Operations and Management Team
_______________________________________

Diana van Woerkom established Australian Internships after many years in education and training with Queensland Government. Diana started her teaching career in Hervey Bay with a new concept in education that recognised the value of both the academic and technical/vocational development of students. She eventually moved into the role of Director of Business Development where much of the training was developed to respond to industry demands. Diana was actively involved international education and this served as a catalyst for the establishment of her own business Australian Internships – the first company in Australia to welcome and support students from over 45 countries. Diana was a founding member of the Australian Internships Industry Association and is an active member. Diana still enjoys meeting the many students and young professionals each year from countries all over the world. 

Rebekah joined AI in 2003 while studying Business Management at the University of Queensland. An avid traveller who is fluent in Portuguese, she has a strong passion for the industry and believes that internships are a magnificent contribution to an international-oriented career & a great way to diversity the Australian workplace. Her wealth of knowledge and experience in the internship industry helps her understand the cultural & personal barriers faced by young professionals. In 2012 Bek established the Sydney operations and went on to take over as General Manager in 2015. After 17 years at AI, and many years of success as GM, Bek stepped down from day to day involvement & business operations in 2020; she remains an active member of the Management Team and acts as an external Director.

Marketing Team
____________________

Originally from Poland, Ania came to Australia in 2009 and started working at Australian Internships the same year. She also lived in London for 5 years – started as an intern, which then turned into to a permanent position. Therefore, Ania is well equipped by her own experiences to be able to advise international students on internship opportunities, career development and living abroad. Ania has worked in the education industry in a variety of roles including Marketing, Public Relations and Events for over 15 years. She is a people’s person, whose passions are travel, international education and helping young professionals make their dreams come true.

Daniele Leao, originally from Brazil has an under graduate degree in Linguistics and Post graduate degree in Marketing and Integrated Communication. Daniele is passionate about understanding  people and their motivations, different cultures and communication styles. Over the past seven years, she worked in an advertising agency, where she developed an in-depth understanding  of branding, communication and advertising process in addition to working and studying how people connect with brands. Dani joined the AI team with a vision of helping people pursue an international-oriented career.

Debora, originally from Brazil, has many years of experience in the Student Service, Sales and Marketing, Customer Service and Multimedia areas. In addition to the roles she has held in Brazil and Australia, Deb has extensive international experience and has invested approximately half of her career living and working throughout Asia and the Middle East. 

She holds a Bachelor of Social Communication / Public Relations and has experienced being an international student in Australia, where she completed her Masters of Multimedia at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne. She understands what our interns are expecting before and during their stay in Australia. Deb also has great passions for yoga, tennis, cycling and running. She loves travelling and languages - she speaks English, Portuguese and French and has conversational level of Spanish and Mandarin.

Originally from Brazil, Niwra has chosen Australia to get a living and studying abroad experience. Having lived in Brisbane since 2018, she opted, firstly, to work in the Hospitality Industry as a way of immersing herself in the Australian culture as pushing herself out of her comfort zone. Graduated in Advertising and Master in Applied Consumption Science, with many years of experience mostly in digital agencies at Data Analytics department in Brazil, she’s decided to get back to her area of expertise through an internship opportunity at Australian Internships. Undertaking her second Diploma in Australia, Leadership and Management, (after International Business one) as she loves studying, and with a natural passion for human behavior, she has a lot to contribute to the Educational and Training Industry.

programs Team
____________________

Currently on Maternity Leave

Keli has 7 years’ experience in both recruitment and student placement consulting, specialising in international student placement.  Keli lives in Wollongong and has a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Communication studies from Wollongong University. Keli loves travelling and fitness and is passionate about internships and student success. 

Josh, Australian, has spent the last 7 years working within the education sector helping students onto the right path for their future career. Within this time Josh has gained key skills in sales, business development and team management. Josh has a big passion for fitness, studying his certificate III & IV in Fitness and a Diploma of Sports Development. Josh also spent 3 years working as a Personal Trainer in some big gym franchises and running his own business. Josh joins the team at AI with a goal to continue helping students into their careers as an Internships Program Manager.

Cameron Miller was raised on the beaches of the Gold Coast and lives and breathes the tourism industry. Obtaining a Bachelor Degree from Bond University studying International Hotel and Resort Management in the programs inaugural year. Cameron has spent over 10 years in the Hotel & Tourism sector specialising in the Business Development field. Working with 5 star Hotels within the IHG, Grand Hyatt and Hilton brands he has had exposure to many top brands and training programs. He has also had the opportunity to work for an eco-retreat and vineyard to round out his further experience in city properties and Resort style properties. To further his education Cameron graduated from ‘Queensland Tourism Council’s’ six month mentorship program. Cameron looks forward to sharing his passion and knowledge with all the interns.

Daniel has strong sales background working in leadership positions for renowned multinational organisations, such as Philip Morris, Nestlé, AmBev, and Santander Bank, over the last 14 years. Skillful in team building, customer services, KPIs management, and people management, he has led commercial teams with over 100 employees in different states of Brazil, including Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo. He was born and raised in Brazil but has travelled to many countries around the world. He lived in Brisbane in 2009 and came back to Australia this year to pursue a master’s degree in Human Resources Management at Griffith University. Father of two beautiful children, Daniel enjoys taking them to parklands for picnics and soccer games.

Pichy, is originally from Thailand and has recently joined AI team with a goal of making a positive impact in interns lives. Prior to joining the team, Pichy has extensive experiences in Sales& Marketing as well as customer service in multinational organizations. Through her direct experiences with internships in Thailand, USA, and Australia, Pichy believes that internships are bridges that connect non-experienced students and young professionals with the real working environment and help them discover their dream jobs. Conversely, the host organizations can find a great asset for their teams throughout the internships.

Imante has more than 15 years of experience at complex organisations on functional and strategic levels in Recruitment, Project Management, Research, International Relations & Development, Management, and Marketing Management. She holds a PhD in Management.

Imante has a lot of international study and work experience, which shaped her intercultural competences. Originally from Lithuania, having lived and worked in Italy for many years, Imante has recently moved to Australia. She speaks 6 languages and defines herself as a flexible, communicative, and optimistic person with a wide range of interests.

Originally from Botswana, Tumi Kgolo recently moved to Australia to pursue a Doctoral degree in Clinical Neuropsychology with The University of Queensland. She is an experienced Counselling Psychologist and Psychology Lecturer, fascinated by opportunities that involve exploring human behaviour and experience. Tumi thoroughly enjoys mentoring and nurturing growth in individuals, and looks forward to engaging with interns from different backgrounds, facilitating an enjoyable internship experience.

Originally from Hong Kong, Joy has lived and worked in different parts of the world with multi nationalities and lived in a multi-cultural environment throughout the last 20 years. Many of those years have been in the field of Education.  Her seven years’ experience working as a Clerical Marker for IELTS at the British Council, Cultural and Education Section, not only helped her to have a keen eye to details, she was also able to gain comprehensive knowledge and experience in diverse educational sectors. 

 Her background also includes eight years as an Educational consultant in China providing professional advice to students seeking study abroad. Last year, Joy moved back to Australia with her husband and has worked as an invigilator for IELTS at IDP Education Ltd.

 Her languages skills include speaking fluent English, Cantonese and Mandarin and also basic Japanese and Thai.  When she is not working, she enjoys being outdoor, birds watching, walking and gardening. 

Services Team
________________

Helena is originally from Sweden and speaks fluent Swedish and English. Helena has a Bachelor of Business and worked as a Consular Assistant at the Swedish Consulate in Brisbane for ten years prior to joining the Australian Internships team. She has extensive experience working with visas and is well equipped to help interns in this regard. Helena has lived in Australia for over 17 years, and previously lived in Sweden, France and USA. Her prior experience as an exchange student makes her accessible and able to identify with our interns. Helena enjoys travelling, languages, meeting new people and playing tennis.

Linda is Brisbane born and lived in Queensland all of her life.  She enjoys country living and resides on acreage just outside of Brisbane.  Linda has been managing the accounts and finance areas of businesses for over 10 years where she enjoyed customer relationships and contributing to the business success. She hasspent most of her career in a customer service and administration roles.  Linda brings a high level of organisation and efficiency to the business along with vast client experience. Linda’s real passion is her family and she enjoys time with her grandchildren on a regular basis.