Veronica Smith

Veronica Smith is a strategic People & Culture executive, board director and regional entrepreneurship champion with more than 30 years of leadership experience across education, private enterprise, not-for-profit and regional economic development sectors in Western Australia.
Currently the Founder and Principal Consultant of Peel People Solutions, Veronica advises Boards and executive leaders on workforce strategy, governance maturity and cultural alignment. Her work spans small-to-medium enterprises, education providers and not-for-profit organisations across WA, with a deep focus on building the leadership capability and organisational systems that underpin sustainable growth.

𝗔 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽
Veronica's connection to the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) began in 2018, when she founded and led Startup Huddle Mandurah, part of GEN's global network of early-stage startup support meetups. She grew the program into a consistent and valued platform for founders, innovators and business leaders across the Peel region, leading it through to December 2023.
Her leadership was recognised globally when she was appointed as a GEN Global Ambassador for the Startup Huddle program in 2019, a role she continues to hold. That same year, she was selected as part of the Australian delegation to the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) in Bahrain, where she presented at two seminar sessions. In 2022, she again represented Australia at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Melbourne, attending as both an Australian Delegate and a speaker.
Veronica also co-hosted the Entrepreneurship World Cup Australian Finals in 2020 and served as Task Group Leader for Global Entrepreneurship Week across Perth and the Peel in 2019, working alongside the Mayor of Mandurah to develop a Peel Innovation Hub concept. Having led Startup Huddle Mandurah for more than five years, Veronica is now re-establishing the program in the region, continuing her commitment to building a thriving entrepreneurship ecosystem in the Peel.

𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽
A committed governance leader, Veronica has served in Board Chair, Deputy Chair, Finance Director, Secretary and sub-committee roles across a broad range of organisations. She is a current Board Member of Peel Community Foundation and was previously its Director and Secretary. She was Founder and Inaugural Chairperson of the Business Women's Collective, a regional professional network she established, incorporated and grew to more than 100 financial members.
Additional governance roles include Deputy Chair and Finance Director of Perth Montessori School, Chair of Halls Head College Board, Founder and Chair of the Peel Integrated Education Project, and Board Member of the Rockingham Kwinana Chamber of Commerce, where she chaired the Governance Sub-Committee.

𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱
Prior to founding Peel People Solutions, Veronica held the role of Head of People & Culture at Tranby College, serving as a member of the Executive Leadership Team with responsibility for people strategy across a K–12 college and childcare centre. Earlier career roles span career education coordination in independent schools, business advisory services with IPS Business Advisory, and the founding of multiple regional enterprises including EPICC Solutions and EPICC Training Co.
Her professional accolades include the 2008 South West Business Leader of the Year and the 2010 RKCC Business Person of the Year. She holds a Diploma of Teaching from Edith Cowan University, a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, and Business Coaching and Talent Dynamics accreditations. In February 2026, she completed her AMDRAS Mediation and Dispute Resolution Accreditation through the University of Western Australia, marking a significant step on her path to becoming a recognised Conflict Resolution specialist. She has also participated in the MIT Leading from the Emerging Future program since 2018.

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀
Veronica is a member of the Australian Human Resources Institute, Women on Boards, the Peel Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Global Entrepreneurship Network.