December 2025
Clayton Utz leads charge as female partner promotions surge
Despite the new benchmark, only five of more than 50 firms that responded to the Financial Review’s survey had more women than men in their partnerships.
Gun ban is no fix for antisemitism or false multiculturalism narrative
In a nation where hate has been allowed to spread and immigration is ruled by the misleading mantra of diversity, restricting firearms won’t make a difference.
Donald Trump’s war on ‘woke’ splits the fortunes of US brands
The brouhaha around Cracker Barrel and American Eagle shows how deeply US companies are being dragged into America’s culture wars.
November 2025
What Usman Khawaja got wrong about discrimination in corporate Australia
Instead of encouraging Asian-Australians to do the hard yards that lead to the top, the cricketer is promoting an entitlement culture that is a sure road to failure.
The surprising growth of men’s groups in big companies
Colleagues are gathering to unload about mental stress, the strains of financing a new home and the challenges of raising sons against the backdrop of toxic masculinity.
October 2025
The class signals that decide who gets promoted in Australia
Having a “bogan” accent or a “hick” degree can cruel leadership aspirations, according to a new report. Oh, and add watching reality TV and rugby league to that mix.
September 2025
The surprising secret of Australia’s infamous directors’ club
A new longitudinal study of Australia’s frequently maligned non-executive directors suggests improvements in independence, diversity, workload and alignment.
Calling ordinary Aussies ‘racist’ won’t protect multiculturalism
Dog-whistling about racism seeks to delegitimise those who wish to debate migration on any terms.
August 2025
Thousands urge Harvard to fight Trump’s $769m fine
In a petition, alumni, faculty and members of the public have asked Harvard to “not give in” to the White House’s demands to pay a sum to restore research funds.
Workplace racism costs economy $37b a year: AHRC
The race discrimination commissioner has called on the government to pass legislation requiring companies to safeguard against racism in the workplace.
July 2025
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 2025
‘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 2025
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.