AUSFILM – March 2024: The women behind the scenes of Australia's Film & TV logistics

At CATO Location Services, women make up the majority of the full-time team. This includes two out of three of the senior management team; Operations Manager, Anna Rosa, and Finance and Payroll Manager, Genevieve Hilton.

“Traffic management, on-set security, safety and unit are all integral to ensuring productions run smoothly. Behind the scenes are many talented women who pull it all together, and I’m thankful to be working among some of those extraordinary people here at CATO.”

ANNA ROSA, CATO LOCATION SERVICES OPERATIONS MANAGER

CATO is a leading Traffic Management, Security, Safety, Location Vehicles and Production Support Crew company. Servicing Australia’s film and TV industry for over a decade, they have extensive experience working on high-profile domestic and international productions. Credits include the Mad Max franchise, Thor: Love and Thunder, Limitless with Chris Hemsworth, Pole to Pole with Will Smith, Heartbreak High, Nine Perfect Strangers, Home & Away and more.

“We’re lucky to have so many amazing women in our team at CATO. Without their intelligence, dedication and passion, we couldn’t do what we do.”

KIERAN CATO, CATO LOCATION SERVICES MANAGING DIRECTOR

Meet the team

Joining the CATO team in 2020, Anna Rosa worked her way up through the ranks over her three years at CATO from Client Account Manager to her current position as Operations Manager. A key part of the business’s growth in the time she’s been there, Anna manages all business operations as well as the CATO client experience and regularly gets out on the road to oversee the logistics of some of the biggest productions to visit Sydney.

Alongside Anna in the senior management team, Genevieve Hilton has also been with CATO since 2020 in her position as Finance and Payroll Manager. Not your average accountant, Gen is across all of the productions which CATO services and was integral to the company’s acquisition of Climate Active Carbon Neutral status in 2022.

With a love of arts and culture, Nicola Illiadis joined CATO from SBS in 2021 and now leads the client experience team as Senior Account Manager. She takes care of CATO’s largest industry clients and ensures they have a seamless experience whilst filming in Sydney and beyond.

Having recently come on board in the role of Account Manager, Larisha Dowson-Taylor is the newest addition to the CATO team. Before embarking on a career in the sector, Larisha studied costume construction for film and live performance. She has fulfilled numerous roles from a costume maker to a production assistant on set for film and TV. Larisha loves making genuine connections with people and strives to ensure the best experience for CATO’s clients. 

Traffic Management Coordinator Kat Stewart looks after everything from the planning to the logistics within CATO’s traffic department. A highly skilled Traffic Manager, Kat has spent hours on set too. From Sydney’s CBD to the scenic Sea Cliff Bridge, Kat is an expert at ensuring the cameras can keep rolling no matter the location.

Joining CATO in 2019 as a Traffic Controller, and one of their youngest employees, Cealan ‘Tiger’ Macdonnell now manages the company’s marketing. She plays a crucial role in how the world sees CATO and enjoys communicating about the exciting productions the business is involved with.

A number of other impressive women, now involved in the wider industry, have also played a prominent role in CATO’s operations over the years. Among them are Emerald Kinerson, former Traffic Supervisor now specialising in the safety space; Fiona Lawson, former Traffic Control Supervisor and then Covid Safety Supervisor, now also working in the locations department; Josephine Waller, current Traffic Supervisor, Unit Manager and Actor; Kara Eggleston, former Traffic Supervisor and now Assistant Unit Manager with our team on a BBC production; and Tara Aucioin, former Covid Safety Supervisor who has pivoted into Safety Supervisor work, giving her the time to develop her own scripts between jobs. 

“Our team are the backbone of everything we do. We are proud to employ a diverse group of people who are passionate about what we do and our clients.

KIERAN CATO, MANAGING DIRECTOR