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Women in Drinks Victoria has explored the theme of bringing your whole self to work at its latest sell-out event.

The networking breakfast was held at Coopers Inn, Melbourne, and featured a panel discussion with Sarah Andrew from House of Fine Wine and Trevor Parkes from Tabcorp.

"We wanted to explore the theme of bringing your whole self to work because it represents inclusion at its fullest," said Women in Drinks councillor Angela Burgum. "It’s not just about how other people treat you, but how you treat yourself.' 

To kick off the morning, Women in Drinks showed a YouTube video on bringing your whole self to work: 

Sarah and Trevor then shared how life-changing events have helped them prioritise what is important, how being vulnerable can improve individual performance, and the benefits of bringing your whole self to work.

"Sarah and Trevor have had experiences in their lives that you wouldn’t wish on anyone, yet their ability to pull themselves out of it is testament to their bravery and resilience," Burgum noted. "This is the essence of authentic leadership - having the courage to be vulnerable." 

Sarah successfully operated Selador Wines a consultancy for 12 years before joining Fine Wine Partners as Business Manager of Fine Wine & Education in 2016. In 2017, she accepted a National On-Premise Business Manager’s role with House of Fine Wine, representing premium brands such as Champagne Bollinger & Ayala.

Trevor is General Manager Wagering VIC, TAS, SA, NT at Tabcorp and a passionate supporter of workplace diversity. Tabcorp has recently been recognised as one of Australia’s leading promoters of workplace diversity after being named an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality for the fourth consecutive year.

Michael Lappen, Sarah's long-time mentor, generously donated a mentoring package to the event through the Dean Lappen Foundation. It contained six personal mentoring sessions valued at $2700 and was won by Laura Milton from Treasury Wine Estates.