The 2023 Australian Women in Wine Symposium was held in Sydney. Image courtesy Australian Women in Wine
On Friday 22 November, women in wine from around Australia will gather in Hobart to hear from speakers both within and outside of the wine industry, as they share practical advice and guidance on how investing in women increases overall business and industry success at the 2024 Australian Women in Wine (AWIW) National Symposium.
Inspired by the Investing in Women theme of this year’s International Women’s Day, Investing in Women for the Betterment of Australian Wine will look specifically at how this can and should be applied in wine, and how this benefits the whole industry.
AWIW founder and chair Jane Thomson OAM said that it’s only through properly investing in women, rather than just talking about an ‘industry gender problem’, that we can hope to see positive change.
“With the same people in the same positions of power making the same decisions and implementing the same strategies, how on earth can we expect anything to improve?” asked Thompson. “We need diversity at every level of this industry, and that starts with investing in women. Investing in them not just at the beginning of their career, but as they climb the ranks too. Ensuring their incredible talent, training, experience and capabilities are retained and used for the betterment of the entire industry.”
Australian Women in Wine has announced the speaker line-up for the symposium, with notable speakers from outside the wine industry including:
- Catherine Fox AM, who is a leading commentator on women in the workforce. A Walkley Award-winning journalist, author and presenter she has published six books, including “Stop Fixing Women” and her latest book “Breaking the Boss Bias: How to Get More Women into Leadership” was just released in August 2024.
- Sheetal Deo, a lawyer, diversity advocate and diversity and inclusion practitioner who operates under the mantra “If it’s not intersectional, it’s not inclusive”. Sheetal is driven to effect positive social and systemic changes through an intersectional lens and was a recent speaker on this topic on the SBS Insight television program.
- Sherri Ring, a dynamic leader in employee engagement, wellbeing, and workplace happiness. With a belief that a happy workplace is not just good for people but also good for business, Sherri has been at the forefront of transforming workplaces across Australia for over 30 years.
- Cait McMahon PhD, OAM, a thought leader, innovator and educator on work-related extreme stress and trauma, especially focussing on the media and human rights fields. She has trained people across the globe and in-person on psychological safety, resilience and wellbeing for more than 30 years
- Amanda Thompson, an award-winning financial planner and author, who draws on her 20 years of financial advising and life experiences to educate and support women to overcome the fear of finances and own their financial future.
- Sarah Courtney, whose career has spanned engineering, stockbroking, politics, viticulture and professional directorships. Sarah was a Minister in the Tasmanian Government until her retirement from Parliament in February 2022. Prior to her involvement in politics, Sarah worked for almost a decade in the financial services industry.
- Bianca Welsh, who co-owns Stillwater Restaurant and Seven Rooms and also runs a mental health business ‘From Experience’ which provides education and advice to workplaces on how to be a mentally healthy workplace.
Women from within the industry will also be taking the stage to share their insights and experiences, including:
- Angie Bradbury, Brand & Business Consultant – Bradbury & Co
- Samantha Connew, Director & Winemaker – Stargazer Wines
- Keira O’Brien, Owner & Winemaker – Rivulet Wines
- Cyntha Semmens, Owner & Vigneron – Beautiful Isle Wines
- Curly Haslam-Coates, Wine Educator – Vintage Tasmania
This full-day event will take place at the Franklin Wharf in Hobart and is preceded by a Welcome Dinner at the same venue the evening before. Registrations are now open at womeninwine.com.au.
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