The making of an inclusive leader – Awareness of male-dominated environments and pay disparity

 Just as some readers peek at the last page of a book to ensure a happy ending, the most telling way to understand Mick’s journey towards inclusion is to start with his ultimate goal: to make gender equality and diversity in operations as fundamental and non-negotiable as safety itself.

“I want the concept of diversity and inclusion to be treated and be afforded that same level of importance as we do safety, which, of course, in operations is massive. It’s more than just addressing a pay gap issue. I want to see it embedded in our DNA, as something we talk about constantly, because it’s vital to the business.”

Change through awareness

When asked what ignited his interest in diversity, Mick traces his understanding back to growing up in a female-majority household. It was here that a deeper respect and empathy for gender dynamics began to take root. However, it was during his university years studying Mechanical Engineering and later in his early career that he became aware how heavily male-oriented these environments were, noticing that it was only occasionally you would see women, primarily in the office doing an admin type of role.

As Mick’s career advanced in the supply chain and logistics sector – a space he’s thrived in for over two decades – he also became increasingly aware there was more to this imbalance, observing at times a clear pay disparity between the genders, based on the roles undertaken and sometimes in all sectors of the work environment.

He reflects: “I don’t know whether using the term unconscious bias is fair, but I have a sense this sector generally promotes males in the first instance. You see it through the number of females in leadership roles. Even today, while there is a mix of male and female workers in logisitcs, the higher-paid roles – typically the drivers – are mainly male, who are often paid well above the award rate. Whereas in a warehouse environment where female representation is stronger, roles are very much aligned to award pay levels.”

Recognising gender inequality – Questioning the status quo

Mick’s recognition of such disparities has continued to spur his focus on gender equality and diversity, and as his career evolved, so did his understanding of the profound impact that diversity – beyond just gender – can have on an organisation’s success.

As a case in point, training undertaken with the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) introduced him to the concept of cognitive diversity, broadening his perspective: “It took the concept for me beyond gender, to seeing how things like a person’s background, life journeys and age also have a bearing.”

It also helped put a spotlight on how fostering gender inclusiveness is a driving force for building a stronger and more engaged workforce, in turn, leading to success across domains such as safety, financial results and employee retention. “Gender inclusiveness plays a significant role in shaping organisational culture, which ultimately yields positive outcomes across multiple facets,” he emphasises.

So, it is little wonder that Mick sees a primary responsibility of a CEO as being a custodian of culture – ensuring the values, behaviours and standards of what’s acceptable are clearly defined and upheld, not just in terms of gender but across all areas of diversity.

His ethos is simple: “It comes down to one thing: it doesn’t matter who you are, where you’ve come from, your gender, sexuality or anything else. Let’s all respect each other. If we do that in a work environment, you’d hope that it grows beyond the workplace, to our homes, when we’re out with people, or shopping, or wherever we are and whoever we are with.

Armaguard Diversity Committee: Galvanising support for practical change

When Mick joined Armguard, he recognised the company’s solid foundation of diversity across its executive and senior leadership teams and within white-collar rolesThis led him to initiate discussions with a few passionate members of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), with the idea to establish a dedicated diversity committee to address issues more directly. And so, the Armaguard Diversity and Inclusion Committee was born, designed to address diversity and inclusion issues head-on and drive real change.

The importance of independence

Mick intuitively understood that for the committee to be truly effective, it needed to operate independently of the Executive or Senior Leadership Teams. “You can only have a very limited number from the ELT or the SLT on this committee, you’ve got to go deep into the organisation and hear from people at the coalface,” he explained.

Lucky for Armaguard, there was no shortage of passionate and engaged individuals putting their hand up to be involved and get the message out. With eight core committee members, and a further 12 volunteers split between three work groups, they are responsible for activities including analysing data, aligning with WGEA requirements and driving practical outcomes across the organisation.

Mick takes obvious pride in the committee’s effectiveness noting: “They don’t just talk – they get things done. They give people a voice, challenge what we do as a business and make change happen. And if nothing else comes from it other than a better understanding, then that’s great too.”

The power of outside insight

The committee plays a key role in connecting with NAWO, with one member serving as the primary point of contact, a relationship that Mick sees as incredibly valuable to overall diversity initiatives. “What I want is really strong interaction, because NAWO offers so many opportunities. By having people dialling into webinars, going along to events, networking and learning about what they can do and what we should do better as a company, we can drive change within our company. I’m very proud to see that happen and I think it’ll just go from strength to strength.”

Setting a roadmap

Recognising the importance of genuine input from across the organisation, the committee took the initiative to develop a survey to guide their efforts. “The committee came up with their own questions covering gender, nationality, understanding disabilities and sexuality with the aim of gauging interest in these areas and willingness to celebrate and understand them better,” Mick shared.

The response was overwhelmingly positive with around 700 out of 3,500 employees taking part. This valuable feedback became the foundation for the committee to develop an action plan and identify areas for further exploration and engagement.  “We’re setting a plan for the next 12 months because you can’t tackle everything at once,” Mick explained.

Grassroots engagement

The impact of the committee has been profound, sparking grassroots initiatives like morning teas, cultural food days and ‘R U OK?’ events that celebrate diversity and inclusiveness. These activities are contributing to a noticeable cultural shift within Armaguard, moving beyond gender to foster respect for all individuals.

“Without this committee, we wouldn’t have asked for and acted on organisation-wide input, in fact we wouldn’t have got that level of feedback. The result is they’ve really been able to translate the insights into local events and programs that strengthen our culture.”

Hiring for balance – Challenging unconscious bias

Another key area of focus for Mick is Armaguard’s recruitment process, to ensure inclusivity is always front and centre. Despite achieving approximately  60:40 ratio of male to female staff in their ELT and SLT teams, Mick’s conscious of the need to consistently model the importance of pushing for a diverse range of candidates. He shares: “When I engage with a recruitment firm, I can’t be sure of their attitudes towards gender. If I receive three CVs and they’re all male, I send them back and ask for a more balanced selection. I’m very conscious that if you’re not on it, in the field that I’m in, you could easily go backward quite quickly.”

Mick’s proactive approach isn’t just about hitting targets; it’s about setting a clear expectation that filters down through every level of leadership. He doesn’t need to make a big statement – his actions speak volumes, and his team understands that diversity isn’t just a preference – it’s a priority.

“Everyone’s very aware of what I want to achieve and why. And they’re all on board with the constant focus of making sure that we maintain the balance that we’ve got as a minimum and improve it where possible. And it’s not just for the sake of it. We know there’s lots of really talented women in operations. It’s our responsibility when we’re recruiting to reach and attract them.”

Leading for sustained success – How inclusiveness brings stronger outcomes for everyone

Mick offers powerful advice for leaders who want to do more in this space:

“There are countless ways to start. Reach out, pick up the phone, connect with organisations like NAWO and say, ‘We don’t do anything in this space, can you help me?’  There are other people and businesses who do this very well. You can probably meet 10 people in the NAWO network that you think do a good job in this space. Talk with them. I think to anyone that this is important to, like myself, would speak to anyone in the industry, in whatever industry they’re in, to offer their story and provide advice or guidance. You never need to be daunted by taking this on because there’s so much help and so many examples of it being successful that you’ve just got to find someone and have a look at what they do and copy it.”

To wrap it up

“I think that for change to occur, it just needs people from both sexes, from both genders, that speak up and do something about it. It’s a bit like turning a ship. It’s a slow process, but with enough momentum, it will change course.”