ABOUT
Women's nexus is a women's networking group that aims to link business and professional women. We meet bi-monthly on the last Wednesday of every second month. Our members are from a diverse range of backgrounds and are lawyers, financial consultants, barristers, marketing managers, real estate agents, business owners including in fashion, filmmakers, artists and photographers.
Women's nexus is not just about cross referrals, though it is about that too. Unlike some networking groups where that is the sole focus women’s nexus is wider than that.
We also want women's nexus to be inspirational, hence as a point of difference at each meeting there will be a female speaker.
We want it to be everyone's bi-monthly booster for their career with support, inspirational speakers, and cross referrals.
Women's Nexus has received media attention and in an article published in Mamamia on 16 June 2016, co-founder Zoë Durand said of the group:
"Currently women’s networking groups seem to be a dime a dozen out there. So why start yet another one? My hope for the group was that it would not just be about cross referrals but rather it would be “career therapy” and inspirational. My co-founder and I committed to sourcing inspirational speakers who would be willing to talk about the real stuff of how they built their career.
We wanted to create an informal, supportive and authentic space where women can come together and vent, talk, laugh and network over some wine and cheese. Somehow thanks to the wonderful women that came, this is the exact environment that was created.
Only one meeting in and I am already certain I have found that sense of community, where we can each be the cheer leader for each other’s career."
FOUNDERS
Zoë Durand
C0-Founder
Zoë Durand works as a family lawer at Armstrong Legal. Previously she worked at leading international commercial law firms, including K&L Gates (formerly Middletons). She holds a Masters of Applied Family Law.
Although Zoë has a strong litigation background, she understands some clients prefer to resolve matters amicably. In this regard Zoë is qualified to conduct Collaborative Law matters and has completed her Collaborative Law training in accordance with the standards of the International Academy of Collaborative Professions (ICAP) the Law Council of Australia Guidelines. Zoë is in the process of becoming qualified as a Mediator to conduct family law mediations. She has completed a Graduate Diploma of Family Dispute Resolution Practice and is in the process of becoming a Nationally Accredited Mediator.
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Zoë has worked at the National Children’s and Youth Law Centre, which provides legal assistance to children and has also worked as a Court appointed Independent Children’s Lawyer. This means she acted on behalf of children whose parents were in contested litigation in Court regarding parenting arrangements. This experience has given her a unique insight into the perspectives and needs of children whose parents are separating. See her profile on Armstrong Legal's website for more.
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She is a member of the Asian Australian Lawyers Association and the French Australian Lawyers Society. She holds both Australian and Taiwanese Citizenship and the equivalent of French Permanent Residency.
As a legal author Zoë has written the Family Law case notes for the NSW Law Society Journal. She also has written poetry books and has written articles for online newspapers including Mamamia.
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Zoë Durand is also an award winning artist who has exhibited in Sydney, Melbourne, New York, London, Scotland, Italy and the Louvre, Paris. She is represented in SoHo, New York by Ward-Nasse Art Gallery. Currently her art forms part of "Imago Mundi", a permanently exhibiting art collection of works commissioned and collected by Luciano Benetton (founder of Bennetton Clothing).
Zoë's art also forms part of private and corporate collections locally and internationally, particularly in Asia and she was selected by Malaysian designers Sereni & Shentel to collaborate with them for their 2013 annual "Artist Series". This involved her paintings forming the basis of exclusive design textiles. The capsule collection received significant coverage by Malaysian media.
She is also the founder of Art With Heart and is involved in art fundraising for charity work. She also has a love of design including that she built Women's Nexus website.
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Megan Greig
Co-Founding Committee Member
Megan Greig is the Group Marketing Manager for Amicus who are the leading end to end workplace environment specialists operating across the Asia Pacific. To learn more about Amicus' projects click here.
Megan is a Senior Marketing Manager with over 12 years’ experience in developing and implementing national marketing and communications strategies including digital marketing, brand, new business and sales strategies.
Megan has specialised in re-positioning multi-layered organisations to improve their profile in highly competitive markets - including educational institutions, health and wellness companies and membership-based organisations.
Megan has successfully collaborated with CEOs and senior management to define marketing strategies to support business growth, revenue targets and increase ROI.
Megan is passionate about people management and team building through leadership, training and coaching which also inspires her to contribute to Women's careers and lives through Women's Nexus.
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Megan manages the social media and email channels for Women's Nexus. Like us on Facebook to stay up to date with our events.
Tijana Petkovic
Co-Founding Committee Member
Treasurer
Tijana works as a Partner at Blanchfield Nicholls Partners, a boutique firm in Sydney CBD. For more information on her experience as a lawyer please click here.
Tijana holds a Bachelor of Law Degree with first class Honours and an Arts degree with a double major in Politics and Philosophy. Tijana was admitted as a solicitor in the Supreme Court of NSW in February 2008.
As an undergraduate, Tijana worked at a community legal centre and subsequently a legal practice specialising in medical negligence and family law. After completing her law degree in November 2007, Tijana worked as a Legal Associate to two Family Court Judges. Since 2010, Tijana has been in private practice working almost exclusively in family law.
Tijana has experience in complex parenting and property matters, including matters with significant asset pools, complex business structures, spouse maintenance claims, child abuse and child sexual abuse matters, overseas relocation and matters pursuant to The Hague Child Abduction Convention.
Whilst Tijana regularly appears in the Family Court, Federal Circuit Court and the Supreme Court, she also appears in mediations and is trained in Collaborative Law. Tijana offers clients practical and cost effective solutions to their family law problems, and understands that litigation should be used as a last resort.
Outside of the law, Tijana enjoys travelling, spending time with family and friends, and keeping active.
