Recognising the women shaping Safetrac this International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day takes place this Sunday — a time to recognise the achievements and contributions of women across workplaces and communities.

This year feels especially meaningful as we celebrate 25 years of Safetrac and the people who have helped shape the business along the way. Throughout that journey, many talented women have played an important role in building the culture, expertise and support our clients rely on today.

Creating respectful and inclusive workplaces is something we care deeply about — both within our own team and through the work we do with organisations every day.

To mark International Women’s Day, we’re recognising three of the women who help make a difference at Safetrac: Jaylene Trovato, Abbey Shepherdson and Mikaela Leggett. Through their work, insight and dedication, they help support our team and the organisations we partner with.

Where did your career begin and how did you get to where you are with Safetrac?

My career began in compliance management within the education sector, where I spent over a decade helping organisations understand their regulatory obligations. I later qualified and practised as a solicitor in New South Wales, specialising in employment law. Throughout my career, I’ve been interested in the practical side of the law – helping organisations understand what the law requires and how that translates into real workplace behaviour. That path eventually led me to Safetrac, where I now work as a Legal and Compliance Officer, combining my legal background with my interest in education to help make complex legal topics easier to understand.

What’s your passion at work or what provides you with the most fulfilment?

What I find most fulfilling is helping organisations make sense of an increasingly complex regulatory environment. Many businesses are simply trying to understand what their obligations are and how to apply them in practice. I’ve always loved research, education and the legal field, so I enjoy bringing those together – taking complex legal concepts and translating them into clear, practical guidance that helps businesses build better workplaces for their people.

Who has been the most influential woman in your life, and why?

One of the most influential women in my life was a university lecturer and barrister who taught law during my studies. She had a genuine passion for the law and for the role it plays in shaping society. What made her particularly inspiring was her journey. She built her career during a time when the legal profession presented far greater challenges for women, yet she became a respected academic and a strong voice for women in public and political discourse. Her passion for the law and her willingness to speak up left a lasting impression on me and shaped my belief that the law can be a powerful tool for fairness and positive change.

Abbey Shepherdson – Content Developer

Where did your career begin and how did you get to where you are with Safetrac?

Prior to Safetrac, I’d been working in healthcare during the pandemic. These were obviously some pretty stressful times, and I was beginning to feel thoroughly burned out in an industry that suffered directly from a lack of supported training and guidance. To refocus myself back into my design career; I took an additional UI/UX course- and this thoroughly ignited my interest in both accessibility and instructional design as a whole; for the first time really seeing the interconnectivity between good design, and tailored learning material.

It was the very same week that I finished this course, that I discovered the listing at Safetrac. And from first glance of the posting, through to my multiple interviews with different sections of the company and team; I knew that I had met a very rare group of people: Likeminded in their genuine interest for the content they were creating, and entirely open to change and development. The immediate degree of support, excitement and earnest desire for continual improvement was unmatched from the get-go; and even now, nearly three years in: I’m still excited to see what comes next.

What’s your passion at work or what provides you with the most fulfilment?

Having directly experienced the issues that come from outdated and tired training: I’d say that creating engaging content that not only looks sleek, modern and unique; but making it accessible to a variety of different audiences certainly has turned into a passion that drives every new sprint. From testing new features with our latest courses, to pushing the boundaries and really elevating the type of content we create has been thoroughly fulfilling. It’s a lot of work and effort, but seeing every part of the pipeline work together to create something new lends an infectious zeal that is perpetuated throughout the whole team, and greater company.

Who has been the most influential woman in your life, and why?

I couldn’t limit myself to just one. My sister and I were raised by my mum and grandma; with the support and guidance of other very close family-friends, lending to a tight-knit network of women that encouraged us both to be creative, empathetic, kind- and most importantly: keenly curious of the world. We were guided to never settle for less, even if we felt we lacked confidence. A wealth of constant reassurance, enthusiasm and excitement for our pursuits and interests never made us doubt giving something new a try; no matter how steep the climb to a goal may be. Their sacrifices, hardships and support have been so incredibly formative; and remain as pillars of my confidence and enthusiasm to always do better, strive for more; and stay creative wherever possible.

Mikaela Leggett – LMS Administrator

Where did your career begin and how did you get to where you are with Safetrac?

My career began when I was 16 at McDonald’s, and since then I’ve continued working toward my goals, which has taken me to a variety of different places where I’ve gained new knowledge and skills along the way. Today, in my role at Safetrac, I assist clients with their queries, including troubleshooting issues, supporting their current and new courses, and handling various requests related to SCORM files.

What’s your passion at work or what provides you with the most fulfilment?

My passion or fulfilment often comes from being supportive to others.

Who has been the most influential woman in your life, and why?

My most influential person would be my mum, she’s always been a very patient and kind person who puts other people above herself.

Creating inclusive workplaces

For over 25 years, Safetrac has supported Australian organisations—from mid-market businesses to ASX-listed companies—in building ethical, respectful workplaces.

As we recognise International Women’s Day, the latest Workplace Gender Equality data is a reminder that progress toward gender equality at work still requires action. Education plays a key role in helping organisations understand their responsibilities and create environments where women feel respected, supported and able to thrive.

Through expert-led training in areas such as Diversity and Inclusion, Discrimination, and Preventing Sexual Harassment, we help organisations build the knowledge and culture needed to support safer, more equitable workplaces.