International Women's Day Breakfast 2026

International Women’s Day Breakfast 2026

A Special Geelong Regional Engineers Group Event

Celebrating Women in Science and Engineering

As part of our commitment to support women, the Geelong Regional Engineers Group (GREG) are proud to host our very first International Women’s Day (IWD) breakfast.

Our aim is to celebrate, connect, and inspire women working in the engineering industry and science related fields across the region.

The event will serve as a platform to promote diversity, highlight leadership, and foster community among women in engineering and related industries.

• Date: Thursday, March 12, 2026

• Registration: 7:30 AM

• Time: 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM

• Venue: Peninsula Room, Novotel Geelong

Keynote Speaker:

Melissa Blyton
(BEng, RPEV) is the Principal Civil Engineer at PM Design Group,

“Having been a qualified Engineer since last century I have had many experiences in my field. I have worked for large organisations, in both the public and private sectors, small family businesses and as a Casual Academic at a University. 

Having grown up in Central Victoria, I have now called Geelong home for over 25 years.

I am looking forward to sharing some of my lived experiences at the GREG IWD breakfast, why I chose engineering as a career, some of the flagship projects that I have worked on in Victoria and more specifically the Geelong region and what has made me strive to stay in this field.”

Guest Speakers:

Irene Fisher
Mineral Therapist (Biochemistry)

Irene’s background is largely in pharmacy. She is fascinated with the longevity of engineering and inorganic minerals in road building and construction and by the way nature uses minerals organically. She is particularly encouraged to see modern science increasingly recognising the significance of cooperation and interconnection among life systems – principles that have guided her work for decades.

Barry Chisholm
(BEng (hons), CPEng, MIEAust, RPEQ) is an Associate Principal with Arup, leading their Geelong office.

“I’ve been fortunate to work with, be inspired by, and at times support many amazing women in engineering. At this International Women’s Day event, I want to share my journey — from simply trying to ‘be fair to everyone’, to becoming more aware, more actively inclusive, and more intentional in supporting people from under‑represented groups.

I’ll talk about why going beyond fairness and passive consideration of diversity is essential if we want to create a genuinely inclusive engineering industry — and why improving in this space benefits everyone: men and women, team performance, business outcomes, and society as a whole.

I’ll also share some of my experiences growing more diverse teams, and sponsoring people from different backgrounds into roles where they’ve gone on to thrive. I’m still learning and don’t have all the answers, but I’m keen to share some of my learnings and reflections — and to invite discussion on how we can all continue to improve on this incredibly important front.”

Event Primary Sponsor:

Supporting Sponsor:

Ticket Prices:

GREG Members and Partners ... $40 per person

Student Members ... $30 per person

Non-members ... $60 per person

Members and Student Members - please use your 2026 membership number as your personal access code.

Not a member yet, sign up now at https://greg.asn.au/contact or contact
Robert Gregory – email: membership@greg.asn.au

Note: GREG membership is $20 for the 2026 calendar year. Student membership is free.