This Month
There are only 6 openly gay directors on the ASX. Paul Zahra hopes to change that
The former David Jones CEO helped establish the University of Sydney’s LGBTQIA+ Executive Fellowship to create a pipeline of visibly diverse leaders.
June
‘Bikinis and burgers’: How the culture wars are remaking advertising
Brands are diluting or scrapping campaigns with a social purpose as the movement against DEI intensifies.
Why ESG and DEI could be the next big business risk
The instinctive reaction to the ESG and DEI “vibe shift” in the US was to persist, defend the status quo, and write off what was happening over there as an isolated phenomenon.
What RoboDebt, Hayne and Rio Tinto tell us about ESG’s limits
The reason today’s senior executives are ‘shy’ about ESG is that their efforts have not prevented major scandals.
HESTA fund managers boost female ranks in diversity push
The superannuation giant is pushing to reform the male-dominated funds management sector, saying diverse teams make better investment decisions.
A showcase of talent – and signal for the future
Gender equality is not just a women’s issue. Research consistently shows that when women fully participate in the workforce, everyone benefits.
May
Director Awards underline importance of greater boardroom diversity
Homogeneity undermines accountability, stifles directors’ willingness to ask management the hard questions, and causes boards to succumb to mere conformity.
Trump’s war on Harvard could cripple Australian research
The blunt-force targeting of foreign students is not only reckless but erodes the pillars of intellectual diversity that Trump claims to be defending.
Trump backlash forces Macquarie to soften its DEI talk
The bank says cultural and racial inclusion are still important, but its latest annual report is much more subdued than last year’s.
Board diversity: ‘What we’re doing is not working’
Fewer directors with Chinese or Indian backgrounds sit on large listed company boards than in 2017, while the number of Indigenous or openly gay directors is tiny.
April
The real reason Trump wants to destroy Harvard
The White House’s charge of antisemitism is a cynical tactic to pursue a broader attack on academic freedom.
Harvard sues Trump administration over funding freeze
The world’s wealthiest university has accused the US government of making “sweeping and intrusive demands”.
Freehills’ US partner scrubs DEI references ahead of merger
Kramer Levin has removed references to diversity initiatives from its website, after law firms were targeted by the Trump administration over their DEI programs.
Why Harvard took on Trump in fight of its life
The president will freeze $3.5 billion in funds because the Ivy League university refused to comply with his demands. The school says the alternative was unthinkable.
Trump freezes $3b in federal funding for Harvard
The government froze funding to Harvard after the Ivy League school said it would not submit to its requests to overhaul hiring and address antisemitism concerns.
Board fights and mass resignations: the battle splitting the nation’s geoscientists
A bitter struggle for control of a professional association is proving that diversity, equity and inclusion remains a lightening rod for controversy.
Diversity push triggers bidding war for female talent
Companies have sparked a bidding war for senior female talent by focusing on getting women into leadership positions without expanding their female pipelines.
March
WGEA gender targets quack like quotas
Just as the critics of the Workplace Gender Equality Agency warned 20 years ago, what starts off as an aspiration has become a must-do for companies.
Wikramanayake: Diversity is not woke, it’s smart business
Corporate leaders shared stories of success and failure at a dinner honouring the 40th anniversary of Chief Executive Women.
White House should stay out of Australian universities
The US risks shooting itself in the foot by forcing other countries to comply with Trump’s anti-DEI, America First ideology.