Advocating for productivity over availability, leveraging AI as an intern and ensuring personal values align with time and financial commitments — these were among the practical takeaways shared at the recent Women Leading Tech Champion of Change Breakfast, presented by TPG Telecom.
The invite-only event, held in partnership with B&T, brought together finalists for the Champion of Change category at the Women Leading Tech Awards 2025, presented by Atlassian, and other outstanding leaders to recognise their impact and foster a community of positive action.
“Now, more than ever, with forces around the world pushing back on progress, it’s critical that we champion inclusion, innovation and meaningful change in our industry – which is exactly what this event and the awards are all about,” said industry industry journalist and Cairns Crocodiles content director, Pippa Chambers, who was hosting and MCing the event.
Panellists Chris Russo, GM of customer sales and strategy at TPG Telecom; Louise Wilson, head of new and emerging business, marketing solutions at LinkedIn and co-founder of The Village; and Cia Kouparitsas, chief customer officer at WithYouWithMe and Champion of Change winner 2024, addressed several key topics aimed at fostering gender diversity and driving authentic change within the technology sector.
Feeling proud to work at an organisation like TPG Telecom, Russo described how the business has been active about the role it plays in improving gender equality.
“That’s not just talking about it, but having real commitments to programs that can advance the careers of women and currently advance the careers of all genders,” she said.
More broadly, Russo prefaced the panel conversation with how as an industry, regrettably, not as much change is happening, with concerns and statistics showing stagnation in progress.
“Now more than ever, we have a lot to do across all levels of the organisation, not just in C-level roles, but in entry level roles as well,” Russo explained.
The discussion delved into personal experiences and strategies for challenging the status quo, with panellists sharing moments where they advocated for significant transformations in their workplaces.
From exploring the underrepresentation of women in tech, identifying barriers such as unconscious bias, limited access to mentorship and workplace cultures that may not fully support women’s advancement, the room, including execs from the likes of Pinterest, Medibank, Canva, Meta, GumGum, The Girls’ Programming Network and more, were engrossed.
To counter the many challenges for women in tech, panellists emphasised the importance of proactive measures, including mentorship programs, policy reforms and creating inclusive environments that empower women to thrive.
They also highlighted the critical role of robust parental leave policies in promoting gender equity, noting that such policies not only support work-life balance, but also contribute to a more equitable distribution of caregiving responsibilities.
“There was a real pivotal moment for me when I returned with my first child in 2016, to work in the office for five days at high intensity,” Wilson explained.
“And I realised that even the most progressive companies still presume and assume that nothing changes when a woman has a baby. And I really firmly believe that there’s a long way to go in how we create a workforce at a workplace that values productivity over presence.”
Wilson also reflected on the importance of courage and persistence in advocating for change within their organisation, even in the face of rejections.
Addressing resistance encountered when pushing for workplace change, panellists shared strategies for overcoming obstacles, such as building coalitions, presenting data-driven arguments, and demonstrating the business case for diversity and inclusion initiatives.
The panel also called on organisations to move beyond superficial diversity efforts, advocating for tangible actions that remove barriers for women and help create an environment where all employees can succeed.
As the event drew to an end, on request for practical audience advice, Russo highlighted the importance of aligning time and financial expenditures with personal values.
Quoting management expert Peter Drucker, Russo said: “Tell me what you value and I might believe you, but show me your calendar and your bank statement, and I’ll show you what you really value”.
“So when you think about that for yourself, where are you spending your time and where are you spending your money as it’s a clue to what you currently, today, value,” Russo said.
Wilson’s practical advice centred around the critical issue of talent retention, particularly concerning the “motherhood penalty”.
With an email signature that says “I am a mother who works and not a worker who mothers”, she argued the importance of advocating for workplaces that prioritise productivity over mere availability.
“Think about what you’re doing to step up and advocate for a workplace that values productivity of impact over availability, results over hours worked,” she said.
Kouparitsas advised the room to embrace artificial intelligence to alleviate workload pressures.
”Give AI the jobs that you hate and make it kind of your intern… if you know how to use it and make it your intern, you get so much more capacity to be focusing on the things you want to do,” she said.
The passionate panel, which culminated in a lively and varied audience Q&A, set the scene for the upcoming Women Leading Tech Awards. Did you catch the winners? Read all about it here.
Speaking after the breakfast, Vida Asrina Dhulst, head of digital experience design at Medibank, posted on LinkedIn: “I dragged myself out of bed to start early and it turned out to be literally one of the best breakfast events I’ve been to this year.
“Inspiring women sharing their thoughts on how could we enable and empower more women in tech industry and close the gender gaps in STEM.
