WHS and OHS: cultural diversity still under-represented in Australia

The Australian Human Rights Commission and the University Sydney Business School (USBS) teamed-up recently to launch the country’s first Leadership Program on Cultural Diversity.

The pilot program conducted in Sydney, is an executive education course designed to promote leadership on cultural diversity in business and government.

“Cultural diversity remains under-represented within the senior leadership of Australian organisations. This raises questions about whether we are making the most of our society’s talents,” said race discrimination commissioner Tim Soutphommasane.

The pilot recognised 27 inaugural fellows drawn from business and government, who are established leaders who will become advocates and ambassadors for cultural diversity.

Participant organisations include Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, Woolworths, Deloitte, EY, KPMG, Clayton Utz, Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Herbert Smith Freehills, King & Wood Mallesons, Attorney-General’s Department (Commonwealth), Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Reserve Bank of Australia, NSW Police, QLD Police, NSW iCare, Thermo Fisher, and Chartered Accountants ANZ.

The partnership between the Commission and USBS builds on the Leading for Change blueprint on cultural diversity and inclusive leadership (2016), which was co-authored by the Commission, USBS, Westpac, PwC and Telstra.