When Olivia Diamond started out in experiential marketing back in San Francisco, she couldn’t have imagined that she’d end up in Sydney, heading up leadership operations at one of the world’s biggest tech companies and winning a Women Leading Tech Award.
Diamond won the Business Support category at B&T‘s 2025 Women Leading Tech Awards for her contributions not only in tech but also towards diversity and women’s empowerment. Diamond joined Canva in 2021 as an operations business partner – design experience and in 2022, she was promoted to leadership operations – design experience. In 2024, she took on a new role as leadership operations – product.
For Diamond, a Women Leading Tech win was important because “Business Support is the heart of many companies; we are the glue that holds everything together, and it’s the work that often goes unseen but makes everyone else’s work… work. Winning felt like a moment to celebrate that invisible impact, not just for me but for every person who keeps teams aligned, moving, and supported behind the scenes”.
“It was also incredibly special to stand alongside so many remarkable women, and the allies who champion them, all leading with heart and ambition. I felt proud, grateful, and genuinely energised to keep doing the work I love,” she said.
Check out last year’s Women Leading Tech winners and Power List; there’s no shortage of inspiration!
For Diamond, her journey in tech wasn’t all that linear. In San Francisco, she worked in experiential marketing, bringing to life events and projects. That’s when she realised she had a knack for bringing clarity to chaos and big, complex ideas to life. She gained an appreciation for operations, which she saw as “the connective tissue of any great company”.
“When I stepped into the operations partner role at Canva, it felt like the perfect fit. It was the first time I saw operations and leadership support recognised as a strategic discipline, and I’ve never looked back. One of my early defining moments was working in events marketing and being able to fully own projects end-to-end.
“That was the first time I really was able to set crazy big goals and make them happen – which is a value we hold true at Canva today as well,” she added.
Fostering Inclusivity & Women’s Empowerment
Diamond has worked tirelessly to pave the way for a more equitable future for women in tech. Fostering inclusivity is part of everything she does, from hiring initiatives to community events. Diamond leads Canva’s Women in Design Experience (DE) Events & Community Building initiative.
As part of this, she oversaw the planning and execution of over five Women in Tech events across multiple cities, creating safe spaces for mentorship, networking and professional growth as well as fostering a stronger sense of belonging for women in tech.
At Canva, she was involved in diversity-focused hiring initiatives, implementing more intentional recruitments processes and strategies. The results speak for themselves, with the percentage of women in product management increasing from 39 per cent to 44 per cent in just six months.
“It’s proof that meaningful change happens when accountability becomes part of how we work, not just what we talk about,” she said.
Diamond believes that the tech and advertising industry needs to be more accountable in order to contribute to a more equitable future for women.
“I think we all need to get better at holding ourselves accountable, setting real goals around equity, and then actually hitting them,” she said.
“Building spaces where women feel seen and supported has been some of the most meaningful work of my career. Belonging happens when people are treated equally and invited to genuinely contribute, when their opinions are sought out, they have a seat at the table, and they feel their voice has weight. It’s less about programs and more about everyday behaviour: listening, including, and showing people that what they say matters.
“I also partnered with Talent Acquisition and leadership to introduce more structured hiring practices, which led to measurable improvements in representation. And through training and awareness sessions for 500+ employees, we saw a 13 per cent uplift in women feeling comfortable raising issues which was a real cultural shift,” she added.
These initiatives matter because representation isn’t just a metric, it changes lived experience.
If Diamond’s story resonates, don’t hesitate–enter B&T’s Women Leading Tech Awards Now!
Her advice for young women entering the industry? “Back yourself. Your input matters. Don’t wait for the perfect moment to put your hand up or share your opinion, most of us grow into the things we say yes to. Surround yourself with people who show up for you, and do the same for others”.
“I’m constantly reminded that careers are never solo efforts. Every step I’ve taken has been supported by people who championed me, challenged me, and created space for me to grow, and I try to pay that forward every day.
“Technology creates opportunities that didn’t exist before; it provides access, connection and representation. But lasting change happens when the people building tech do it with intention: diverse voices in the room, clear values behind decisions, and products that genuinely reflect the communities they serve,” Diamond added.
To learn more about the entry requirements, download the full criteria doc here.
