Cultural Diversity and Leadership: The Way Forward

This is a bleak reflection of the diversity landscape in Australia, but how can we use this knowledge to drive positive change? How do we start to move forward?

Diversity specialists from the corporate and not-for-profit sectors will attempt to answer these questions and more at an upcoming SSI Speakers’ Series event.

Register now for your chance to hear our distinguished panel of speakers share their thoughts about how organisations can move forward and improve cultural diversity within Australian leadership.

             Dai Le.                           Mariam Veiszadeh.                Charis Martin Ross.        

Guest speakers

Mariam Veiszadeh
Senior Manager, Inclusion & Diversity, Westpac Group

After a decade long career as a lawyer, Mariam Veiszadeh recently had a career change, joining the Westpac Inclusion & Diversity team as a Senior Manager – a move that allowed her to more neatly combine her passions into her day job. Mariam has long been a vocal champion of the rights of asylum seekers and refugees as well other minority groups. She is an Ambassador for Welcome to Australia and a sought-after opinion writer, keynote speaker, social commentator, and diversity and inclusion advocate.

Dai Le
Founder & CEO, DAWN

Dai is a former journalist, film-maker and broadcaster with the ABC. Through her social enterprise, DAWN, an organisation that champions diverse leadership in the Australian workspace, Dai is challenging the status quo by harnessing the potential of Australians of culturally diverse backgrounds and unlocking their potential to be leaders in their field. Dai is currently a board member for Multicultural NSW, where she was previously the Community Commissioner.

Charis Martin-Ross
Diversity and Sustainability Manager, Allianz Australia Insurance

Charis has developed her career as an organisational psychologist, working across global consultancies before specialising in financial services. She is fascinated by what makes people tick and how organisations can positively impact the lives of employees. Charis’s transition into sustainability is a product of her sense of social justice and advocacy for the commercial value of shaping cultures in which employees feel part of a community. Her work at Allianz is her most fulfilling yet, not least the opportunity to develop a program that provides permanent employment to refugees and asylum seekers.

Facilitator

Danuta Kozaki

Danuta Kozaki is a senior ABC News reporter and producer. She is a specialist in multicultural stories, and previously worked at the UK Commission for Racial Equality and the Australian Human Rights Commission.Danuta will be a facilitator at the Speakers’ Series event on September 19 as an individual in her own capacity.

About the SSI Speakers’ Series

During 2016, Settlement Services International (SSI) is hosting a series of talks and panel discussions on current refugee and asylum seeker issues and related topics. The SSI Speakers’ Series aims to inform, connect and challenge SSI staff, stakeholders and the wider community by providing opportunities for discussion that enhance knowledge and awareness about relevant issues impacting the organisation’s clients and their communities.

When: Monday, September 19, 2016, from 6pm to 7.30pm (AEST)
Where: Settlement Services International – Level 2 158 Liverpool Road, Ashfield, NSW 2131 

Register for this event