Home Property Australia Seven senior women leaders join Champions of Change Property Group

Seven senior women leaders join Champions of Change Property Group

  • June 26, 2024
  • by Property Australia
The group includes senior leaders from the industry’s development and construction, investment, funds management and agency sectors. The Champions of Change Property Group has welcomed seven senior women leaders.

The Champions of Change Property Group has welcomed seven senior women leaders.

Champions of Change Property Group is a high-profile Coalition committed to lead and be accountable for progress on gender equality in their organisations and communities.

The Champions of Change Property Group includes leaders from the industry’s development, construction, investment, funds management and agency sectors and since inception in 2015 has grown to 30 members representing more than 26,000 employees.

One of the new members, Julie Drago, Realside Ovest CEO said she is excited to join the group.

“I have grown up in the manufacturing industry which is heavily male dominated and have always been an advocate for the promotion of women’s participation. Industrial property has not been an obvious choice for woman and there is a real opportunity to promote the asset class as an interesting and fulfilling job that leads to a great career.”

Cushman & Wakefield Chief Executive – Australia and New Zealand Noral Wild said she was pleased to join the group.

“Our industry needs to be innovative around the promotion of the sector as a career path for women and intentionally execute retention strategies to grow the talent pool.”

“I am pleased to be able to join the group and I have also agreed to be on the Steering Committee, I hope that I will be able to make a positive contribution to what is already a well represented committee,” she said.

Scape CEO, Anouk Darling said that diversity was no longer a tick box exercise for successful businesses but a necessity for leadership teams and senior management positions generally.

“While we always employ the best person for the job we commit to a rigorous process that ensures there’s always diversity across our business,” she said.

“In fact, earlier this year we were recognised by the Diversity Council of Australia as an inclusive employer 2023 – 2024.

“However across the spectrum of the property industry, there’s still a job to be done in this regard and I’m in a privileged position to be able to contribute to meaningful programs firmly focused on seeing broader change for the better,” Ms Darling said.

Phil Rowland, CBRE, Chief Executive Officer, Pacific and Champions of Change Property Group Group Convenor said welcoming the new Members  expands the Group’s perspective and brings even greater diversity of experience and insight.

“It also means the composition of The Property Champions of Change better reflects our aspirations as an industry. It’s a natural evolution of the Group, a milestone we are pleased to achieve as we continue to accelerate for change.”

The new members are:

  • Anouk Darling, CEO, Scape
  • Carolyn Viney, CEO Super Housing Partnerships
  • Dana Nelson, CEO, BGIS
  • Julie Drago, CEO, Ovest
  • Kylie O’Connor CEO, Investment Management, Stockland
  • Michelle McNally, CEO Aware Real Estate
  • Noral Wild, CEO, Cushman and Wakefield

The Champions of Change Coalition is a globally recognised strategy for advancing gender equality, by promoting more women into leadership positions and building respectful, inclusive workplaces.

The Champions of Change Property group also works to address gender based community and societal issues, including domestic and family violence, by leveraging its industry footprint and engaging employees.