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Gender Equality Takes Centre Stage at Women in Multinationals Summit 2025

Abundium

Key Facts:

• Over 350 multinational leaders gathered at the WIM Summit 2025 in Sydney to address the $128 billion annual cost of gender inequality to Australia's economy
• Women hold 30% of CEO roles in Abundium's multinational community, compared to just 9% of CEOs in the ASX 300, highlighting the effectiveness of inclusion targets and transparent pay systems
• Female representation on ASX 200 boards declined to 38.1%, while the gender pay gap reached a record low of 11.5%
• The summit featured prominent speakers including Layne Beachley AO and executives from major corporations, discussing leadership development, mentorship and workplace inclusion
• The event builds on Abundium's Multinational Business Council's work, representing 10,000 global companies employing over one million Australians

Sydney, Thursday 6 November 2025 — Gender equality took centre stage in Australia’s productivity debate today as more than 350 leaders from multinational companies gathered for the Women in Multinationals (WIM) Summit 2025, hosted by Abundium at Doltone House, Sydney.

The summit — representing organisations that collectively employ over one million Australians — tackled the $128 billion annual cost of gender inequality to the national economy and called for renewed focus on women in leadership as a driver of productivity, innovation and growth.

“Multinationals in Australia have a unique opportunity to accelerate change locally and globally,” said Rich Hirst, Co-Founder & CEO of Abundium. “Australia’s productivity debate has focused on technology and tax, but we’re overlooking the human factor. Gender equality is one of the few levers that lifts both participation and performance.”

Within Abundium’s multinational community, women now hold around 30 per cent of CEO roles — triple the ASX 300 average (CEW 2025) — reflecting faster progress where measurable inclusion targets and transparent pay systems are embedded.

Dani Matthews, Co-Founder of Abundium, said the summit demonstrated a growing determination among leaders to turn ambition into measurable outcomes.

“The will to drive change has never been stronger,” Ms Matthews said. “Organisations understand that closing the leadership gap isn’t just about fairness — it’s about unlocking productivity, performance and the full potential of our global talent base.

We saw extraordinary commitment today to practical action — sponsorship, mentorship, flexible pathways and leadership development that actually move the needle.”

Aware Super CEO Deanne Stewart urged women to be bold in pursuing growth and influence.

“Be courageous in considering new roles or opportunities to expand your horizon, or get involved in or lead major initiatives in your organisation,” Ms Stewart said. “Seek out a mentor or peer group you can test ideas with, or identify a solution to a problem within your business and run with it.”

Seven-time world champion surfer and Awake Academy Co-Founder Layne Beachley AO told the summit that real inclusion depends on courage from leaders, not conformity from women.

“Women don’t need fixing, they need backing,” Ms Beachley said. “When leaders invest in trust, mentorship and balanced teams, performance follows. Real inclusion is built on courage — the courage to back potential, share power and give people the chance to rise. Progress happens when belief meets opportunity.”

Tess Brouwer, Co-Founder and Chief Energy Officer of Awake Academy, highlighted the tangible business return from investing in inclusive, wellbeing-based leadership.

“Investment in wellbeing and leadership delivers real value, returning up to six dollars for every dollar spent through stronger engagement, performance and retention,” Ms Brouwer said. “When people are self-aware and energised, culture lifts. Inclusive productivity begins with leaders who manage their energy, model empathy and create environments where everyone can thrive.

We deliver life-tested and science-backed tools that shift pressure into presence, expectations into empathy and intensity into intention. This is the future of all leadership.”

While momentum is building, national data show the need for continued action.
The Chief Executive Women (CEW) 2025 Senior Executive Census reports only 27 women CEOs in the ASX 300, with 80 per cent of CEO-pipeline roles held by men and nearly half of companies lacking a single woman ready to step up.

The Financy Women’s Index found female representation on ASX 200 boards slipped to 38.1 per cent, even as the gender pay gap fell to a record low of 11.5 per cent — evidence that pay equity is improving faster than leadership equity.

Delegates agreed these figures point to a “productivity gap in disguise” — where untapped female leadership potential continues to constrain Australia’s growth.

Now in its fourth year, the WIM Summit has become Australia’s leading forum for advancing gender-balanced leadership across multinationals — spanning finance, technology, consumer goods, manufacturing and energy.

Speakers included Tracey Fellows (Non-Executive Director, Woolworths Group), Paul Zahra (former CEO of David Jones and Patron, Pride in Diversity), Dr Kellie Nuttall (Former Lead Partner, AI Institute, Deloitte), and Jude Batrac (Director People and Culture, Coca-Cola South Pacific), alongside senior executives from LEGO, Randstad, Insight, Crestcom and DLPA.

The event builds on the work of Abundium’s Multinational Business Council, launched earlier this year to represent 10,000 global companies employing more than one million Australians and to ensure inclusion, productivity and leadership remain at the centre of Australia’s competitiveness agenda.

“When we talk about the leadership gap, we’re really talking about the productivity gap,” Ms Matthews said in closing. “Australia’s growth depends on unlocking the full capability of our workforce — and that means women leading at every level.”

About us:

Abundium is Australia’s network for the local leaders of global companies. Through events, councils and leadership programs, it connects executives from more than 350 multinational organisations, helping them share insights, lift capability and shape a more globally relevant and productive economy.

Contact details:

For further detail on the Abundium WIM 2025 Summit please contact Randal Killip on 0425 714 159 or via email [email protected]