Marlene and Beth

Marlene is from East Sepik Province of Papua New Guinea (PNG) and is studying a Masters of Education in Leadership and Management at Flinders University, South Australia. Alongside her studies, Marlene is a student representative for the South Australia PNG Students' Association.

Marlene was a secondary school teacher for six years - teaching social science, business studies, and geography - before she decided to try something outside of the classroom. In 2011, she joined Live and Learn Environmental Education, where she held the roles of DFAT Sanitation Marketing Coordinator, DFAT Schools Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Coordinator, Education Program Coordinator, and European Union Training and Capacity Building Officer.

Marlene intends to use what she learns on this leadership program to enhance her leadership capacity. She aspires to become a role model for women and girls and mentor them to be agents of change. She would like to use the West New Britain community-based sanitation enterprise that she already is involved with to improve water, sanitation and hygiene for the women and girls in her community.

Beth is the co-founding director of Humanitarian Advisory Group (HAG), a six-year-old social enterprise that brings fresh thinking to the delivery of effective humanitarian aid. Through research, advice, and training, HAG provides a unique space that brings together the humanitarian sector and it works closely with universities, governments, the United Nations and aid agencies.

Prior to HAG, Beth held key humanitarian coordination roles in peace operations and humanitarian response contexts. She has field experience in Afghanistan, Liberia, Tonga, Costa Rica, Laos PDR, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam, and she has worked with grassroots non-governmental organisations (NGOs), large international NGOs and the United Nations. She has co-authored publications on the protection of humanitarian personnel, peace and development in Iraq, and the Women, Peace & Security Agenda.

Beth has a Master's of Development Studies and is a graduate of the Humanitarian Leadership Program. In 2011, she was awarded the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal by the Government of Australia. She is currently serving on the Victorian Divisional Advisory Board of the Australian Red Cross.

As a social entrepreneur and humanitarian practitioner, Beth is passionate about mentoring and supporting women's leadership for positive development change.