Sydney ophthalmologist and global health innovator Dr Sarah Crowe is the inaugural winner of the Women in Industry Awards Excellence in Health and Medicine award.
Dr Crowe was recognised for her pioneering work in establishing the charity OOXii which aims to transform access to vision care worldwide through an award-winning social impact vision kit. The charity provides affordable vision testing and glasses to people in remote and low-resource communities including in Australia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu.
She beat a talented field in the health category which included Queensland optometrist and business owner Shaina Zheng who is driving innovation and change for dry eye in optometry.
Industry excellence was on display as Australia’s leading women took centre stage on 18 June at the 2026 Women in Industry Awards. Bringing together innovators, trailblazers and change-makers from across the nation at Doltone House Darling Island Wharf in Sydney, the awards recognised the remarkable achievements of women who are breaking barriers, driving innovation and shaping the future of Australia’s industrial sectors.
Dr Crowe said: “Thank you to everyone who’s organised these awards, and especially to Kylie Hall, my right-hand woman who nominated me without my consent. She’s also my mentor and friend.
“I thank my husband Phil as well who puts up with me taking money out of the mortgage to try and keep the thing going. Basically, the problem is one billion people in the world are vision impaired because they can’t access glasses.
“Anyone in the room here, take your glasses off and see how long you’d last. So we are developing technology to get glasses available to all, including in remote areas.”
Dr Crowe said one billion people worldwide were visually impaired simply because they lacked access to vision testing and glasses. During a mission in the Solomon Islands in 2017, she witnessed firsthand the life-altering impact of uncorrected refractive error (URE) due to a lack of access to vision testing and glasses.
This experience solidified her commitment to addressing this global issue and leading OOXii with a vision to make affordable and accessible vision access solutions a reality for all, using innovative and evidence-based approaches.
OOXii includes a patented vision testing wheel which allows non–eye health professionals to perform accurate vision assessments, even in the most remote areas.
Paired with an app for seamless training and inventory management, it ensures that essential vision care reaches those who need it most, she said.
Customised glasses are provided on the spot – durable, adjustable frames and pre-cut lenses which ensure immediate vision correction, changing lives instantly.
OOXii has dispensed more than 1,000 pairs of the glasses in Papua New Guinea.
Optometrist finalist
Zheng, who co-owns Eyecare Plus Mermaid Beach, has worked in independent optometry since 2017, balancing clinical care with an increasing focus on business leadership and workplace culture.
As part of her MBA research, she has explored workplace culture across independent optometry, surveying a wide range of roles, from optometrists and dispensers to reception and management staff, to better understand what drives positive, sustainable practice environments.
She is also vice president of The Dry Eye Society and founder of Impact Culture Group, an initiative aimed at helping healthcare practices develop strong, values-based cultures and improve team wellbeing and patient outcomes.
“Last night, I had the pleasure of celebrating women and their contributions to industry at the Women in Industry Awards in Sydney,” she said. “To be a finalist in the health and medicine category is something that I am extremely proud of and it was so nice to be able to attend the evening with my family cheering me on.
“I met finalist Signe Steers and she shared a bit about herself and the work she is doing in audiology. What she is doing is amazing and I am glad to have celebrated our achievements together.
“It’s inspiring to see that the winner of the award, Dr Sarah Crowe, is also championing eye care.
“It’s events like this that help lift women up and highlight their impact in industry and the community.”
The awards
Following a record number of nominations and attendance of more than 350 industry professionals, supporters, and guests at the gala dinner, the 2026 Awards marked the largest event since the program’s inception.
In her opening address, Molly Hancock, head of events marketing at Prime Creative Media, praised the high calibre of this year’s nominations and reflected on the growing influence of the awards in championing achievement, leadership, and innovation across the industry.
“The quality of nominations received this year has once again been exceptional. Every nominee and finalist has demonstrated excellence in their field, a commitment to delivering outstanding results, and a determination to make a positive difference within their organisation, industry and community,” she said.
The 2026 Awards featured 15 categories celebrating outstanding achievement across leadership, emerging talent, workplace safety, and excellence in a diverse range of industries. This year’s program introduced four new award categories including Women in Leadership, Marketer of the Year, Excellence in Health and Medicine, and Tradeswoman of the Year, further expanding recognition of women’s contributions across these key sectors.
The 2026 Women in Industry Awards winners are:
- Excellence in Health and Medicine- Dr Sarah Crowe, OOXii
- Tradeswoman of the Year- Shannen Jeffery, Newmont
- Women in Leadership- Karlie Zec, Tiny Tins
- Mentor of the Year- Laura Canning, Komatsu
- Excellence in Transport- True Ross, Ross Transport
- Excellence in Mining- Brooke Adamson, Newmont
- Industry Advocacy Award- Tatiana Delendik, Grundfos
- Rising Star of the Year- 30 years and under- Caitlin Barlow, JATEC Transport
- Business Development Success of the Year- Yuan Yuan, Sykes Group
- Marketer of the Year- Caroline Luczynski, SMEC
- Excellence in Energy- Louise Bishop, Zinfra Operations
- Excellence in Construction- Alysse Reedy, Fulton Hogan Construction
- Excellence in Manufacturing- Charline Siccardi, Argon & Co
- Safety Advocacy Award- Sarah Barnbrook, Away from Keyboard Inc.
- Excellence in Engineering- Hoda Ehsani, Fortescue
The evening culminated with the presentation of the program’s highest honour, the Woman of the Year Award, which is chosen from the winners of the 15 nominated award categories. Taking home the premier award this year was Brooke Adamson from Newmont.
Beyond recognising outstanding achievements, the Women in Industry Awards serve as an important platform for fostering connection, collaboration and progress across Australia’s industrial sectors. The event brings together women from different industries and career stages, creating valuable opportunities to build networks, share experiences and inspire future leaders.
Head to the website to learn more about the awards womeninindustry.com.au.
