HUNTER DIVERSITY AWARDS

Last held in 2019, the fifth year of these awards recognised and celebrated the diversity champions among our Hunter community. Those who have discovered what works in making their organisation and/or community a fairer, more equitable and more successful place to live and work.

The winners were announced at the Newcastle Business Club Awards Lunch on 18 June 2019.

• Diversity Champion - Organisation award recognises an organisation that can demonstrate effective initiatives that foster gender equity, flexible practices and values a truly inclusive workplace. The organisation encourages new ways of thinking about incorporating diversity, with strong support from senior leadership. This organisation is not just changing policy,  it is changing its company culture.  Congratulations to the 2019 winner, HVTC and finalists Hunter Water, Douglas Partners and Peabody Wambo Coal.

• The Diversity Champion – Individual award recognises a person who promotes diversity in the community and/or the workplace. This person is a proactive role model for their community. He or she demonstrates leadership by supporting and engaging others on the journey, highlighting the importance of inclusion, flexibility, equity and diversity through gender, race/ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and/or religion. Congratulations to the 2019 winner, Will Wright of Douglas Partners.

2018 Diversity Champion (Individual) - Deirdra Tindale.

Deirdra works at BHP and is the NSW Co-chair of the Women in Mining Network.  She fully supports BHP’s aspirational goal of 50/50 gender diversity by 2025. Putting policy into practice, the WIMnet NSW Committee has grown since Deirdra became Chair with additional leadership roles and flexible practices for parental leave. Earlier

this year, Deirdra was named the 2018 Gender Diversity Champion in NSW Mining.  She says, “I can only hope that by the time my daughter - now 20 months old - enters the workforce, there will no longer be a need to have 'gender diversity' on the agenda.” 

2018 Diversity Champion (Organisation) - AECOM

Gender diversity and workplace flexibility are two of four focus areas of AECOM’s  Diversity and Inclusion strategy, underlining its commitment to positive and lasting change. Since January 2016 AECOM has seen a 22% increase in female representation in leadership roles across Australia New Zealand. In addition to the  initiatives already mentioned, AECOM is currently trialling a Term Time employment program where team members, male or female, work full time during school terms and are then off work for the 12 weeks of school holidays in the year. All team leaders have attended training focusing on inclusive leadership, unconscious bias and managing flexibility. This organisation not only understands the need for diversity and equity in its business but is seriously investing in it.

2018 Finalists (Individual) -  Katy Mooney, Deirdra Tindale,  Hennie du Plooy,  Kirsty Buchan.

2018 Finalists (Organisation) -  Catherine Henry Lawyers , Hunter New England Local Health District, AECOM.