Category: Diversity

Kate Spargo: The consistency principle

1/9/2023

CAREER

Understanding that diversity of talent and interests makes boards operate better keeps Kate Spargo FAICDLife learning and loving her involvement with everything from construction to the Geelong Cats.

Published in Company Director.

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Medicine, management and rugby collide in Dr Jane Wilson's career

1/8/2023

CAREER

A chance holiday conversation proved to be one of the biggest turning points in the career of Dr Jane Wilson AO FAICDLife.

Published in Company Director.

Dr Jane Wilson AO. Image: David Kelly

Lifelong bee obsession delivers Sweet Justice

10/7/2023

REGIONAL, SMALL BUSINESS, SOCIAL

Claire Moore never imagined her lifelong bee obsession would see her end up entrenched in Victoria’s criminal justice system, for good.

Published by OAK Magazine

Claire Moore, founder of honey enterprise, Sweet Justice. (Image: Emma Foster)

Former refugee’s fix for skills-starved construction industry

14/6/2023

SMALL BUSINESS, DIVERSITY, SOCIAL

As Australia’s construction sector remains hamstrung by a skills shortage, former asylum seeker Hedayat Osyan says refugees offer an untapped pool of workers ready to step up to meet demand.

First published by Westpac Wire.

Former asylum seeker Hedayat Osyan says refugees can help plug the construction industry skills shortage. (Emma Foster)

Dr Jessa Rogers on Indigenous education and skills

2/5/2023

DIVERSITY, INDIGENOUS, CAREER

The groundbreaking career of educator, academic and now non-executive director Dr Jessa Rogers GAICD has been driven by her passion to ensure First Nations voices are always heard.

Published by Company Director.

Dr Jessa Rogers, image by Kristoffer Paulsen

Nundah wonder: the small enterprise blazing a big trail

17/4/2023

SOCIAL, DIVERSITY

The pioneer of a business model now commonly used across Australia’s $21 billion social enterprise sector, is about to turn 25. It was originally created by a handful of people with cognitive difficulties who simply wanted discrimination-free work.

First published by Westpac Wire.

Trial could be game changer for neurodiverse jobseekers

29/3/2023

SOCIAL, DIVERSITY

A social enterprise which sees its neurodiverse employees as its competitive advantage has been chosen for a pioneering trial that could be a game changer for jobseekers experiencing disadvantage.

First published in Westpac Wire

Deda to champion diversity in economics in new role

19/12/2022

FINANCE, DIVERSITY

Westpac’s Besa Deda, newly appointed chair of the Australian Business Economists’ industry group, says the growing number of women economists in leadership positions is helping break down the profession’s “diversity problem”.

First published on Westpac Wire

Westpac’s business bank chief economist Besa Deda, named chair of the Australian Business Economists. (Emma Foster)

Fertility leave the new family friendly frontier

22/11/2022

CAREER, DIVERSITY, SOCIAL

The uptake of fertility treatment is grabbing the attention of human resources teams around the world as organisations look to better support employees in new ways, like Westpac’s new fertility leave policy.

First published on Westpac Wire.

Westpac is among the first of a growing number of companies introducing fertility leave for employees. (Getty)

BOARD WALK: Audette Exel on zeitgeist shifts, data versus ideology and what’s next

16/10/2022

SOCIAL, DIVERSITY

Board director and social entrepreneur Audette Exel AO says the zeitgeist has shifted in the way big businesses see their role in the community, in a broad ranging podcast interview.

First published on Westpac Wire

Audette Exel AO, board director and social entrepreneur. (Emma Foster)

New Afghan café makes big impact

23/9/2022

SOCIAL, DIVERSITY, SMALL BUSINESS

It’s not just the spiced lamb dumplings and Kabuli burgers filling Roya Rasuly with pride in Sydney city’s newest Afghan café, Kabul Social – it’s also the impact it’s having behind the scenes.

First published on Westpac Wire

Roya Rasuly, Plate It Forward HR manager, at Sydney’s newest Afghan food venue, Kabul Social. (Emma Foster)

Recognition for rural mum beating isolation

7/9/2022

REGIONAL, DIVERSITY

Stephanie Trethewey’s mission to tackle the crippling isolation faced by many mothers in rural Australia saw her crowned this year’s national winner of the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award.

First published in Westpac Wire.

Stephanie Trethewey (and her son), founder of Motherland, named this year’s national winner of the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award. (Tas Ag Co)

Family ordeal inspires farm accessibility campaigner

28/8/2022

REGIONAL, DIVERSITY

After a chat with her dad confirmed for Josie Clarke that farmers with disability face an accessibility advocacy vacuum, she set out to tackle it, earning her this year’s NSW ACT Agrifutures Rural Women’s Award.

First published on Westpac Wire.

Founder of Ability Agriculture, Josie Clarke (left), with her dad Glen at their Kempsey family farm. (Rachael Lenehan)

Graduates in demand as battle for talent hots up

18/8/2022

CAREER

Like many other fresh graduates, Kanu Agarwal found herself in hot demand from competing employers who have needed to step up efforts to attract more young recruits from a smaller pool.

First published on Westpac Wire.

Kanu Agarwal, who joined Westpac’s specialised data graduate program in February. (Emma Foster)

Indigenous business builds up as supplier spend spreads

27/5/2022

INDIGENOUS

More doors are opening for Indigenous businesses as corporates lift diversity in supply chain spending, including on projects like the fitout of Westpac’s newest site at Parramatta Square.

First published on Westpac Wire.

Schiavello Ganbu’s Kyle Vander Kuyp (centre) with apprentices Elijah and Jediaha.

‘With more women, things shift’: Board directors on diversity

11/3/2022

DIVERSITY

As they expose the cases of gendered bias faced in their careers, four Westpac board directors share their views on how corporate Australia can pick up the pace towards gender equity.

First published on Westpac Wire.

Directors of Westpac (l-r) Nerida Caesar, Audette Exel, Margie Seale and Nora Scheinkestel. (Emma Foster)

‘You’re just a girl’: How Goodall broke the bias

4/3/2022

DIVERSITY

Although Dr Jane Goodall’s gender sparked her iconic status, it could also have stopped her career before it started, revealed the scientist today at UN Women Australia’s flagship International Women’s Day event.

First published on Westpac Wire

Dr Jane Goodall, speaking virtually at an International Women's Day event.

Bula! New Westpac Fiji chief feels optimism returning

23/2/2022

REGIONAL

Newly appointed chief of Westpac Fiji Shane Smith opens up about his rise to the top and optimism about Fiji’s rebound from the pandemic’s economic battering.

First published in Wesptac Wire.

Shane Smith, newly appointed chief of Westpac Fiji.

Mostyn: ‘Australia in danger of its luck running out’

24/11/2021

DIVERSITY

Without significant investment in social infrastructure and the “care” economy, Australia’s long-term economic prosperity is at risk, says Sam Mostyn AO.

First published in Westpac Wire.

The lawyer turned start-up entrepreneur helping new mums

1/8/2021

Etta Watts-Russell, cofounder of startup Lactamo, with one of her four children. (Supplied)

SMALL BUSINESS, DIVERSITY, CAREER

When new mum and corporate lawyer Etta Watts-Russell discovered how common breastfeeding difficulties were, she decided to do something about it, throwing everything behind the birth of her start-up, Lactamo.

First published on Westpac Wire.

Why banks are looking well beyond finance graduates

16/7/2021

CAREER, DIVERSITY

It’s becoming far more common to find students with degrees like medical nanotechnology or marine ecology joining banks’ graduate programs, as big businesses like Westpac hunt for more diversity.

First published on Westpac Wire.

Meghana Pampapathi, who joined Westpac’s graduate program, after practicing as a registered diagnostic radiographer. (Photo: Rishabh Aneja)

When your side-hustle makes the national stage

8/7/2021

SMALL BUSINESS, DIVERSITY, INDIGENOUS

Just days after soaking up the thrill of unveiling her fashion collection at the hottest couture event of the year, Julie Shaw slipped seamlessly back to work in her other job as an Indigenous careers’ consultant.

First published on Westpac Wire.

Julie Shaw (front, left), founder of fashion label MAARA Collective, with models during Australian Fashion Week. (Getty)

Why walking and talking works wonders for women

19/3/2021

CARREER, DIVERSITY, SMALL BUSINESS

Bobbi Mahlab AM, Founder of Mentor Walks (Image: Emma Foster)

Bobbi Mahlab AM reckons there’s a mix of “science and magic” behind the success of her not-for profit women’s mentoring organisation, Mentor Walks, and the steady rise in participants suggests she is spot on.

First published in Westpac Wire.

GOOD PAIR: From colleagues to conspirators

8/3/2021

GOOD PAIR, DIVERSITY

Ann Sherry (left) and Christine Parker (Image: Emma Foster)

A close collegial bond formed in New Zealand almost 15 years ago and interweaving interests since has built the strong connection between Ann Sherry AO and Christine Parker. This is their story.

First published in Westpac Wire.

‘Pretty sci-fi’: Westpac Scholar's nano-robotic drug breakthrough

11/2/2021

TECHNOLOGY, DIVERSITY

Dr Shelley Wickham with her plasma machine. (Image: Emma Foster)

The thought of a robot steering itself through your body to fix health problems seems a bit sci-fi, yet that’s what Dr Shelley Wickham has her sights set on and a new funding win has put her a step closer.

First published in Westpac Wire.

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