Ambassadors Program
Attract and inspire the next generation of women leaders
Equality Initiative Ambassadors are given opportunities to attract and inspire the next generation of women leaders in the clean energy sector. It provides a unique opportunity to interact with a driven group of proactive and highly qualified women, men, and non-binary individuals.
Ambassadors come from multi-disciplinary clean energy fields, including industry, government, and universities. At the international level, the ambassadors’ cohort is made up of proactive and highly qualified women and men who are leaders in the clean energy field and champions of gender equality.
An ambassador’s purpose is to inspire the next generation of women leaders in the clean energy sector through a range of actions, such as public speaking engagements, serving as a role model, and championing opportunities for the careers of up-and-coming professionals in the field.
Program history
The United States government leads the Ambassadors Program. It is one of 5 work streams developed under the Equality in Energy Transitions (Equality Initiative), an initiative developed by the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) and the International Energy Agency (IEA).
The Equality Initiative includes a governmental network of 12 member countries and aims to advance the transition to a low carbon economy through advancing women’s participation in clean energy and closing the gender gap in the energy sector.
Australia's chapter
Australia is excited to actively engage in the program through the nomination of Australia’s Equality Initiative Ambassadors to serve as volunteers for an initial 12-month term.
Australia’s Equality Initiative Ambassadors have the unique opportunity to contribute to the advancement of women in clean energy sector. Ambassadors will assist the Australian Government to promote this value work by:
- promoting and participating in the review and winner selection process of the Equality Initiative Awards Program
- communicating events or achievements on Equality Initiative’s social media, including writing blog posts or content for the Equality Initiative website
- providing information on gender policies or data on the participation of women in their workplace
- promoting and recruiting new signatories for the Equal by 30 campaign
- championing the Equality Initiative by speaking publicly and privately about the initiative
- partaking in Equality Initiative meetings, events, policy circles and/or locally arranged small group meetings.
Get to know the ambassadors
Ms Anna Collyer
Anna Collyer has more than two decades of experience in the Australian energy sector and has worked extensively on industry reform. She was appointed as Chair of the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) on 1 February 2021.
Along with Chairing the AEMC, Anna was appointed Chair of the Energy Security Board (ESB) on 1 November 2021, charged with delivering the post-2025 energy market reforms to create a power system fit for the future.
Earlier in her career, as a partner of Allens law firm, Anna focused on the energy sector throughout its evolution and advised a broad range of clients in the public and private sectors on major projects and transactions.
Anna’s leadership roles have focused on managing complex organisational change and fostering innovation at all levels. Anna was selected as one of Australia’s Equality initiative Ambassadors due to her vast experience and connections within the industry.
'It’s an exciting time for women to join a workforce helping us all accelerate to a clean energy future. We know women excel at exactly the kind of creative thinking and inclusive decision-making that is proving so essential to solving our decarbonisation challenges.'
—Anna Collyer, 2023 Australian Equality Initiative Ambassador
Ms Nicola Falcon
Nicola Falcon is a highly accomplished senior leader, with over 20 years’ experience in the energy sector in Australia and overseas. She leads diverse and inclusive teams, applies systems thinking to problem solving, and provides critical thought leadership to help navigate the energy transition to net zero emissions.
In her current role as Group Manager of Victorian Planning at the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) she leads a multi-disciplinary team enabling the energy transition in Victoria by planning, determining investment in, and implementing development of major transmission projects and non-network services. A key element of this role is to liaise with Victorian Government, regional communities, consumer groups, network service providers and developers to create a shared vision of the future power system that allows affordable renewable generation to be harnessed reliably and securely. In her previous role as Group Manager of Forecasting, she was instrumental in the development of the Integrated System Plan which has been heralded as the roadmap for the transmission revolution the country needs.
Early in her career, Nicola helped develop system plans in Namibia and South Africa, learning how electrification can truly empower communities. This experience sparked her drive to make a difference in the world through her work, enabling the rapid transition to accessible clean energy.
Nicola is passionate about promoting, supporting and developing future female leaders.
She provides strategic advice to AEMO’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and mentors a young female engineer through the inaugural CIGRE mentoring program.
Nicola was recently shortlisted for the Equality Initiative’s Woman of Distinction Award, recognising her demonstrated leadership and passion for diversity and inclusion. Nicola was selected as one of Australia’s Equality Initiative Ambassadors due to her international experience and her dedication to gender diversity in the sector.
Nicola is eager to advance women in energy through her contribution as one of Australia’s Equality Initiative Ambassadors.
'I think (hope) we all now recognise the value of diversity in the workplace, and the importance of diverse thinking in tackling the challenges presented by climate change. However, in the energy sector, the gender mix is still nowhere near representative of the underlying population. Unless we create an inclusive environment where women feel they belong and have the confidence to thrive, I fear that we are going to continue to miss out on some of the important contributions women can make to support the energy transition. That’s why advancing Women in Energy is so important to me, and why I am so pleased to be an Equality Initiative Ambassador.'
—Nicola Falcon, 2023 Australian Equality Initiative Ambassador
Ms Samantha Craft
Sam Craft exhibits a strong passion and depth of commitment to advancing a clean energy future. Sam serves as an example of inclusion and diversity through her personal initiative, the Australian Women in Solar Energy (AWISE) network, of which she is a founding member.
AWISE has provided Sam with the ability to mentor others and work towards building the representation of women in the clean energy sector. Sam also demonstrates strong leadership qualities in her professional career as Director and Operations Manager at NRG Solar and through her volunteer work as a Board Member for the Smart Energy Council.
Sam was recently awarded the Equality Initiative’s Woman of Distinction Award, which recognised her professional career working in the energy sector on an international forum. Sam was selected as one of Australia’s Equality Initiative Ambassadors due to her demonstrated leadership and dedication to facilitating connections with people and mentorship to women in the sector.
Sam is eager to advance women in energy through her contribution as one of Australia’s Equality Initiative Ambassadors.
'One of life’s great privileges is to work with incredible women and men, working so hard toward a diverse and robust renewable future.'
—Samantha Craft, 2023 Australian Equality Initiative Ambassador
How to get involved
Is your organisation committed to equal pay, equal leadership and equal opportunities for women in the clean energy sector? To find out more about how your organisation can get involved, reach out to energystrategicpolicy@industry.gov.au.
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Equality Initiative Ambassador Profile - Anna Collyer
