Friday, March 7 saw 400+ people from across the liquor industry come together for the annual Drinks Association International Women’s Day lunch. Attended by industry leaders and valued partners, the day was both a celebration of women across the industry and a chance to reaffirm the industry commitment to fostering equality and respect.
Keynote speaker and former world number four tennis player Jelena Dokic bravely shared her journey from overcoming extreme personal adversity to finding her voice, celebrating for the strength in vulnerability and advocating for societal change and equality. Her powerful message of resilience, courage and self-belief resonated deeply with attendees, reinforcing the critical importance of creating supportive environments where women can thrive fearlessly.
Kerry Appathurai, National Sales Director at Lion, and Mia Horner, General Manager Customer Loyalty at Coles Liquor Group, engaged the audience with a thoughtful discussion about fearlessness, assertiveness and the importance of building strong networks.
Also an opportunity to raise funds for our 2025 charity partner, the Katrina Dawson Foundation, we heard from Angie Liu, an accomplished Katrina Dawson Foundation Scholar. Angie spoke passionately about the impact of her scholarship in pursuing post-graduate education and continuing Katrina Dawson’s legacy. The raffle, with prizes generously donated by Drinks Association members, raised $19,370 for the foundation, funds that will be used to continue the incredible work they do for young women.
Stephanie Shedden, Head of National Key Accounts at Pernod Ricard, and Sandra Gibbs, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Asahi Beverages, represented the Embrace Difference Council, introducing the event and the speakers. Both reflected on the progress made towards gender equity but called out the critical need to address ongoing disparities.
In reflecting on the day, Drinks Association CEO Georgia Lennon said, “2025 marks our twelfth annual International Women’s Day lunch. The support for the lunch grows each year and reflects the incredible work of our Embrace Difference Council in the various initiatives they support to strengthen diversity, equity and inclusion across the industry.”