 2025, Sue-Ellen directly engaged more than 1,500 employees to lift performance, rebuilt a critical customer relationship and secured $600 million in contract revenue. She established ASC's first women's mentoring group, now more than 10 strong, creating a space for confidence-building and career progression. |
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