Premila Jina has been appointed President of WAITTA following the decision by Con Polkinghorne to step down after 18 months as President and nearly five years as a Board Director to focus on professional opportunities as well as more time with family.
Similarly, Treasurer Peter Malaxos has also shared his intent to step down in March to pursue professional and personal endeavours.
In announcing the news, Premila expressed gratitude for the service of WAITTA’s outgoing leaders and optimism for the organisation’s future.
“As I take on the role of President, my focus will be on deepening strategic alliances, ensuring sustainability across our volunteer network and finances, and continuing to drive authentic diversity and inclusive leadership. Thank you, Con and Peter, for your volunteer contributions to WA's technology innovation ecosystem."
With Premila stepping up into the President role, INCITE Awards co-chair Jess Etheridge has been appointed Vice President; fellow INCITE Awards co-chair Cameron Zivkovic will assume the role of Treasurer in March, allowing sufficient time for a handover from Peter.
WAITTA has announced Premila Jina has been appointed its new President.
Reflecting on his time with WAITTA, Con said he is proud of the organisation’s transformation and optimistic about its future.
“Serving as President of WAITTA has been one of the great privileges of my career. Our volunteers, partners and community embody the very best of Western Australia - resourceful, resilient and always willing to innovate for the greater good. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved together, especially as WAITTA has transformed into a modern alliance representing the entire technology innovation ecosystem. While it’s time for me to focus on new opportunities and precious family time, I leave confident that WAITTA’s future is bright and full of impact.”
With renewal across the board underway, the organisation is delighted to announce Board Director Anita Ghose will lead its Partnership and Sponsorship portfolio. Anita will work with government, business and academia to broker partnerships and sponsorship at such an important time for WAITTA.
Anita will also champion WAITTA’s impactful partnership with Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation as Board Sponsor of the annual charity fundraiser putt4dough, which has seen the technology sector fundraise more than $800,000 over 15 years.
Ahead of celebrating its 10th year of incorporation and milestone 35th INCITE Awards in 2026, WAITTA has spent the past two years reimagining itself.
In March, the not-for-profit kicked off with WAITTA Reimagined, a scene-setting gathering in Perth City of key stakeholders and influencers within the tech innovation ecosystem.
It was here WAITTA shared its reimagined strategic direction, including a new name - the Western Australian Innovation, Technology & Talent Alliance.
With a new name and mission reflecting its sharpened focused on diversity, inclusion and belonging, WAITTA is well positioned to continue fostering stronger alliances across the technology innovation ecosystem.
The reinvigorated energy has flowed through WAITTA's three programs across 2025. Under the leadership of INCITE Co-Chairs Jess Etheridge and Cameron Zivkovic, the INCITE Awards expanded its reach and visibility, showcasing excellence in Western Australian technology innovation and elevating local talent onto national and international stages.
This 12-month program culminated with six Western Australian teams securing a win or merit at the national iAwards in August earning them a place in the international Asia-Pacific ICT Alliance Awards (APICTA).
Earlier this week, a record three Western Australian teams participated in APICTA, with Norwood Systems winning the 2025 Industrial and Infrastructure Solutions Award.
It's a significant win for Australia which competed with 13 other member economies of the Asia-Pacific in a highly
competitive program. Michella Hill of Edith Cowan University and Professor Ahmed Abu-Siada of Curtin University also participated,
representing both the State and Australia in the prestigious global awards.
Read more: Western
Australia's Norwood Systems wins big at global technology innovation awards
In November, the Game Changer Awards celebrated its 10th anniversary, driving new innovation programs into classrooms through the inaugural Game Changer Academy delivered in partnership with Bloom, and carving out pathways for students to continue their STEM journeys including pitching at the 2025 West Tech Fest Young Entrepreneurs Showcase.
One Game Changer Awards team, Rehoboth Christian College, was named as one of four People's Choice Award winners at the 2025 Young Entrepreneurs Showcase - taking home $1500 in what is West Tech Fest's first ever awards program.
The year has been capped by the 15th putt4dough tournament, bringing WA's technology community together to raise $80,000 for the Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation.
This milestone event underscores WAITTA’s long-standing commitment to community impact, as well as its focus on supporting the next generations of Western Australians.
As WAITTA continues to build a strong and future-focused governance model, the organisation is commencing recruitment for four new Board Directors across key leadership portfolios:
This expansion reflects WAITTA’s commitment to strengthening capability, supporting volunteer leadership and ensuring the Board reflects the breadth, diversity and energy of Western Australia’s technology innovation community.
WAITTA invites expressions of interest from individuals with experience in sponsorship, finance, marketing or program delivery - and a passion for shaping Western Australia’s technology innovation and STEM talent pipeline - to apply to join its Board and contribute to the organisation’s next 35 years of growth and impact.
Expressions of Interest are being accepted until 30 January 2026. Find out more.
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