DDD Perth 2026 Team
Josh Sewell - Chair
Josh serves as the Chair and Treasurer for DDD Perth, providing leadership and managing the financial aspects of the conference. Currently working as the Asia Pacific and Japan Partner Manager for Salesforce at AWS, Josh is growing the co-sell motion and solving customers' biggest problems across the region.
With over two decades of Australian and international consulting and channel experience, Josh has delivered outcomes for customers and partners across various industries. His expertise spans commercial management, digital transformation, information strategy and governance, solution architecture, and organizational change management.
Josh holds an MBA with Honours from the University of Western Australia (WAM 82.4) and was awarded the Tracey Horton Scholar award. As a Graduate and Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD), he brings strong business acumen and governance expertise to DDD Perth, ensuring the organization remains financially sustainable while delivering exceptional value to the Perth software community.
Connect with Josh on LinkedIn (opens in a new tab)
Vicki Turner - Vice Chair and Director Logistics
Vicki is responsible for coordinating the logistics for DDD Perth, ensuring a seamless experience for speakers and attendees. With a background in data analytics and engineering, Vicki brings her technical expertise and organizational skills to the DDD Perth team. She has a passion for technology and community events, helping to create an inclusive and engaging environment for all participants.
Connect with Vicki on LinkedIn (opens in a new tab)
Aidan Morgan - Secretary
Aidan is a Principal Technical Program Manager at Atlassian and serves as the Secretary for DDD Perth. With over 20 years of experience as an accomplished CTO, Architect, and Engineer, he brings strong technical leadership and project delivery skills to the organization.
In his role as Secretary, Aidan manages the Microsoft 365 environment for DDD Perth, ensuring smooth operations and effective collaboration among team members. His extensive background in technology, including his previous experience as a Startup VP/CTO, provides valuable insights for the organization's technical infrastructure and documentation needs.
Aidan is an active member of the Perth tech community, participating in both the Azure Practitioners and Australian Software Developer Community groups. His combination of technical expertise and organizational skills helps maintain proper documentation and records for DDD Perth's activities and decisions, contributing to the conference's continued success.
Connect with Aidan on LinkedIn (opens in a new tab)
Aaron Batten - Director Sponsorship
Aaron is a Co Founder of a&co Recruitment Partners and Director of Sponsorship for DDD Perth, with over 20 years of experience in the Perth technology market. His early career in web development provides a strong technical foundation, enabling him to deeply understand the needs of both engineers and organisations.
Aaron specialises in building meaningful, long-term partnerships - connecting sponsors with the local developer community in ways that deliver genuine value on both sides. His strong network and commitment to the Perth tech ecosystem play a key role in helping DDD Perth continue to deliver high-quality, accessible events.
Connect with Aaron on LinkedIn (opens in a new tab)
Jake Ginnivan - Director Technology
Jake is a Principal Consultant at Arkahna and serves as the Director of Technology for DDD Perth. He previously helped build Seven West Media's digital news platform including 7news.com.au. A seasoned software developer, teacher, international speaker, open source contributor and maintainer.
Connect with Jake on LinkedIn (opens in a new tab)
Jiaranai Keatnuxsuo - Media and Design
Jiaranai is an AI Architect, AI Safety Fundamentals specialist, Climate Educator, and self-described #TechOptimiser who leads the media and design efforts for DDD Perth, creating visual content and managing the conference's brand identity.
A thriving endurance athlete, TEDx Speaker, and multi-award winner including Women in Technology Western Australia 2019, NASA Space App Challenge, Energy Hack, Transport Hack WA, and UWA Innovation Challenge, Jiaranai works at Microsoft bringing together Cloud Computing, Data, Artificial Intelligence, and Environmental Sustainability to help public sector customers do more with what they have.
Jiaranai is actively involved in community events that increase technology accessibility and inclusiveness for underrepresented groups, encouraging women to enter tech and inspiring disadvantaged students to explore STEM fields. Her personal philosophy centers on continuous improvement, striving to be 1% better every day through persistence and effort.
Connect with Jiaranai on LinkedIn (opens in a new tab)
Michelle (Mei-Ling) Sandford - Director Social Media and Communications
Michelle is a Developer Engagement Lead at Microsoft, TedX Speaker, Keynote Speaker, AI Developer, GAICD, and MCT. As the Director of Social Media and Communications for DDD Perth, she leverages her extensive experience in the tech community to promote the conference and engage with attendees.
Michelle lives at the heart of the coding community and helps drive awareness and engagement as a developer advocate and technology evangelist. She advocates for STEM, the Games industry and Developers, presenting at around 50 conferences and events worldwide on Technology, Learning to Code, Open Source and Building Apps with AI. A top LinkedIn Developer Influencer, Michelle mentors for Microsoft, ACS, SheCodes, Muses Code JS, Girls Programming Network, and other organizations, helping to upskill the next generation of data scientists and AI engineers.
She also serves as a Non-Executive Director (GAICD) and Advisory Board Member for many industry, university, and public-sector organizations, including the Australian Computer Society.
Connect with Michelle on LinkedIn (opens in a new tab)
Nathan Bransby - Volunteers and Event Experience
Nathan is a Full-Stack Software Engineer who works with Diversity & Inclusion at the Python Software Foundation. As the Director of Volunteers and Event Experience for DDD Perth, he coordinates volunteers and oversees the event experience, ensuring a positive atmosphere for all participants.
A passionate software engineer merging technical expertise with community advocacy, Nathan is dedicated to creating more inclusive spaces in tech. As an active contributor to the Python Software Foundation's D&I Work Group, he shapes diversity initiatives within the global Python community to create a more inclusive environment for all.
Nathan's engineering work focuses on creating robust, scalable solutions, complemented by his dedication to fostering inclusive tech spaces. He actively participates in tech events and conferences, constantly expanding his knowledge while building meaningful connections across the diverse industry. Nathan believes that technical excellence and community engagement are key drivers of meaningful industry change.
Connect with Nathan on LinkedIn (opens in a new tab)
Amy Kapernick - Director Conference Content
Amy is a business owner, senior developer, mentor and international conference speaker. She has a passion for sharing knowledge with the community with a focus on nurturing the next generation of developers. As Director of Conference Content for DDD Perth, Amy curates the conference program, working with speakers and managing the talk selection process. She's been recognized as a Microsoft MVP since 2019 for her contributions to the tech community and ongoing commitment to helping those around her.
Connect with Amy on LinkedIn (opens in a new tab)
Past committees
DDD Perth was started in 2015 by Rob Moore and Matt Davies, who ran it together until a wider group joined in 2017. In late 2017 the conference was incorporated as DDD WA Inc., and since then each year's committee has been elected at the association's annual general meeting. These are the committees elected at each AGM, plus directors the committee appointed later in the year to fill vacant roles.
2025
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairperson | Josh Sewell |
| Deputy Chairperson |  Rebecca Waters (opens in a new tab) |
| Treasurer |  Siobhan Avenell (opens in a new tab) |
| Secretary | Aidan Morgan |
| Director of Sponsorship |  Alana Atkinson (opens in a new tab) |
| Director of Event Management | Wee-Leng Chia |
| Director of Event Experience |  Alex Colville (opens in a new tab) |
| Director of Logistics | Vicki Turner |
| Director of Conference Content | Amy Kapernick |
| Director of Technology | Jake Ginnivan |
| Director of Media and Design | Jiaranai Keatnuxsuo |
| Director of Social Media and Communications | Michelle Sandford |
2024
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairperson |  Donna Edwards (opens in a new tab) |
| Deputy Chairperson | Alex Colville (opens in a new tab) |
| Treasurer | Josh Sewell |
| Secretary | Aidan Morgan |
| Director of Sponsorship | Alana Atkinson (opens in a new tab) |
| Director of Communications |  Ming Johanson |
| Director of Experience | Rebecca Waters (opens in a new tab) |
| Director of Conference Content |  Sasha Hilton (opens in a new tab) |
| Director of Technology | Jake Ginnivan |
2023
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairperson | Rebecca Waters (opens in a new tab) |
| Deputy Chairperson | Amy Kapernick |
| Treasurer |  Matt Ward |
| Secretary | Aidan Morgan |
| Director of Logistics | Alex Colville (opens in a new tab) |
| Director of Conference Content | Amy Kapernick |
| Director of AV Solutions | Rob Chard |
| Director of Social Media and Communications | Cairo Malet |
| Director of Media and Branding | Ming Johanson |
| Director of Sponsorship |  Rob Crowley |
| Director of Technology | Jake Ginnivan |
| Director of People | Sarah McGeough |
2022
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairperson | Rebecca Waters (opens in a new tab) |
| Deputy Chairperson | Amy Kapernick |
| Treasurer | Matt Ward |
| Secretary | Aidan Morgan |
| Director of Sponsorship | Rob Crowley |
| Director of Conference Content | Amy Kapernick |
| Director of Online Tech | Mohamed Zaatar |
| Director of Logistics | Alex Colville (opens in a new tab) |
| Director of AV Solutions | Rob Chard |
| Director of Media | Ming Johanson |
2021
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairperson | Rebecca Waters (opens in a new tab) |
| Deputy Chairperson | Amy Kapernick |
| Treasurer | Matt Ward |
| Secretary | Vedusha Chooramun |
| Committee member | Allen Azemia |
| Committee member | Anton Ball |
| Committee member | Daniel Blackney |
| Committee member | Deanne Blom |
| Committee member | Sham Chukoury |
| Committee member | Rob Crowley |
| Committee member | Nehal Ghuman |
| Committee member | Ian Hughes |
| Committee member | Cairo Malet |
| Committee member | Sarah McGeough |
| Committee member |  Rob Moore |
| Committee member | Aidan Morgan |
| Committee member | Kristy Sachse |
| Committee member | David Schokker |
| Committee member | Mohamed Zaatar |
2020
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairperson | Rebecca Waters (opens in a new tab) |
| Deputy Chairperson | Matt Ward |
| Treasurer | Ian Hughes |
| Secretary | Sham Chukoury |
| Committee member | Allen Azemia |
| Committee member | Anton Ball |
| Committee member | Daniel Blackney |
| Committee member | Deanne Blom |
| Committee member | Vedusha Chooramun |
| Committee member | Matt Clark |
| Committee member | Rob Crowley |
| Committee member | Shane Drumm |
| Committee member | Nehal Ghuman |
| Committee member | Inaie Ignacio |
| Committee member | Amy Kapernick |
| Committee member | Cairo Malet |
| Committee member | Rob Moore |
| Committee member | Aidan Morgan |
| Committee member | Kristy Sachse |
| Committee member | David Schokker |
| Committee member | Mohamed Zaatar |
2019
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairperson | Rebecca Waters (opens in a new tab) |
| Deputy Chairperson | Matt Ward |
| Treasurer | Ian Hughes |
| Secretary | Rob Moore |
| Committee member |  Ashley Aitken |
| Committee member | Allen Azemia |
| Committee member | Derek Bingham |
| Committee member | Vedusha Chooramun |
| Committee member | Sham Chukoury |
| Committee member | Matt Clark |
| Committee member | Melissa Houghton |
| Committee member | Inaie Ignacio |
| Committee member | Amy Kapernick |
| Committee member | Cairo Malet |
| Committee member | Aidan Morgan |
| Committee member | Kristy Sachse |
| Committee member | David Schokker |
| Committee member | Mohamed Zaatar |
2018
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairperson | Lee Campbell |
| Deputy Chairperson | Rebecca Waters (opens in a new tab) |
| Treasurer | Ian Hughes |
| Secretary | Rob Moore |
| Committee member | Ashley Aitken |
| Committee member | Derek Bingham |
| Committee member | Rob Crowley |
| Committee member | Jake Ginnivan |
| Committee member | Aidan Morgan |
| Committee member | Matt Ward |
| Committee member | Marjan Zia |