Conference: "Promoting Gender Representation in Australian and Indian Companies: Internal Drivers of Change"

The Centre for India Australia Studies (CIAS) is conducting an online conference on "Promoting Gender Representation in Australian and Indian Companies: Internal Drivers of Change" as part of a project entitled ‘Promoting Women in Leadership: Diversity on Boards in Australia and India’. 

Event Details

Date: 29 September, 2022- Thursday     

Time: 9 am to11 am (IST); 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm (AEST)       

Venue: Zoom

Find link here.

Introduction and Vote of Thanks: Assistant Professor of Legal Practice, Divyangana Dhankar, JGU.

Panellists (Australia)

1. Michael Brown, A/g Consul General, Australian Consulate-General, Mumbai as our Guest of Honour

2. Fiona Harris, Chair, Barrington Consulting Group; Non-Executive Director, BWP Trust. 

3. Belinda Howell, Non-Executive Director, Dunmore Lang College (Macquarie University); Experienced Leadership Mentor, Stephenson Mansell Group.   

Panellists (India)

1. Dr Brinda Jagirdar, Independent Director, IDFC First Bank; Former General Manager and Chief Economist, State Bank of India.

2. Dr Rajiv Kishore Dubey, Former Chair and Managing Director, Canara Bank.

3. Samyuktha Bhaskar, Independent Director, LTIDPL Indinfravit Services Ltd; Board Member, L&T Deccan Tollways Ltd.  

Moderator: Professor Shaun Star, JGU

Key theme

The purpose of this conference is to identify key sources of power with potential to drive gender representation in directorship and leadership positions (C-suite or executive roles).

This conference identifies internal drivers to be sources of power within the company that take material decisions on the appointment of directors and key C-suite professionals. The panel focuses on the following internal drivers to enhance gender representation-     

• The Board (and individually, its directors)    

• The Chair (of the Board and individual sub-committees)    

• The Nominations Committee (or similar sub-committee engaged in the process of recruiting directors)    

• Board Committee(s) engaged in the process of C-suite appointments (particularly in Australia)   

• C-Suite Professionals   

Panellists may discuss any one or all five sources of power with respect to:    

• sharing best practices (particularly in relation to developing a pipeline of women C-suite professionals)   

• strategies that can be adopted to enhance gender parity on boards and in top management, particularly in the aftermath of COVID-19    

• meaning of gender parity in terms of setting company-specific targets   

• managing industry-perceptions while finalising directorial candidates and C-suite positions   

• methods of collaborating with organisations outside the company (such as research organisations) to consolidate information/best practices on achieving gender parity   

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