Growing up in a town in Haryana, Meenakshi experienced the stark reality of limited water availability, where the flow was as ephemeral as a passing breeze. Water, a lifeline that was only available for a few hours a day, demanded careful rationing and storage. But as she grew, she realized that this struggle with not enough fresh water was just not confined to her own town; it stretched its arid fingers across most towns in India as well as other developing countries, with many rural communities lacking water supply at home altogether.
Women’s journey to achieve equality in the workplace has been an ongoing struggle. Women all across the world have been striving hard to overcome the many biases and challenges that befall their way. The story is the same across all countries and Australia is no exception. Recent reports suggest that women are grossly underrepresented in all major decision-making roles across almost all industries in Australia. The nation’s workforce currently comprises of only 22.3 percent women CEOs and 35.1 percent of all key management positions. In terms of boardrooms, women make up 34 percent of all board members, and only a meagre 18 per cent of women serve as board chairs.
The paltry statistics continue to emerge. A recent report by Chief Executive Women found that women represent a small percentage in major leadership roles across all of Australia’s top ASX-listed companies. With progress being made at sluggish pace, it will take 100 years to achieve true gender equality in Australia’s top public companies.
In such a scenario, celebrating existing women entrepreneurs and leaders becomes even more critical. The current edition of Women Entrepreneur magazine does exactly that. We feature a list of emerging women leaders of Indian origin making their mark in the Australian business landscape. On the cover we have Meenakshi Arora, Director, University of Melbourne. An accomplished academic leader and the Director of the Melbourne India Postgraduate Academy (MIPA) she has a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from IIT Delhi. Meenakshi brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role.
Jaspreet Kaur, Director of Nextwave Migration is another prolific leader to be featured in the magazine’s current edition. Her unwavering dedication and strategic brilliance have propelled Nextwave Migration to remarkable heights. Jaspreet's exemplary leadership has garnered industry-wide recognition, with the company securing prestigious awards that laud its exceptional performance and profound contributions to the immigration landscape. Joining them is Gulshan Dhanda, Founder & Director, Savi Digital. A graduate from Queensland University of Technology, she is a seasoned professional in the field of digital strategy and innovation. With a track record of success, she has leveraged her expertise to drive growth, spearhead transformative initiatives, and build strong partnerships in the digital realm.
Shivani Mudgal, Assistant Vice President and Regional Head (Australia and New Zealand), Trinamix also joins the coveted list. Shivani brings over 13 years of professional experience specializing in medicine, HR, Marketing, Project Management, Sales, and Business Development. Having worked across varied business fields, she brings a unique perspective in her ideas. Last but not least we feature Sunayana Arora, CFO, Usha Food Imports. Sunayana comes armed with a B.Tech graduate from Punjab Technical University and holds an MBA from SCMHRD, Pune. She is a Certified Indian as well as an Australian Financial Planner. Read on to know more about these illustrious leaders and their secret to success.
Do let us know your thoughts.
