Keynote speaker
(in order of appearance)
Clarisse Orchard
Trades Person of the Year, Technical Process Specialist for Callidus
From Callidus Welding Solutions was named the 2024 TradesPerson of the Year. A qualified boilermaker welder with expertise in the mining industry, Clarisse is now a Technical Process Specialist for Callidus. Working closely with clients and the workshop team, she assesses quality, fixes problems, and finds solutions for technical issues—delivering fabrication and repairs on high-end exotic materials.
Clarisse is passionate about inspiring other women to perform their best in a male-dominated industry, helping drive greater diversity and equality in the welding profession.
In addition to her Trades Person of the Year recognition, she was a finalist for the Women in Resources Award (WIRA) 2024 and a panel speaker at the Women in Mining WA (WIMWA) Summit 2024, further highlighting her leadership and influence in the industry.
Dr Erica Mason
BA Design, Honours Design, PhD Design
Erica is a Lecturer in Graphic Design and the Academic Chair for Design Thinking and Service Innovation at Murdoch University. She is also a committee member of the Australian Graphic Design Association (AGDA). As a designer, Dr Erica Mason investigates how design can be utilised as a critical tool to enhance societal systems, economic policies, natural environments, and the holistic connections between them. She believes design is a powerful force capable of improving the world without creating further problems for the future.
Her research focuses on discovering new ways to innovate through this lens, and the outcomes of her work are embedded into the design curriculums at Murdoch University. Through this approach, she ensures that emerging designers are equipped with the most forward-thinking methods and mindsets to lead innovation in design on a global scale.