From paddock to podium: Elevate your influence in the industry

Meat Business Women (MBW) is building momentum across Australia and the world - unified by the goal to attract and retain more women in the meat and food supply chain.

The upcoming  ‘Architecting Influence’ workshops will focus on a critical skillset - inviting mid-to-senior professionals to build confidence and authority in the workplace.

Here, Meat Business Women Australian Chair Stacey McKenna discusses the workshop and the organisation’s progress to date.

What is Meat Business Women?

Stacey: MBW was founded in the UK in 2015 as a professional community established to support, connect and develop women working in and connected to the meat industry. In 2018, we launched MBW in Australia where we have delivered workshops, conferences, and educational content - all contributing to us meeting our goals.

MBW has more than 300 Australian members representing the full meat supply chain – from producers and processors, to retail, logistics and professional services.

How did the ‘Architecting Influence’ series come about?

Stacey: We’ve been hosting workshops for a while now, but this is the first time we’ve taken a different approach. Usually, we cast quite a wide net, but for this series we’re focusing on specific skills aimed at mid-to-senior professionals.

The upcoming workshops will be quite intimate - limited at 15 people per workshop, so there is room for more one-on-one advice.

It’s all about building confidence and authority, particularly for those working in a high-stake environments where they’ve got a short period of time to get their message across and get the outcome they’re looking for.

Participants will come home with strategies to implement immediately, whether it’s during a boardroom presentation, stakeholder meeting, or public panel.

The presenter, Kate Dillon, presented at our conference last year. We received such positive feedback that we decided to bring her back.

Why are people choosing to join MBW?

Stacey: The impact of MBW is visible and measurable. Members consistently tell us they’ve gained confidence, expanded their networks, and advanced their careers as a result of being part of the MBW community.

We also undertake gender representation reporting every three years. Between 2020–2023 we saw a lot of positive growth for female representation in the industry, including a 3% increase in chief executive roles, 9% increase in board-level directors, and a 10% increase in high-level executives.

How can people get involved – in the workshops and in MBW?

Stacey: The upcoming workshops will be held in August in Sydney, Melbourne and we’ve just held one in . (Apologies to any WA readers … but more workshops will be planned.)

We’re also running a second national workshop series with Michelle Redfern later this year, focused on business intelligence and leadership strategy, continuing through October and November in all major capital cities.

We welcome involvement from anyone working in or alongside the meat industry – regardless of gender or career stage. Our members include emerging professionals, operational leaders, senior executives, and board directors.

Businesses can also join as corporate partners to actively support gender equity in their workforce and gain access to tailored resources, training, and networking opportunities.