Career Playbook Series: What I’d do differently - real talk, real lessons
What would you do differently if you could start your tech career again? As part of the ACS Canberra EPC Career Playbook Series and in celebration of International Girls in ICT Day 2026, women working in ICT share honest reflections on early-career missteps, pivots, and the lessons they wish they had known sooner. Join us for real stories, practical insights, and meaningful conversations about navigating a career in Australia’s tech industry.
ACS Canberra Hub, Suite 3 Level 5 64 Northbourne Avenue, Canberra, ACT, 2601
Thu 16 Apr 2026 05:30 PM AEST
Duration: 2.0 hours
Register by Tue 14 Apr 2026 11:59 PM AEST
Contact Event Organiser
In Person
CPD Hours: 2
Skills Level: Professional development (PDSV) -> Level 4
About this event
ACS Canberra EPC | In celebration of International Girls in ICT Day 2026
Building a career in technology is rarely a straight line - and that's exactly what makes it worth talking about.
The Career Playbook Series by ACS Canberra EPC is designed to help students, graduates, and early-career professionals build clarity, confidence, and resilience on their professional journeys. This session is proudly held in the spirit of International Girls in ICT Day 2026, being celebrated on 23rd April 2026 under the theme "AI for Development: Girls Shaping the Digital Future" - a global movement that champions girls and women as active shapers of our digital world, not just participants in it.
In this session, wonderful women in ICT will share candid reflections on early-career mistakes, setbacks, pivots, and the strategies they used to recover and reposition themselves in the Australian tech industry. Rather than polished success stories, this session explores the reality behind career growth - the uncertainty, the rejection, and the course corrections that nobody puts on their LinkedIn profile.
Attendees will gain:
This event is open to all - women in ICT and allies, who are committed to fostering inclusive and sustainable tech workplaces. Whether you're breaking into tech, navigating your first few years, or championing more inclusive pathways for others - you belong here.
Join us as we celebrate the theme of girls shaping the digital future, starting with the stories that shape us.
Panelists
Building a career in technology is rarely a straight line - and that's exactly what makes it worth talking about.
The Career Playbook Series by ACS Canberra EPC is designed to help students, graduates, and early-career professionals build clarity, confidence, and resilience on their professional journeys. This session is proudly held in the spirit of International Girls in ICT Day 2026, being celebrated on 23rd April 2026 under the theme "AI for Development: Girls Shaping the Digital Future" - a global movement that champions girls and women as active shapers of our digital world, not just participants in it.
In this session, wonderful women in ICT will share candid reflections on early-career mistakes, setbacks, pivots, and the strategies they used to recover and reposition themselves in the Australian tech industry. Rather than polished success stories, this session explores the reality behind career growth - the uncertainty, the rejection, and the course corrections that nobody puts on their LinkedIn profile.
Attendees will gain:
- Insight into real-world tech career pathways and what they actually look like
- Practical advice on navigating the Australian workplace as a woman in ICT
- Perspectives on managing setbacks, building momentum, and owning your narrative
- Connections with peers, mentors, and industry professionals who get it
This event is open to all - women in ICT and allies, who are committed to fostering inclusive and sustainable tech workplaces. Whether you're breaking into tech, navigating your first few years, or championing more inclusive pathways for others - you belong here.
Join us as we celebrate the theme of girls shaping the digital future, starting with the stories that shape us.
Panelists
- Katrina Keep - Founder and Principal of Verity Strategic
- Rosetta Romano - Assistant Professor of Information Technology and Systems in the Faculty of Science & Technology at the University of Canberra
- Moe Pwint Oo - Principal Consultant of Microsoft (Industry Solution Delivery)
- Vi Nguyen - Founder & CEO of Ryka Global
Speakers
Panellist
Katrina Keep
Founder and Principal, Verity Strategic
Katrina Keep is the Founder and Principal of Verity Strategic, an advisory practice specialising in business strategy and leadership for organisations navigating transformation and complex change.
A Senior Executive with 25 years of public sector leadership experience across digital, data, health, and science portfolios, Katrina is a trusted adviser to organisations where strategy, technology, and governance intersect. Her career spans both policy and delivery, giving her an end-to-end perspective that is rare in the advisory market.
Katrina has led some of Australia's most complex government digital programs, including the 2021 design and delivery of the award-winning COVID-19 check-in applications across four jurisdictions — a program executed under significant time and political pressure. She brings deep expertise in digital strategy, program governance, executive leadership, and stakeholder engagement at the highest levels of government.
Through Verity Strategic, Katrina now works with leaders and organisations to cut through complexity, build strategic clarity, and drive meaningful outcomes in the digital age.
A Senior Executive with 25 years of public sector leadership experience across digital, data, health, and science portfolios, Katrina is a trusted adviser to organisations where strategy, technology, and governance intersect. Her career spans both policy and delivery, giving her an end-to-end perspective that is rare in the advisory market.
Katrina has led some of Australia's most complex government digital programs, including the 2021 design and delivery of the award-winning COVID-19 check-in applications across four jurisdictions — a program executed under significant time and political pressure. She brings deep expertise in digital strategy, program governance, executive leadership, and stakeholder engagement at the highest levels of government.
Through Verity Strategic, Katrina now works with leaders and organisations to cut through complexity, build strategic clarity, and drive meaningful outcomes in the digital age.
Panellist
Rosetta Romano
Assistant Professor of Information Technology and Systems, University of Canberra
Rosetta Romano is an Assistant Professor of Information Technology and Systems in the Faculty of Science & Technology at the University of Canberra. She collaborates with industry to improve learning outcomes for under-represented groups. Her research topics include technology-facilitated domestic violence for victim-survivors, cyber security for smaller Australian businesses, and Indigenization of the curriculum for students.
Dr Romano was recognized as 2024 International Women in Cyber Day Canberra Awards - Inclusion in Action Award for diversity in cyber security research and 2025 WICked Woman of the Year, an award celebrating woman who demonstrate outstanding leadership, impact, and contribution in technology and research with social benefit. She led a team that won the AAIS and ACPHIS John Campbell Impact Award recognizing research that has had or has the potential to have a significant impact on industry, government, or not for profit organizations, as well as society in 2024. In 2023 she was awarded the AIS Women’s Network College Outstanding Educator Award. She is currently serving as the Past President of Association for Information Systems (AIS) Special Interest Group in Education (SIGED) and is an Executive member of the HERDSA Special Interest Group for Academic Development.
Dr Romano was recognized as 2024 International Women in Cyber Day Canberra Awards - Inclusion in Action Award for diversity in cyber security research and 2025 WICked Woman of the Year, an award celebrating woman who demonstrate outstanding leadership, impact, and contribution in technology and research with social benefit. She led a team that won the AAIS and ACPHIS John Campbell Impact Award recognizing research that has had or has the potential to have a significant impact on industry, government, or not for profit organizations, as well as society in 2024. In 2023 she was awarded the AIS Women’s Network College Outstanding Educator Award. She is currently serving as the Past President of Association for Information Systems (AIS) Special Interest Group in Education (SIGED) and is an Executive member of the HERDSA Special Interest Group for Academic Development.
Panellist
Moe Pwint Oo
Principal Consultant, Microsoft (Industry Solution Delivery)
Moe is a Principal Consultant with over two decades of experience partnering with senior leaders to deliver strategic, high‑impact outcomes through Microsoft technologies. She is known for her customer‑centric approach, strong delivery leadership, and ability to translate complex business challenges into practical, scalable solutions.
Having worked extensively across both public and private sectors, Moe brings deep expertise in consulting, solution architecture, and enterprise delivery. She has led and contributed to large‑scale, mission‑critical engagements, guiding organisations through modernisation and digital transformation with a strong focus on quality, governance, and long‑term value.
Moe began her career as a web application analyst and has continuously evolved alongside emerging technologies. Today, she specialises in Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams, and Power Platform solutions, helping organisations enhance collaboration, productivity, and employee and customer experiences. She is particularly passionate about enabling organisations to adopt modern ways of working while maintaining security, compliance, and operational excellence.
Based in Canberra, Australia, Moe supports customers across Australia and New Zealand, working closely with executives, business leaders, and delivery teams as a trusted advisor throughout the transformation journey.
Having worked extensively across both public and private sectors, Moe brings deep expertise in consulting, solution architecture, and enterprise delivery. She has led and contributed to large‑scale, mission‑critical engagements, guiding organisations through modernisation and digital transformation with a strong focus on quality, governance, and long‑term value.
Moe began her career as a web application analyst and has continuously evolved alongside emerging technologies. Today, she specialises in Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams, and Power Platform solutions, helping organisations enhance collaboration, productivity, and employee and customer experiences. She is particularly passionate about enabling organisations to adopt modern ways of working while maintaining security, compliance, and operational excellence.
Based in Canberra, Australia, Moe supports customers across Australia and New Zealand, working closely with executives, business leaders, and delivery teams as a trusted advisor throughout the transformation journey.
Panellist
Vi Nguyen
Founder & CEO, Ryka Global
Vi Nguyen is the founder and CEO of Ryka Global, an AI and Digital Consulting Firm focusing on empowering women in STEM and sustainability.
She is a seasoned digital specialist and a leader across global tech and innovation spaces. With over 20 years of experience in Australia, Asia, and Sweden, she has worked with organisations such as Boston Consulting Group, Volvo Cars, Macquarie Bank, the Swedish Space Association, and the Australian Government.
She launched the Pathways with Tech for Women program and is a sought after speaker on AI and Digital Transformation. Vi’s journey - from a UC student to a global innovator - offers valuable insights on how to create a job, not ask for a job and take lead of our own career.
She is a seasoned digital specialist and a leader across global tech and innovation spaces. With over 20 years of experience in Australia, Asia, and Sweden, she has worked with organisations such as Boston Consulting Group, Volvo Cars, Macquarie Bank, the Swedish Space Association, and the Australian Government.
She launched the Pathways with Tech for Women program and is a sought after speaker on AI and Digital Transformation. Vi’s journey - from a UC student to a global innovator - offers valuable insights on how to create a job, not ask for a job and take lead of our own career.
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