Denholm's DEI dilemma
While Robyn Denholm talked up the importance of diversity and inclusion at the National Tech Summit, her views clash wildly with those of Elon Musk, her chief executive at Tesla.
Robyn Denholm is probably the most influential figure in the Australian technology industry, and she rarely speaks publicly. So when she does, people listen.
Today, the chair of the Tech Council of Australia (who occupies the same seat at global electric vehicle behemoth Tesla and is also an operating partner at Blackbird) addressed the National Tech Summit in Melbourne, and following some high-profile scandals in the sector she clearly had a message she wanted to get across: "The tech industry is a space for women."
In her address, Denholm said diversity and inclusion initiatives are not "nice–to-haves" but are in fact crucial elements for the industry to succeed." We've heard your calls for more action," she said.
To that end, the council yesterday launched its TED-I initiative, a set of standards encompassing areas like pay transparency and parental leave policies that allow companies to measure the success of their diversity and inclusion efforts.
