Diversity Council Australia (DCA) has appointed Tara Le Friedman and Zak Hammer as new directors to its board.
Le Friedman is the General Manager at AUSPAC Transformation & Portfolio at QBE Insurance.
Hammer is the Head of Global Deliver, Risk & Transformation at Technology at BlueScope Steel.
“On behalf of the Board, I warmly congratulate and welcome both Tara and Zak to DCA’s Board,” said DCA Chair Sunita Gloster AM. “It is always inspiring to see leaders step forward with a commitment to advance inclusive workplaces.”
“Their willingness to contribute their time, insight, expertise and lived experience deepens the strength of our shared mission. Building inclusive, fair, and equitable workplaces remains a cornerstone for a society where people in all their diversity can truly thrive.”
Le Friedman holds over 25 years’ experience across financial services, insurance, energy, and consulting. She’s led some of the sector’s most significant and high-value transformations, including QBE’s enterprise-wide modernisation, and CBA’s Group Technology Simplification and Modernisation Program.
Le Friedman says she holds a “commitment to making a broader difference and driving impact beyond the organisation – whether supporting disadvantaged communities, or championing diversity and inclusion in technology or advancing women in technology and leadership”.
An executive leader, Hammer has 20 years’ experience in aviation and an early career in banking and finance.
As the Chief of Staff for the Qantas Group CIO she was accountable for the technology strategy, supplier performance management and the Portfolio Office including gile delivery, change management, business analysts and program delivery.
Prior to this role, she led the inclusion and wellbeing portfolio across the Qantas Group, advising the CEO and leadership team, where she says she “accelerated the progress of cultural change right across the organisation impacting 26,000 employees – something that is both a passion and a strength”.
Along with the appointments of Le Friedman and Hammer, DCA has re-elected Elizabeth Hristoforidis, Partner, Ashurst Risk Consulting, and Peter Chun, CEO, UniSuper, to the board.
DCA CEO Catherine Hunter congratulated them, saying the organisation “is privileged to be guided by a Board with such an impressive breadth of knowledge, lived experience and strategic vision.”
“Their leadership is vital to our work supporting organisations to create a more diverse and inclusive Australia.”
Manisha Amin, CEO and Founder of the Inclusive Design Collective, retired from the board during the year, but will continue in her capacity as chair of DCA’s Disability and Accessibility Expert Advisory Panel.
An independent not-for-profit and charitable organisation, DCA is Australia’s leading peak body for diversity and inclusion. With a network of over 1,300 member organisations, they provide expert guidance to workplaces, policymakers and the broader community through research, tools, events, advocacy and education.