Amber Weightman

Amber Weightman

She/Her

Why are you nominating for the Board?

I am nominating for the ASAN AUNZ Board because I want to contribute to a positive difference for myself and others in the autistic community. Having experienced the challenges of advocating for equity within corporate settings, I am drawn to ASAN AUNZ’s strength, reach, and influence in advancing autistic self-advocacy on a larger scale. By aligning my efforts with an organisation dedicated to meaningful change, and with the support of such an organisation, I believe I can make a more substantial impact than what I could ever achieve on my own.

What involvement have you had in Autistic self advocacy?

As a late-diagnosed, high-masking autistic individual, my experiences with repeated burnout and my recent efforts to fully embrace my autistic identity have underscored for me the critical need for self-advocacy. Facing these challenges firsthand, I’ve come to appreciate how challenging but essential effective advocacy is — not only for myself but for others in similar positions.

In the workplace, I’ve encountered significant barriers, which has driven me to advocate for change with some success. My efforts have led to the establishment of sensory/quiet rooms in three offices and a low-light working space in my home office, both of which serve myself and others. Within my organisation I have also co-founded a Diversity & Inclusion Committee to elevate diverse perspectives, including those of neurodivergent people, and I established and now chair an Equity Action Group that extends beyond my organisation to foster initiatives for broader social impact.

As a manager across multiple teams, I am openly autistic at work. Through this I aim to challenge misconceptions about autistic individuals and highlight our strengths, while creating a safe, inclusive space where others can feel seen and heard.

I also use LinkedIn to advocate for corporate diversity and inclusion, sharing articles and insights that promote understanding of diverse perspectives. This allows me to reach a broader audience, including colleagues, to strategically support initiatives withn my workplace and support a more inclusive corporate culture more broadly.

What experience on and contributions to other boards and committees have you had?

I have not yet served on a formal board.

However, I’ve held committee leadership roles as both a founding member of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee and founder/chair of the Equity Action Group within my organisation. Through these roles I contributed to strategic planning, policy recommendations, and initiatives focused on increasing equity, inclusion and belonging for all.

These experiences have given me insight into committee dynamics, consensus-building, and the development of impactful, inclusive practices. I believe these skills will translate well to a board environment, especially one dedicated to advocacy and social change.

What are your areas of expertise?

My areas of expertise center around strategic leadership, technical innovation, and fostering inclusive, effective team environments. As a software engineer by training, I now lead multiple software teams in a role focused on management and long-term strategy. My technical background enables me to bridge complex topics and make them accessible to varied audiences, a skill that is invaluable for decision-making in diverse settings.

In addition to my technical experience, I have a solid grounding in corporate operations across multiple industries, thanks to my early roles in office administration and secretarial support across both the construction and legal industries in both government and private business. This background has honed my organisational and communication skills and given me a broad understanding of corporate and industry dynamics, which I believe has been instrumental to my effectiveness in my current leadership role.

I also bring expertise in building inclusive, neurodivergent-friendly workplace practices through my advocacy efforts within my organisation. This role has developed my skills in policy formation and organisational influence, which I feel would contribute well to ASAN AUNZ’s mission and objectives.

Which of these areas do you have strong skills in that you would apply on the ASAN-AUNZ Board?

  • Governance expertise including experience on Boards and committees and/or leadership roles.
  • Working with vulnerable cohorts.
  • Social media planning, copywriting and posting.
  • Information technology administration.
  • Co-design facilitation and participation.
  • Accessibility including online and easy read.

What else would you like the members of ASAN-AUNZ to know about you? (optional)

For the longest time, I didn’t think I had a “special interest”. Not trains, Pokémon, cocktail making, or the migratory patterns of moths. I thought I missed out; that I was just a boring person who worked too much.

But then I realised that “business” actually IS my special interest. While others may collect comic books or craft elaborate spreadsheets to track the evolution of sandwich recipes, I get a real kick out of exploring innovative strategies, fostering organisational cultures and using big business words.

Please take advantage of my special interest!