We are thrilled to announce the creation of the Family Friendly Workplaces Advisory Group, a high-profile team of industry influencers dedicated to making Australia one of the best places to work for families.

 

The group is representative of our founding partners, subject matter experts and advocates, they cover major private sectors of the economy and include representatives from business, community and not-for-profit organisations.

 

The purpose of the Advisory Group is to create family-friendly workplaces that improve the work life wellbeing of all Australian families in line with the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals of good health and wellbeing, and gender equality.

 

Focused on social impact the contributions of the Advisory Group will be invaluable in shaping the future of family-friendly workplaces in Australia. More to come!

 

Last week, the Advisory Group members met for the first time to discuss ways to best support our 2023 priorities to engage, educate, benchmark and certify Australian organisations by:

 

• Scaling our national campaign to inform and encourage business leaders on the importance of adopting family inclusive workplace practices as part of the ESG and people and culture agenda
• Reviewing and increasing awareness of the National Work & Family standards and engaging organisations to benchmark their progress and be certified
• Developing best practice guides and other educational resources for employers, HR teams and executives

 

 

From left to right:

• Catherine McNair, Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing, QBE Insurance (FFW Founding Partner)
• Alison Hernandez (Chair), JAPAC Director, HSM Advisory
• Samantha Huddle, Founding Director, Former Company Director & GM, Great Place to Work
• Pip Dexter, Chief People & Purpose Officer, Deloitte (FFW Founding Partner)
• Michelle Redfern, Gender Equality Expert, CEO, Advancing Women in Business and Sport
• Nicole Breeze, Chief Advocate for Children, Director of Programs and Advocacy, UNICEF Australia (FFW Founding Partner)
• Emma Walsh, Founder & CEO Parents At Work, Founder & CEO FFW
• Bianca Broadhurst, Senior Manager, Inclusion & Diversity, CBA (FFW Founding Partner)
• Guest: Brooke Swartz – Director, Strategic Communications, FTI Consulting
• Ariane Virtue, Strategic Advisor Lead, UNICEF Australia
• Special Guest: Dr. David Cooke, FFW Ambassador (see below)
• Guest: Renée Law – Senior Managing Director at FTI Consulting
• Felicity Empson, HR Director, Randstad Australia (FFW Founding Partner)
• Kristal Kinsela, Independent expert, Principal, Kristal Kinsela, Board of Unitingcare.org.au
• Grainne O’Loughlin, CEO Karitane (FFW Founding Partner)

Not featured on the picture:

• Kate Furlong, Director – Inclusion, Diversity & Wellbeing, Deloitte (FFW Founding Partner)
• Ryan Burke, Head of Inclusion & Diversity, CBA (FFW Founding Partner)
• Shiona Watson, Chief HR Officer, Australia Pacific & Group Functions at QBE Insurance (FFW Founding Partner)

 

Also welcoming our newest Family Friendly Workplaces Ambassador Dr. David Cooke

“The creation of family friendly workplaces is one of the most significant initiatives that any board or executive team can make to the well-being of an organisations people and through them to the performance of the organisation as a whole”.
Dr. David Cooke

 

We are very privileged to welcome Dr. David Cooke as our newest FFW Ambassador.

 

David is Executive Director of ESG Advisory and Adjunct Professor at UTS Business School.

 

He has served on the Federal Government’s multi-stakeholder advisory group on business and human rights and his most recent executive role was as the first non-Japanese Managing Director of global technology firm Konica Minolta Australia. His career in the IT industry spans over 30 years.

 

A vocal advocate for inclusion, equity and diversity, Dr. Cooke is also a member of the Champions of Change Coalition and passionate about creating change for a sustainable world.