Jocelyn and Sheona

Jocelyn worked as a Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator for the Ministry of Justice and Community Services in Vanuatu. In this role, she worked with fourteen justice and community services agencies to improve organisational knowledge of monitoring and evaluation, and supported them to translate this knowledge into better reporting of their plans, strategies and policies.

Jocelyn’s interest in leadership stems from a firm belief that all women, regardless of background, should be able to grow and discover their own leadership potential. She hopes to develop her skills in order to lead, inspire, motivate and encourage those she comes into contact with; in her community and country.

Sheona is highly experienced in international development, having worked for over 20 years in diverse cultural contexts as a policy advisor, communications consultant, program and team leader, and researcher. She has held directorship, managerial and advisory roles within Australian Government, United Nations, and other organisations, and has worked and led teams in Australia, Fiji, Philippines, Timor Leste, Afghanistan and Yemen.

Prior to taking up the role of Fiji Section Director within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Melanesia Branch, Sheona was Counsellor, Economics and Development at the Australian Embassy in Manila. In this role, she oversaw economic and development policy and program implementation for Australia in the Philippines, including through the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sheona holds a Master of Science (Politics), in Gender, Rights and Development from the University of Glasgow and has also worked as a lecturer, a teacher, and a producer at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).