Our People

Dr Varina Michaels (she/her) is a Volunteer Executive Director of Women of Colour Australia. She lives on the land of the Cammeraygal people of the Eora nation. Dr Michaels was awarded a PhD in Intersectional Identities from UNSW Business School and is Founder and Director of Paisley Group, a global consultancy focused on People Strategy, Intercultural Management and Diversity and Inclusion. Dr Michaels is a neurodivergent, second-generation migrant and mother of three.

Jade Hoskins (she/her) is a Volunteer Non-Executive Director of Women of Colour Australia. She lives on the land of the Gadigal and Wangal peoples of the Eora nation. In her current role with the NSW Government, Jade manages partnerships between NSW government agencies to ensure effective governance, service delivery, and regulatory operations. Jade is born to immigrants from Malaysia and England.

Tekan Cochrane (she/her) is a Volunteer Non-Executive Director of Women of Colour Australia. Tekan resides on the country of the Bunurong Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin nation. Tekan is proud Kooma and Yuwaalaraay. She is an established lawyer practising in Victoria. Tekan is passionate about anti-racism, particularly in the legal sector. She is a board member of the Tarwirri-Indigenous Law Students and Lawyers Association, Victoria.

Vanessa Hetherington (she/her) is of Caribbean descent, born and raised in London, UK. She is a chartered quantity surveyor, with over 15 years of experience in the construction industry. She moved to Australia in 2019 and resides on the traditional lands of the Cammeraygal (Gamaragal) people. Vanessa is a Property Industry Foundation Future Leader Committee member and a Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors APC Assessor.

Annie Chan (she/her) has extensive experience in the banking industry, having worked in analytics, data governance, and operational risk management. She resides on the traditional lands of the Cadigal, Wangal, and Bediagal clans of the Dharug tribe. She is passionate about diversity and inclusion and is a committee member on the D&I employee network groups at her workplace. Annie is an advocate for Women in Data and actively volunteers for initiatives that support building awareness and educating women in the field of data. 

Shazya Khan (she/her) was born in Fiji and is Fijian-Indian. She migrated to Australia with her family in 2003 and lives in Warrane (Sydney). She has a bachelor’s degree in tourism management and a background in events, advertising, public relations, and sales. Shazya is currently an account manager and has extensive experience managing large corporate portfolios. She uses her organisational and communication skills and a strategic and consultative approach to increase company retention and growth. Her passions are helping people grow and cultivating wellbeing, particularly for women.

Diana Omuoyo is the Ambassador Outreach Lead with Women of Colour Australia and currently lives in the ancient country of the Gadigal of the Eora nation (Warrane – Sydney, NSW) and works as a Solution Architect for a global technology company. Her passion for Tech has grown to include EdTech with a focus on improving student outcomes in underserved communities globally. She is also an avid advocate for Women in Tech. As Ms. New Zealand World Universal titleholder, Diana stays active as a community leader by volunteering with various programs and charities that promote and support  STEM, Equality, and Inclusion.

Sana Yousaf (she/her) is a Project Coordinator for Women of Colour Australia. She lives on the land of the Bidjigal clan (also known as Bediagal) of the Darug nation. Sana was born in Pakistan and moved to Australia with her family in 2016. Her personal journey as a migrant has ignited a deep commitment to addressing cultural challenges and promoting inclusivity.