Toniele Williams’ career journey began in 2009 when she undertook a traineeship completing a Certificate IV in Youth Work while working with the Salvation Army. Since then, her career has taken several intentional pivots, all driven by her passion for helping and supporting others, particularly in the not-for-profit sector.
Following her achievements as the 2011 Queensland Trainee of the Year and a finalist for the 2011 Australian Apprentice (Trainee) award, Toniele continued to broaden her qualifications, opening doors to new opportunities over time. “It’s been a rich and ongoing journey of learning,” she says. “Each pivot has built on the last in ways I didn’t always anticipate at the time.”
Building on her certification in Youth Work, Toniele undertook a Bachelor of Social Work, sparking her passion for helping others. Toniele then went on to complete postgraduate studies in Domestic and Family Violence, Postgraduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma in Management, a Master of Business Administration (MBA), and most recently, an Advanced Diploma in the Neuroscience of Leadership.
Her robust qualifications and eagerness to support people has led to a fulfilling career, with 14 years spent in the not-for-profit sector. More recently, Toniele stepped into a People and Culture role, focusing on organisational development for a commercial organisation in Queensland. In August 2026, Toniele will transition into a Strategy Lead role.
The transition has allowed her to expand her expertise beyond the workplace. Alongside her full-time role, Toniele now runs a small company where she provides supervision, coaching and training to leaders in the not-for-profit sector. “It might sound eclectic,” says Toniele. “But when I look back, it all intertwines beautifully. Every experience, every qualification, every sector has informed the next chapter.”
“It might sound eclectic, but when I look back, it all intertwines beautifully. Every experience, every qualification, every sector has informed the next chapter.”
Her next challenge is helping the organisations she works with focus on strategy by understanding the bigger picture. “I want to help people and organisations lift their gaze. To consider the broader organisational context and implications before moving into action.” she says, “There’s so much value in that pause.”
Continuing her commitment to lifelong learning, Toniele is currently in conversations with a university regarding undertaking her PhD and is exploring if this is part of her next move. While she is still refining her focus, she is interested in helping organisations prevent systemic issues in the not-for-profit sector, such as fatigue, burnout and turnover.
“I would love to bring together everything I know about social work, neuroscience, leadership, and business to genuinely unpack this. That feels like meaningful work. And meaningful work is what gets me up in the morning.”
Toniele encourages anyone considering new opportunities, particularly through vocational education and training (VET), to take that first step. “Give it a go, genuinely,” she says. “It’s a low-risk, practical pathway that can open doors to careers you may not have even imagined for yourself yet.”
She adds: “You don’t need to have it all figured out. Sometimes the path reveals itself as you walk it.”
“You don’t need to have it all figured out. Sometimes the path reveals itself as you walk it.”
While Toniele’s journey has led to success and fulfillment, she reflects on how she could have better supported her younger self. “I was so focused on achieving good grades, progressing quickly and moving on to the next thing that I didn’t always take the time to appreciate the experience of learning itself,” she says. “I’d tell my younger self to slow down a little and be more present.”
She also advocates for seeking guidance from mentors. “Find yourself mentors - not just one, but several,” she recommends. Her advice extends beyond education and professional development: “Look for people who can support you across different areas of your life.” She emphasises the importance of diverse perspectives, adding, “Tap into multiple forms of wisdom. You’ll be richer for it in every sense of the word.”
Reflecting on her career so far, Toniele explains, “I think the pivots themselves tell the story.” Despite following a less traditional path, she sees this as a strength. “My career hasn’t followed a straight line, and I think that’s actually something worth celebrating. Each turn has been purposeful, and the diversity of my experience and qualifications is what has made those pivots possible.”
Her reflections ultimately come back to a consistent theme: “If there’s one thread running through all of it, it’s a genuine curiosity about people - how they grow, how they lead, how they struggle, and how they thrive. That curiosity has shaped everything.”