2024 IWD: Cairns Post’s 30 most influential women
With women at the helm of huge workforces to others who have become household names, Cairns is proudly home to so many trailblazing female leaders. Here’s our list of the top 30.
Cairns
Don't miss out on the headlines from Cairns. Followed categories will be added to My News.
There’s no denying Cairns and the Far North is home to trailblazing women across every industry and community, from law to business, sport and academia.
This International Women’s Day serves as a reminder of the important work they do, which helps shape the region day-in-day-out.
Events marking the day include Cairns Regional Council’s breakfast and awards ceremony at the Convention Centre, which kicks off at 7.30am.
You can also join bubbles and brunch at Cazalys, run by Ruth’s Women’s Shelter, and hear from guest speaker Jannah Dryden.
On Saturday the Cairns and Region Multicultural Association is hosting a luncheon with guest speakers, cultural performances and a fashion show at the Sugarcane Restaurant in Edmonton, while the Cairns African Association is also throwing a free Women Empowerment Day at the Benson Hotel.
In no particular order, here are the Cairns Post’s list of the 30 most influential women in our patch.
Mica Martin
Cairns Regional Council chief executive Mica Martin is in charge of the region’s second largest workforce, about 1250 people.
Not only that she plays a key role in the liveability of Cairns and handles a six-figure annual budget.
With an essential water security project now in need of another $257m according to Advance Cairns after a huge cost blowout, Ms Martin faces a huge challenge ahead of her in safeguarding the city’s future access to drinking water and minimising the project’s cost to ratepayers.
She has been the council CEO since 2021 and sits on the Advance Cairns board.
Leena Singh
Just ticking over a year in the role, Leena Singh is responsible for the region’s largest workforce.
As the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service chief executive, Ms Singh is at the helm of a huge $250m expansion of the hospital, which includes a bigger emergency department, a new mental health unit and surgical centre as part of about 90 extra beds by 2026.
The $86m redevelopment of Atherton Hospital was also recently completed, all while Cairns Hospital works towards attaining university hospital status.
Ms Singh has more than two decades’ experience in senior executive roles across Queensland, New South Wales and New Zealand.
Mary Fowler
Fowler became a household name last year during the Matildas groundbreaking World Cup performance, and her profile is only on track to rise after the team qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The 21-year-old honed her craft in the Far North as part of the ‘Fowler five’, playing for several local clubs including Saints and Leichhardt, before playing for Adelaide United and Montpellier in France.
Alongside being a key asset in the Tillies, Fowler plays as a forward and midfielder with Manchester City in the Women’s Super League.
Off the field, she has just inked an ambassador deal with L’Oreal Paris while her romance with NRL player Nathan Cleary has made for a power couple fans can’t seem to get enough of.
Jodie Duignan-George
Jodie Duignan-George is the driving force behind a new CQUniversity campus in Cairns city, which is funded, shovel-ready and expected to contribute $549m to regional economy.
She also holds key positions across Advance Cairns, the Cairns Region Jobs Committee, Study Cairns and Regional Development Australia Tropical North.
Her day job as CQU associate vice president sets a vision for the region’s education and jobs potential.
Jacinta Reddan
The Advance Cairns chief executive Jacinta Reddan is coming up to one-and-a-half years in the role and her time in the Far North, after relocating from Hong Kong where she was in charge of Australia’s largest international chamber of commerce.
Ms Reddan’s career started in journalism and took her to senior roles in government, corporate communication and tourism.
Her 20-year stint in Hong Kong establishes her as an important conduit between Cairns and the Asia Pacific region.
Ms Reddan has also just helped lead a delegation to Brisbane where business leaders have put forward an ambitious list of funding requests.
With a state election in October and a federal election on the horizon next year, Ms Reddan will have an important job in attracting big-ticket investment.
Angela Toppin
Set to start a second term as Mareeba Shire mayor, Angela Toppin will be re-elected to the top job unopposed at the local government election next week.
It’s a huge responsibility overseeing a geographically-diverse area roughly the size Tasmania, and the fact that no one put up their hand to take her on signals the support of her communities.
“As a councillor, you’ve got to serve the whole of the shire and not just one little patch,” she said.
Ms Toppin’s roots are in education having served as principal of five Far North schools, a background that’s led the council to establish diversionary programs and other supports for at-risk youths.
Charlie McKillop
An unmistakeable voice accompanying many Cairns commuters on weekday mornings, Charlie McKillop has forged a successful career in journalism that all started in the Far North.
Ms McKillop grew up around Kuranda, Mena Creek and Karumba before working in regional newspapers and later in federal politics as an adviser to the Attorney-General.
She now presents the ABC Far North breakfast program and has won national and international awards for her journalism, a lot of which covers important agricultural stories of our rich and diverse region.
Patricia O’Neill
A champion for small business, Patricia O’Neill has held the role of Cairns Chamber of Commerce chief executive since 2019.
She was a driving force behind Cairns Regional Council’s backflip on a controversial tenant tax and has this week been part of a delegation to Brisbane advocating for state-funded security grants and insurance duty exemptions for small businesses.
Ms O’Neill’s career has also spanned newspapers and sales including a 13-year stint at the Cairns Post.
Hurriyet Babacan
Professor Hurriyet Babacan has just ticked over a year as the Regional Development Australia Tropical North chair, which drives the infrastructure industry and provides leadership to government, the community and academia alike.
She has also worked with the Queensland department of Premier and Cabinet and as Tablelands Regional Council CEO, while her current role as a JCU professorial research fellow focuses on regional, economic and policy development.
Professor Babacan’s CV boasts a lengthy list of experience and awards including a 2014 Order of Australia.
Yolonde Entsch
Wife of longstanding Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch and now a political contender herself, Yolonde Entsch is likely to remain a recognisable local figure no matter the outcome of her state government bid.
Ms Entsch is the chief executive of homelessness service Wheels of Wellness and is behind Empowering Women, Empowering Communities, which has done a range of advocacy work right across the Far North.
If she is successful in claiming the Cairns MP seat from Tourism Minister Michael Healy in October, Ms Entsch’s influence will only rise.
Cayla George
Representing Cairns and Australia on the international court, Cayla George is a star Opals player, a four-time WNBL champion and one of the few Aussies to make it to the WNBA in the United States.
She’s also a dual Olympian and the 2023 winner of the Suzy Batkovic Medal for League MVP.
George now represents the Sydney Flames and is on her way to the Paris Olympics this year.
For several years between basketball stints George has lived in the Far North, her “adopted hometown”, and has been advocating for a Cairns-based WNBL team.
George and her husband Kailou also made headlines after adopting their baby daughter Pearl through Kupai Omasker or ‘Island adoption’, a Torres Strait lore that was only legally recognised in 2020.
Sonia Smith
While a lot of her work happens behind closed doors, there’s no doubting the influence Sonia Smith has had on the Far North region.
She has been a serving Queensland police officer for more than three decades and after being appointed a detective in 2006, she has led major criminal investigations including the alleged murder of Toyah Cordingley.
In 2016 she was awarded the Australian Police Medal and today she sits on the Access Community Housing directors board.
Libby Powell
With an Instagram following north of 1 million people, there’s no doubting Libby Powell’s huge influence.
The professional fitness model’s social media earnings were last year estimated to rake in up to $4000 per post.
She recently made headlines for launching a ‘virtual girlfriend’ AI version of herself, allowing her fans to engage in real-time conversations with a virtual Libby Powell for $1.48 per minute.
The mum-of-one also has a WBFF Australia Pro Champion title under her belt.
Elizabeth Cullen
26-year-old Elizabeth Cullen is an actor and filmmaker who is quickly climbing the ladder in the screen industry.
Cullen, who attended Cairns State High School, recently starred in Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Elvis’, the Stan drama ‘Bali 2002’ and she is well known for playing a lead role in The Bureau of Magical Things.
The actor has close to 30,000 Instagram followers.
Gina Hogan
As the head of the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation, Gina Hogan has helped drive a record figure of donations during her short tenure.
Last year she was successful in gathering $1.5m towards an upgraded cancer treatment centre at Cairns Hospital.
The foundation has recently launched a catering arm, FNQ Foundation Feast, which will operate as a social enterprise meaning more money is set to flow towards a good cause.
Ms Hogan is proving fundraising can work in innovative ways that help many parts of a community.
Kesa Strieby
2022 Cairns Woman of the Year and president of the Cairns and Region Multicultural Association, Kesa Strieby is a well-known personality in the region.
She’s a driving figure behind a new multicultural community centre currently under construction in White Rock and is closely involved in CARMA’s dozens of community events.
Her influence could also grow soon if her bid to become a Division 2 councillor, under the Team Eden banner, is successful in next week’s election.
“My advice (to women) is that the sky is the limit. Keep doing what you love to do and make a difference every single day,” she said.
Mary McGuiness
As the head of a team that helps delivers about six babies on any given day, Cairns Hospital’s Midwifery and Nursing director Mary McGuiness is a familiar face who does so much for the community behind the scenes.
She has been powering fundraising efforts for the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation’s Cardiac Challenge over the last decade, as well as volunteering for Meals on Wheels and Ride for Isobel, which raises funds for stillbirth and neonatal death support.
Ms McGuiness was also the 2021 Cairns Woman of the Year.
Nita Green
A Queensland senator, Special Envoy for the Reef and the most influential person in our region as voted by Cairns Post readers, Nita Green makes the list this International Women’s Day.
The next year will be critical for Ms Green ahead of the next federal election, with people across Cairns, Queensland and the 64,000-strong reef industry looking to her achievements in Canberra.
In 2022 she also became Queensland’s first – and Australia’s second – gay parliamentarian to have a baby while in office.
Cass Olholm
With an Instagram following of 360,000+ and now her own personal training app, Cass Olholm has gone from strength to strength in the local and national fitness industry.
Her earnings per social media post – many of which showcase the beauty of Cairns to a huge audience – have previously been estimated at $875 to $1500.
Ms Olholm is also a nutritionist, brand ambassador and co-founder of The Ground, a popular Cairns gym for group strength and conditioning and HIIT classes.
Alana McKenna
Alana McKenna is the CEO of Skytek, a local business specialising in aviation maintenance and repair.
She’s an important part of a workforce that is now almost half women, and one of the key female leaders bringing more gender diversity into the growing industry.
Along with Advance Cairns she has been advocating, to the state government, for an Australian-first pilot training simulator to be based in Cairns.
Cynthia Lui
Member for one of the state’s largest electorates by size, not to mention the most geographically and culturally diverse, Cynthia Lui has an important role representing the people of Cook in parliament.
She became the first Torres Strait Islander elected to office when she became the Cook MP in 2017.
Despite holding one of Labor’s safest seats, constituents across the Torres, Cape and Daintree including those impacted in the December floods will be looking to Ms Lui to deliver this year.
“My goal heading into the next election is to continue to strive and advocate for my communities and to represent their best interests,” she recently told the Cairns Post.
Henrietta Marie
Yidinji elder Heneritta Marrie has had a trailblazing career as a professor and advocate for Aboriginal cultural heritage and intellectual property rights.
She was the first Aboriginal Australian to ever be selected for a United Nations professorial position and a 2018 Order of Australia recipient.
Professor Marrie is also a co-patron of the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair and has published more than 100 academic papers across several universities including JCU and CQU.
In 2021 she was tipped to become the next Queensland Governor, a powerful role that could come her way after Dr Jeannette Young’s term.
Stephanie Williams
The new Northern Queensland coroner, Stephanie Williams has an important role in providing answers to people in their darkest hours.
The barrister previously worked as counsel assisting the coroner and has extensive experience in criminal law and domestic violence.
Ms Williams moved to Cairns at age 12 and finished her high school and university studies in the region, becoming the first in her family to gain a tertiary qualification.
She also launched the podcast ‘All Rise – the Mentoring Podcast for Women Lawyers’ a few years ago.
Vonda Malone
The Torres Strait Regional Authority chief executive and the first female to be the Torres Shire Council mayor, Vonda Malone is an inspiring figure in the Strait.
She has more than two decades of experience across all three levels of government and has even had ties to the United Nations Office of the Human Rights Commission.
Ms Malone has been a proud advocate for everything from climate action to prevent rising sea levels to unemployment and housing challenges, as well as Indigenous female leadership.
Genevieve Sinclair
Youth Empowered Towards Independence chief executive Genevieve Sinclair has an important role as a conduit between young offenders and the justice system.
A vocal defender of young people’s rights, Ms Sinclair is paving the way for solutions to the region’s youth crime challenges.
She has been with YETI for 14 years.
Lucy Graham
The director of the region’s peak conservation body, Cairns and Far North Environment Centre, Lucy Graham is a proud champion for the Far North.
Recently CAFNEC has been pushing Cairns Regional Council to act swiftly to secure drinking water supply into the future, as well as putting forward alternative policies to help reduce water waste.
The group has also been calling for the proposed Chalumbin wind farm to be relocated in response to biodiversity loss fears.
Sarah Mort
Property developers Sarah Mort and her husband James are the founding directors of MiHaven, a social enterprise which is focused on affordable and well-designed properties that suit the tropical conditions of Cairns.
Her business has driven a new era of specialist disability, student and women’s and children accommodation as well as training opportunities for disadvantaged, low income people.
Ms Mort also sits on the committee of Study Cairns, the peak body for international education and training in the region.
Nicole Dye
With domestic violence reaching “crisis levels” in both frequency and severity, there are few more influential people working to prevent the scourge than Nicole Dye.
The Cairns Womens Centre manager helped support more than 3500 people in the last year, a 20 per cent jump in admissions.
Ms Dye is instrumental in providing a safe refuge for too many women and children.
Jill Boltz
Now a running coach to Cairns kids and young adults, Boltz is a former English distance runner and a dual-Olympian who represented Great Britain.
Her running group Pace Project has nurtured dozens of young people to achieve their goals and build their confidence.
As a testament to her guidance Boltz’s daughter, Poppy, has gone on to become a professional AFLW premiership player after developing her game in local Cairns footy.
Anna Jones
Cairns African Association president Anna Jones was a winner last year in the Cairns Regional Council’s International Women’s Day awards.
“What I do is really just to help migrants and resettles refugees to navigate the systems in Australia because the all come here with so many barriers,” Ms Jones said.
She sits on the Queensland Multicultural Advisory Council and is a VET tutor, teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health.
More Coverage
Originally published as 2024 IWD: Cairns Post’s 30 most influential women
School issues alert after man chases, lures students
A school in Far North Queensland is on high alert following reports a man chased students and attempting to lure them into his car.
‘Grabbed his dogs and ran’: Airbnb guest lucky to escape house fire
A Cairns Airbnb guest was lucky to escape a blaze with his two dogs unscathed after a home was completely gutted by fire, believed be caused by a phone charger. Watch the video.
1000+ photos: Qld’s ultimate school formals gallery of 2024
Fun and fashion have been the name of the game as Queensland high school students glammed up for formal season in 2024. ALL THE SNAPS
Revealed: New international airline launches Cairns route
A new international service set to begin flying from Cairns Airport will slash hours from the flying time between Far North Queensland and the United States.
What state’s $30bn farming goal means for Far North’s $2.5bn dam
A critical water allocation review needs to happen sooner rather than later if construction of a $2.5bn dam in the Far North is to take place, amid the state’s target of boosting agriculture output to $30bn by 2030.
Woman guilty of using fake legal documents to sneak drugs into jail
A Kuranda woman who smuggled drugs and tobacco disguised as fake legal documents claims she was coerced into mailing packages to Lotus Glen and “didn’t have a choice in the matter”.