Meet Dai Le and Felicity Menzies: Two Women Shaking Up Leadership in Australia
Australia’s leadership circles often fail to reflect the rich diversity of its general population. Two inspiring women, Dai Le and Felicity Menzies, are determined to change this by tackling the structural barriers preventing inclusive representation at the top.
Dai Le: Founder of DAWN
Dai Le’s story begins with her family’s harrowing escape from Communist Vietnam in 1975. Like many others, they fled without warning or preparation, leaving behind their home and everything familiar.
“I remember scrambling onto a boat amid chaos and fear,” Dai recalls. “We survived not only the treacherous journey but also four years in refugee camps before finally rebuilding our lives in Australia.”
Now, Dai calls Australia home. This country, known for its cultural diversity, boasts a population drawn from more than 300 ancestries. Yet, when one looks at leadership in Australian institutions, this diversity is glaringly absent.
The Australian Human Rights Commission reports that fewer than 5% of leaders in business, politics, and civil society are from non-Anglo-Celtic or non-European backgrounds. In the most visible arenas, such as politics and media, the disparity is even more pronounced.
This stark contrast inspired Dai to found DAWN in January 2014. DAWN advocates for culturally diverse leadership and collaborates with organisations to provide tools and insights for advancing diversity and inclusion.
Driving Change Through DAWN
DAWN’s efforts focus on empowering individuals like Dai who want to contribute meaningfully to decision-making processes. Through conversations about culturally diverse leadership, the organisation challenges outdated notions of what it takes to lead.
Over the past four years, DAWN has partnered with thought leaders and businesses to address these issues. The organisation’s next step includes a collaboration with Felicity Menzies of Include-Empower.Com on a mentoring program designed to develop culturally diverse leadership talent.
“We are tackling ‘gender identity politics’ head-on,” Dai explains. “Through targeted initiatives, we aim to transform how leadership is defined and practised in Australia.”
Felicity Menzies: Founder of Include-Empower.Com
Felicity Menzies’ journey to championing diversity and inclusion took a different path. Unlike Dai, she grew up in an environment that emphasised respect and social justice, values instilled by her parents and educators. However, it wasn’t until her professional move to Singapore in 2007 that her interest in leadership diversity deepened.
Lessons from Leading Abroad
As head of private banking for Westpac in Singapore, Felicity encountered challenges in managing a multinational team. Her initial cultural blindness, shaped by Australia’s assimilation-focused environment, led to missteps.
“It was a difficult first year,” Felicity admits. “But these challenges pushed me to seek answers.”
Her quest for understanding led her to pursue a second degree in psychology. Through her studies, she gained insight into how culture shapes thinking and behaviour. Felicity also learned about implicit bias—how our brains categorise people into stereotypes—and its profound impact on leadership.
The Case for Culturally Diverse Leadership
Felicity believes cultural diversity enhances business outcomes. Diverse teams bring varied perspectives, knowledge, and experiences, improving decision-making, innovation, and stakeholder engagement.
Research supports her claims. A 2015 McKinsey study found that companies with racially and ethnically diverse leadership were 35% more likely to outperform their industry peers. By comparison, companies with gender-diverse leadership saw a 15% performance boost.
Despite these benefits, Australia lags in leveraging its diverse talent. While 28% of Australians are born overseas and 32% have non-Anglo-Celtic backgrounds, this is not reflected in senior leadership. Less than 5% of ASX 200 CEOs and fewer than 4% of federal parliament members are non-European. Shockingly, none of Australia’s top 200 listed companies have an Indigenous CEO.
Collaborating for Change
Dai and Felicity are united in their mission to dismantle barriers preventing culturally diverse individuals from achieving leadership roles. They believe doing so will not only strengthen Australia’s ability to innovate but also enhance its competitiveness in an increasingly complex global environment.
Change is challenging, but as Charles Darwin said, “We must adapt or perish.” Through their efforts, Dai Le and Felicity Menzies are ensuring that Australian leadership evolves to reflect the society it serves.
Key Takeaways
- Australia’s leadership circles lack representation from culturally diverse backgrounds.
- Dai Le, founder of DAWN, and Felicity Menzies, founder of Include-Empower.Com, are addressing these disparities through advocacy and mentoring programs.
- Research shows culturally diverse leadership drives better business outcomes, yet Australia has a long way to go.
- By fostering inclusive leadership, Australia can unlock innovation and competitiveness in a globalised world.
This article was first published by Women’s Agenda.