Mid–senior men · 2026 program
Counter weight
Depth. Accountability. Change that holds. A peer accountability program giving men in leadership the tools to drive cultural change on gender equality across their team and organisation.
THE PROBLEM OPPORTUNITY
In industries such as construction, utilities, transport and resources, men hold the overwhelming majority of senior leadership positions. Decisions about who is hired, who is developed, who trusted with work that carries visibility, and what behaviour is tolerated. are made largely by men.
This is usually presented as the problem. It is more useful understood as the leverage.
Because the same authority that has held these cultures in place is the key component capable of shifting them at pace. Leaders do not simply model behaviour, they determine what is permitted. Change the boundary of what a man in a position of influence understands, accepts and advocates for, and you change what is possible for everyone working around him. Critically, that shift is felt ocross:
A more effective approach to gender equality
Most gender equality spend goes to broad initiatives that are easy to run and hard to measure. Unconscious bias training, policy updates, awareness days. They tick boxes without shifting behaviour.
We work the other way. We identify where progress is actually stalling, in which group, for which reasons, and target that. Fewer interventions, aimed more precisely, measured over time.
Early Career Women face numerous obstacles in the workplace. And gender is only one of them.
Being new to any situation can shake a person's self-confidence. But women navigating their first five years in a male-dominated workplace have multiple layers of "new" to overcome.
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The experience of women at work
The men who move with him
The organisation he is accountable for
COUNTERWEIGHT gives men the depth, the room, and the accountability to act.
CURRICULUM OVERVIEW
For early-career women, participation at work is shaped by more than capability alone.
Confidence, influence, and progression are affected by context, power dynamics, and lived experience - making deliberate, applied skill-building essential.
"I am so much more confident in myself and the value I bring to my job. I feel like I can hold my own in difficult conversations. I am communicating better and am able to ask for clarification and assistance more easily. I feel more empowered to actually take up space on site and in the workplace and have stopped trying to make myself smaller."
Claudia
Graduate Engineer - 3 years
"At Urban Utilities I've had a number of early career women from my team complete the program. They really enjoyed it and are still getting so much value from it. There is not much else available that is similar to this for the them so great to see a program dedicated to this stage of career. Essential to support, encourage young women early on in their careers to build their confidence and continue to fan the flames!"
Dr Sonja Toft
Urban Utilities
"Not only does it have a massive impact on the development of the woman doing the program, but the business benefits too. Having someone who is confident enough to bring ideas to the table and who can communicate effectively is invaluable. My manager has already been giving me great feedback about the way my communication and confidence has increased since starting the program."
Lucy
Environmental Advisor (1 year)
THE FIRST FIVEÂ EXPERIENCE
TheFirst Five Programisa structured,cohort-baseddevelopment experience designed to build early-career capability,confidence, andprogressionreadiness over time. Â
10 WEEK GROUP INTERACTIVE PROGRAM (VIRTUAL)
- Live, facilitated, practical, applied curriculum Industry guest speakers
- Small-group mentoring session
- Participant workbook and activities
ACCELERATION DAY (IN-PERSON)
- Immersive experience focused on confidence, connection, and application
- Peer networking and shared learning
- Designed to accelerate impact and engagement
12 MONTHS' ACCESS TO THE VAULT
- Ongoing access to Short, practical tools aligned to real workplace challenges
- Reinforcement of learning beyond the formal program
- Supports continued development and application
EMPLOYER DATA & INSIGHTS
- Pre- and post-program data featuring qualitative and quantitative insights
- Aggregated employer reporting
- Evidence to support internal evaluation and decision-making
Over four months, participants build:
Hear Success Stories From Business Leaders & Program Participants
Mike Morgan, Senior Vice President and Managing Director APAC at Insight speaks about the impact that our programs have had in their organisation. Mike shares how their game-changing transformation came from including team members across the whole organisation in the Women Rising development journey.
Michelle Markham, ANZ K12 Education Director, Kushani Sriwardene, Channel Sales Manager and Gina Willard, Head of Enterprise Channel Sales for Microsoft also share their transformative experiences.Â
What organisations gain:
A precise read on their own leadership
Clarity about where assumptions, instincts and defaults sit, how they shape decisions never considered to be about gender, and what that means for everyday judgement
Evidence of action, not intent
Documented commitments and measured change, of the kind boards, regulators and gender equality reporting increasingly require.
Leaders who hold the standard
Culture is set by what senior people permit. Participants return able to name the line and hold it.
Conditions worth staying for
Environments where women can contribute fully, be heard on the work that matters, and see a future in the business.
A clearer view of the organisation
Participants surface where inequity is actually produced: in hiring, allocation and progression decisions.
A stronger internal case
Senior men who can advocate for gender equity credibly with peers who dismiss it, because they have done the work.
Hear Success Stories From Business Leaders & Program Participants
Mike Morgan, Senior Vice President and Managing Director APAC at Insight speaks about the impact that our programs have had in their organisation. Mike shares how their game-changing transformation came from including team members across the whole organisation in the Women Rising development journey.
Michelle Markham, ANZ K12 Education Director, Kushani Sriwardene, Channel Sales Manager and Gina Willard, Head of Enterprise Channel Sales for Microsoft also share their transformative experiences.Â
More women means better business.
The pursuit of gender equality is complex - from recruitment challenges to successfully getting women back from maternity leave to historical glass ceilings.
However, when leaders ask me what will create the strongest long-term change within their organisation, my answer never varies:Â
Focus on keeping and empowering the young women you already have.
The truth is, a large reason we're in this position (still 100 years to equality!) is because we tend to take the earliest part of the pipeline for granted. When women who are new to their careers feel like valued contributors, they'll stay long enough to be promoted into leadership positions, they'll attract other women, and they'll want to come back from mat leave.
Is it really that simple? I believe it is. And when you see what your early career women can really do with the support of the First Five Program, you'll believe it, too.
Tanya Andrews, First Five Program Lead Facilitator
Founder of Trellis Collective, Girl Shaped Flames, and UNIQ You
PROGRAM TIMELINE
Registrations Close
Provide the namesandcontact details of your selected participants by this date. Please note: deferral fees apply if you need to cancel or delay participation beyond this date.
Program Delivery Begins (Virtual)
Weekly sessionsrun 12:30–2:00pmQLD time, with Tuesday or Wednesday cohort options. Once placed, participants stay in the same weekly slot for all 10 weeks.
Manager Training (Virtual)
Deliveredvirtually, 2.5hours persession. Attendance at both sessions is required for all managers.
Feedback Loop Presentation
Deliveredvirtually,sharingaggregatedparticipant insights with HR and managers.
Trellis Collective acknowledges and pays respect to the past, present and future Traditional Custodians and Elders of this nation and the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
