Both new members will help oversee and guide the direction of AWIWA, which is now entering its second year.
“I have been in the wine industry for 20 years and in this time I have seen little movement on the needle [in terms of] women filling senior positions in the industry," Richardson said. "The Australian Women in Wine Awards starts those key conversations and drives awareness throughout the industry as well as highlighting all the wonderful women we presently have in the industry doing great things."
Walsh said he decided to join after seeing that gender diversity in Australia's wine industry hadn't progressed as far as he had previously thought.
“I was naively thinking that because we see approximately equal numbers of graduates entering the sector that progress in diversity and equity was being made,” Walsh said. “Now aware of the large attrition rate of top female talent from our grape and wine community, I realise that something needs to be done. The AWIWA is one important part of that process – providing awareness, recognition, inspiration, confidence and opportunity for women in wine, thereby making our whole wine community both fairer and stronger.”
Walsh and Richardson join Jane Thomson (Chair) founder and Managing Director of The Fabulous Ladies’ Wine Society; Toni Carlino, wine marketing consultant; Samantha Connew, winemaker and owner of Stargazer Wines and CompassWine Consulting; Jeni Port, wine writer and 2015 Wine Communicator of the Year; and Corrina Wright, winemaker and CEO of Oliver’s Taranga.
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