Our Team
Christina Stephens endeavours to support people with disability through employment wherever possible.
We acknowledge that “Our Team” is much larger than the profiles below and we thank everyone for your ongoing support and contributions.
JESSIE SADLER
Founder, Head of Business & Growth
With a diverse background in customer-facing and internal roles across various industries, Jessie's curiosity for change has led her to work in leadership positions within emerging markets such as carbon, energy, and adaptive fashion. Her experiences span the globe, and through them, she's honed her skills in fostering positive transformation.
As the Founder and Head of Growth at Christina Stephens, Jessie's vision is to reshape how people with disability are perceived by bringing Australia's most recognised adaptive clothing brand into the mainstream fashion scene.
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Jessie is responsible for leading day-to-day operations, managing supplier relationships, business development, and ensuring the team operates in alignment with our vision. Through innovative designs and a commitment to inclusivity, the Christina Stephens team is bridging the gap between fashion and functionality.
In between being a Mum to two little crazy humans, six noisy chooks and one chicken-loathing (but very cute) French bulldog, Jess will take any opportunity to travel - especially if there’s a gallery involved.
Fun fact: Jessie named Christina Stephens after her Mum (Christine) and Dad (Stephen), and to this day relies on her best mate Mum as her soundboard and harshest critic.
CAROL TAYLOR
Partner, Head of Design & Production
In 2001 an accident left Carol a quadriplegic. Carol’s spinal cord was severed resulting in complete paralysis from the chest down. Despite having only some arm movement Carol spent years teaching herself to use her paralysed hands, with the help of some specially made tools Carol found a way to draw, to paint, and to create. Carol is now an award winning artist.
Carol grew up between Ireland and Australia, is an award winning lawyer, a disability advocate, and recipient of the National Award For Disability Leadership 2021 (ARTS). Carol is also a founding member of the QLS Diverse Abilities Network and a Non-Executive Director on the board of Spinal Life Australia.
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After her injury Carol felt excluded from the fashion conversation and so began designing for herself. In 2019 Carol was invited by the Director of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival Brisbane to design a collection of nine inclusive pieces to open a runway event. Fast forward three years and she’s making history at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week alongside Jess, where Christina Stephens received a standing ovation at the show’s first adaptive runway.
With 22 years of lived experience as a C5/C6 quadriplegic woman, 16 of those years as a mum, Carol has a furious desire to make positive change - not just within adaptive fashion. She’s here to shake sh!t up and disrupt disability stereotypes at their core.
“Nothing ever changes if everything stays the same.”
Fun fact: Carol lives in Tallebudgera Valley on the Gold Coast QLD with her husband Rob, son D’arcy, and a menagerie of crazy animals.
CLARE PUKI
Marketing & Branding
Clare is not your typical marketing and communications specialist – she’s got degrees in Journalism and Business, but she’s also earned an honorary PhD in people. She knows what makes humans tick, or what really ticks them off. She’s nailed the art of having effective and honest conversations, and moving complex projects forward by distilling the parts that matter, in the eyes of people that matter.
She’s that rare breed that ‘gets’ the big picture, but is also a master implementer too. Obsessively customer focused, this remains her first priority when mapping out messages and tactics to help sell Christina Stephens.
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Clare's our go-to for EDMs, media relations and all things strategic marketing.
Clare is creative – but has a seriously academic side, always investing time in research and seeking facts. Before deciding that marketing was definitely her jam, Clare was accepted into medical school and is scientific in the way she manages her work, and analyses our data.
Fun fact: Clare is a proud mum, but her ‘dad jokes’ are world class and in abundance!
