I’m proud to actively represent Wood, myself and my family as part of CEOs for Gender Equity (CGE). As Wood’s local representative I view this as a natural and progressive step toward achieving a more diverse and inclusive culture.

Wood is built on three core values: care, courage and commitment. We tap into these values to create an environment where people can be their best selves; helping everyone to feel they belong by showing genuine curiosity and care, being courageous through promoting new policies that challenge the norm, and showing our commitment through transparency as we improve gender equity on the path to parity. We stand for a concerted shift in thinking, policy and implementation, and we’re committed to removing historic bias and barriers within Wood that hinder gender balance.

To address gender equity we have pay policies and practices that are fair and free from bias. In support of our reward strategy, and as part of our overall aim for simplicity and consistency, we have developed and maintain salary bands on a country-by-country basis that apply across the whole of Wood.

We’ve made progress on the fundamentals: in Asia-Pac we’re building out our talent pipeline with better representation from female technical leaders, with ongoing promotions of females into senior leadership positions. We’ve also trained our managers and recruiters in inclusive interview guidelines and worked to offer new roles with part time and flexible work options. In Australia we have comprehensively updated our leave provisions, enhancing primary and secondary carer entitlements while recognising new categories such as reproductive health leave.

My personal commitment is to be a visible and active ally to women as part of embracing and celebrating inclusive diversity in Wood. For me this means recognising the benefits that gender equity accrues by ensuring that women receive the opportunity and recognition that they have worked for.

The drive towards gender balance at Wood is an urgent and genuinely exciting opportunity to deliver for our employees and stakeholders, with a vision to cement our position as an employer of choice. I’m proud to be a part of CEOs for Gender Equity to drive change.