We are excited to welcome a panel of esteemed guests for our International Women’s Day event on 6 March 2025. The panel will reflect on their personal and professional journeys—highlighting the challenges, triumphs, and lessons learned as they support and uplift the next generation of women. These inspiring leaders will offer valuable advice for our daughters, sisters, and future leaders, as well as the teachers and parents who support them.
Our esteemed panel includes:
Prof Jane Munro – Paediatric Rheumatologist and Senior Research Fellow at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
Prof Jane Munro is a paediatric rheumatologist with a special interest in pain medicine. She has been a paediatric rheumatologist at the Royal Children’s Hospital since 2005 (Head of Rheumatology 2011-2020), is a Professor at the University of Melbourne and a Senior Research Fellow at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.
Jane grew up in Melbourne and completed her medical degree at Monash University with honours. She then completed her training as a paediatrician at the Royal Children’s Hospital along with a Masters of Public Health and training in pain medicine. Jane did paediatric rheumatology training at the Royal Children’s Hospital and Monash Medical Centre. She has a Masters of Health Service Management.
In 2004, Jane won a Churchill Trust Fellowship and travelled to the leading international paediatric hospitals to study paediatric pain management. She then undertook a National Institute of Clinical Studies Fellowship with a focus on improving clinical care. Jane was the national chair of the Australian Paediatric Rheumatology Group (2010-2015),was on the Clinical Leadership Group (Musculoskeletal) for the Victorian Government Health Minister and past chair of the Victorian Paediatric State Committee. In 2020 she co-founded Pandemic Kindness Movement. During 2021-2023 she worked as a senior medical adviser in the Office of the DCHO at the Victorian Department of Health.
As a mum to three children Jane understands the key role parents and carers play as their child’s strongest advocate. Jane is passionate about high quality health care and is always searching for ways to improve her own clinical practice and the Victorian Children’s Clinic.
Anna Skarbek – CEO of Climateworks Centre, Advocate for Climate Action and Sustainability
Anna Skarbek is CEO of Climateworks Centre, leading the organisation’s work in Australia and Southeast Asia with decision-makers who have power to reduce emissions at scale. Anna has led Climateworks since its creation in 2009. Co-founded by philanthropy and Monash University, Climateworks bridges the gap between research and climate action, operating as an independent not-for-profit within the Monash Sustainable Development Institute.
Anna is an Asia Pacific Advisory Board member for GFANZ (the Glasgow Financial Alliance on Net Zero), a member of the Nature Finance Council, and is on the board of SEC Victoria, the Green Building Council of Australia, the Centre for New Energy Technologies, and the Net Zero Economy Authority.
Anna was a founding board director of Australia’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation and the Carbon Market Institute and has held other board directorships ranging from impact investing to human rights organisations. She was a member of Australian Government advisory groups during the development of low carbon and biodiversity legislation and programs, and a member of state government advisory panels that informed the first commitments to net zero emissions.
Prior to Climateworks, Anna was an investment banker in London and Melbourne and a ministerial advisor on environment, water and social policy with the Victorian State Government.
Anna was named among the Top 100 Green Power Players by The Australian and is a member of Chief Executive Women and the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She has a Bachelor of Commerce/Law with Honours from Monash University.
Anna is a past student of Wheelers Hill Campus, first female dux of our school and is the namesake of the newest house introduced in 2023 at Wheelers Hill Campus, ‘Skarbek’.
Kishwar Chowdhury – Renowned Chef, Multicultural Ambassador, and Keynote Speaker on Identity Through Cuisine
After her run as the first South Asian female Finalist on Masterchef Australia, Kishwar went straight into training under Michelin Star Chef Masahiko Yomoda. She honed her skills to bring modern, fine dining degustations with a regional Indian point of view to the world’s attention. She travels the world showcasing luxury Australian produce and Native ingredients through curated menus, transcending borders and highlighting the appeal for a wider Indian palette.
Her body of work includes a residency at Tonka, AIBX Australia-India Business Mission, JW Marriott Bengaluru, heading the T20 Cricket Grand Finals, heading the Australian Open Men’s Finals dinners, State dinners for the Victorian and WA Government, National Gallery of Victoria, Taj Mahal Palace Mumbai and most recently took the helm at Heston Blumenthal’s former restaurant at Crown Melbourne at Crown.
Kishwar is a multicultural ambassador for Cricket Australia, works with the UN World Food Program and ASRC Feast for Freedom as a goodwill ambassador and voices the importance of ownership of identity through cuisine as a keynote speaker on platforms like Ted X.
These outstanding women have made significant contributions in their fields and will share their journeys, offering wisdom and insights that inspire and empower.
