Leading with Will: Paul Feasey’s Journey to Building an Inclusive and Equitable Workplace

Deep roots for gender equity

Paul commitment to gender equality has deep roots, beginning in his teenage years while working at a pub in the UK, aged 14 or 15. Even then, he noticed the stark division of roles – men behind the bar, women in the kitchen. Given the clear capabilities of the women around him, Paul couldn’t help but question the imbalance.

Then as a student in the nineties, Paul’s understanding deepened when he met his wife at university. She, like many other women, chose a path in food sciences, not because of preference, but because the more engineering-focused food technology course that Paul was doing, was seen as “for the boys.”

Another experience that heavily influenced him also came from his time working in Africa. “I had an eye-opening experience that shaped my views on respect and leadership. After putting in all the hard work and preparing to present to the Board, I was dismissed with: ‘What does the small boy know?’ I was 26 or 27 at the time. It made me realise how much respect can be tied to age and appearance, and it taught me a valuable lesson – I never want anyone else to feel dismissed or disrespected because of their age or any other superficial factor.”

Paul also acknowledges that he has been fortunate to work with exceptional female role models – from the capable women in that pub to the female leaders at Guinness and beyond. These experiences solidified his belief in the importance of diverse, mixed-gender teams.

As Paul puts it, “Why wouldn’t you? I can never understand why you wouldn’t want to recruit women and have mixed teams.”

Gems from GEM

Talking of his participation in the NAWO GEM program, he shared it is something he could wax lyrical about until “the cows come home” and how it has further fuelled his commitment to gender equity.

“The program is fantastic, backed by hard-hitting facts that shed light on just how big the problem is – from the overwhelming number of middle-aged white male CEOs to the heartbreaking statistics on domestic violence and the gender pay gap. This data is crucial for driving the conversations we need to have around gender equity and equality.”

One of the most significant takeaways from the program for Paul was the realisation of the harm of “doing nothing”. This has strengthened his resolve to be a more active bystander and continue evolving as a better ally. It also prompted deep self-reflection, ensuring that he doesn’t slip back into old habits and remains committed to “walking the talk.”

He admits he has become acutely aware of microaggressions – recognising the subtle yet harmful behaviours that can permeate the workplace – and is grateful for how the program has helped him the ability to better address these issues in a way that educates rather than alienates.

“There are deeply ingrained habits in our workforce,” Paul explains. “Calling someone out in a way that embarrasses them can itself be a form of microaggression. I believe in education – most of the time, when I approach someone, the response is, ‘Wow, I didn’t realise, we were just having a laugh.’ It’s about helping them see things from the other person’s perspective, to consider whether everyone is truly laughing on the inside as well as the outside.”

Wider impact of allyship

Paul’s impact has been felt in many other areas too.

He’s been a driving force in retaining women in traditionally male-dominated environments, actively taking active steps to break down barriers. “I’ve simply asked women if they want a chance,” Paul explains. “What I saw when working internationally was that in some African nations, women were often confined to admin and lab roles, never crossing the divide into more hands-on positions. I made it a point then and continue to do so now to talk to senior leaders and advocate for these capable women, insisting they be given the opportunity to prove themselves.”

As an example, Paul shares how by encouraging women to take on forklift roles, they’ve not only increased their representation but also noticed a significant decrease in forklift-related accidents – an incredible outcome that highlights the value of diverse teams.

Paul flags that he is also now actively reviewing company policies through a gender equity lens. “We recently revised our leave policy, making several changes to remove divisive language and outdated practices around paternity and maternity leave. This process has given me and our team a much deeper understanding of where systemic issues can arise within the workplace.”

And, with ongoing work in the D&I space, he imparts that they’re seeing shifts in mindsets, even among some of our most seasoned team members. “Just a few months ago, after a discussion on pronouns, I witnessed a long-serving forklift driver in his 60s engaging in a conversation about pronouns with his colleague—something that would have been unimaginable if left unchecked. It’s proof that with the right efforts, real change is possible.”

Looking to the future

Paul is very clear that his work in this area is not done. He shares, “I’m passionate about rethinking shift structures to better accommodate the realities of caregiving. There are so many talented people who want to return to work, but traditional shift patterns don’t align with their daycare or school run responsibilities. We need to create flexible shift options that allow caregivers to balance their work and home lives effectively.”

At the same time, he acknowledges that change is difficult, especially when it involves breaking away from long-standing traditions and overcoming resistance. “But just because something has always been done a certain way doesn’t mean it’s the best way. I’ve seen reports of successful implementations elsewhere, and I’m determined. I believe it’s essential for fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone has the opportunity to contribute.”

Ways of tackling barriers

He admits that it takes a lot of effort to change culture, and couches that as part of the job of leadership, “You’ve got to be 10 times as excited as everybody else.”

He shares this work can be just doing little things, like “having a conversation just as I’m walking across the yard” and taking a personal interest in someone, to bigger more dramatic actions. He shares that he has “30-metre silos outside of the building, and I can project stuff on there. So, I’ve projected stuff about Pride Week, the Gender Pay Gap and International Women’s Day. So, the community of Kingaroy gets to see what I’m playing with at the time as well!”

On the question of whether he ever worries about backlash he shares that he doesn’t, primarily “because I put a lot of thought into how I write things and how I present things -I write about the people and tell people’s stories, so it’s about the people, and what they’ve done. Things like their race and sexual preferences are irrelevant. It’s just a person story.”

Final comments

In closing, Paul shares that creating a fair and equitable workplace starts with the right mindset: “If you’ve got the will, we can train for skills.”

He also believes that breaking down barriers isn’t just about technical training – it’s about giving people the time and space to grow, learn and experience new things. Too often, the focus is solely on getting the job done, with little emphasis on the personal development that transforms employees into well-rounded, engaged corporate citizens.

A recent example of this commitment was on International Women’s Day, when Paul brought in a keynote speaker – a local councillor and breast cancer survivor – to share her story. He made it clear to everyone: if you want to listen, you’re free to step away from the line and be part of the experience. “Not every production site can do that, but I firmly believe in giving everyone the opportunity to learn and grow,” he says.

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