James Phillis is Chief Executive of SJ Group's global Infrastructure and Energy Business Line and one of Australia's most respected voices on gender equity in male-dominated industries. With over 35 years leading complex engineering businesses, he brings a refreshingly direct perspective to a conversation many CEOs still sidestep.

In this episode of Culture Capital, he sits down with Mundanara Bayles and Prabha Nandagopal to talk about what actually moves men from bystanders to allies, why targets matter more than quotas, and how to bring resistant male colleagues along for the ride.

He's honest about where he's slipped up, clear about where the industry still has a long way to go, and unequivocal about one thing - this is a personal responsibility, not a HR agenda.

This is leadership accountability without the corporate spin.

EPISODE RESOURCES

Guest James Phillis - Chief Executive, Infrastructure and Energy, SJ Group (SMEC) LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/james-phillis-3174184 SMEC: smec.com

Organisations Mentioned Consult Australia Champions of Change Group - A coalition of CEOs across the design, advisory and engineering sector committed to gender equality. James was previously Chair. consultaustralia.com.au/home/policy/champions-of-change

Champions of Change Coalition - The broader coalition that the Consult Australia group sits within. Publishes annual progress reports. championsofchangecoalition.org

Programs Mentioned Cultivate Sponsorship Program - SMEC's internal program pairing senior leaders with high potential women to actively sponsor their careers. Now expanding globally. 

If this conversation resonated with you, make sure you follow or subscribe to Culture Capital on your favourite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. Share this podcast with colleagues, leaders, and anyone passionate about building stronger workplace cultures.

Co-host Prabha Nandagopal is the founder of Elevate Consulting Partners, providing expert consulting on workplace culture, positive duty compliance, and human rights. Learn more at elevateconsultingpartners.com.au

Prabha also founded SafeSpace@Elevate, Australia's first trauma informed workplace reporting platform. Learn more at safespaceelevate.com.au

This episode of Culture Capital is brought to you by BlackCard, Australia's leading Aboriginal owned cultural capability training organisation. Learn more at theblackcard.com.au

Culture Capital is produced by the BlakCast Network

James Phillis is Chief Executive of SJ Group's global Infrastructure and Energy Business Line and one of Australia's most respected voices on gender equity in male-dominated industries. With over 35 years leading complex engineering businesses, he brings a refreshingly direct perspective to a conversation many CEOs still sidestep.
In this episode of Culture Capital, he sits down with Mundanara Bayles and Prabha Nandagopal to talk about what actually moves men from bystanders to allies, why targets matter more than quotas, and how to bring resistant male colleagues along for the ride.
He's honest about where he's slipped up, clear about where the industry still has a long way to go, and unequivocal about one thing - this is a personal responsibility, not a HR agenda.
This is leadership accountability without the corporate spin.
EPISODE RESOURCES
Guest James Phillis - Chief Executive, Infrastructure and Energy, SJ Group (SMEC) LinkedIn: <a href="linkedin.com/in/james-phillis-3174184">linkedin.com/in/james-phillis-3174184</a> SMEC: <a href="smec.com">smec.com</a>
Organisations Mentioned Consult Australia Champions of Change Group - A coalition of CEOs across the design, advisory and engineering sector committed to gender equality. James was previously Chair. <a href="https://www.consultaustralia.com.au/home/policy/champions-of-change">consultaustralia.com.au/home/policy/champions-of-change</a>
Champions of Change Coalition - The broader coalition that the Consult Australia group sits within. Publishes annual progress reports. <a href="championsofchangecoalition.org">championsofchangecoalition.org</a>
Programs Mentioned Cultivate Sponsorship Program - SMEC's internal program pairing senior leaders with high potential women to actively sponsor their careers. Now expanding globally.&nbsp;
If this conversation resonated with you, make sure you follow or subscribe to Culture Capital on your favourite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. Share this podcast with colleagues, leaders, and anyone passionate about building stronger workplace cultures.
Co-host Prabha Nandagopal is the founder of Elevate Consulting Partners, providing expert consulting on workplace culture, positive duty compliance, and human rights. Learn more at <a href="elevateconsultingpartners.com.au">elevateconsultingpartners.com.au</a>
Prabha also founded SafeSpace@Elevate, Australia's first trauma informed workplace reporting platform. Learn more at <a href="safespaceelevate.com.au">safespaceelevate.com.au</a>
This episode of Culture Capital is brought to you by BlackCard, Australia's leading Aboriginal owned cultural capability training organisation. Learn more at <a href="https://theblackcard.com.au/">theblackcard.com.au</a>
Culture Capital is produced by the BlakCast Network

Where leadership meets lived experience. Prabha Nandagopal and Mundanara Bayles speak with the thinkers shaping the future - political leaders, changemakers, cultural icons and business innovators. Culture Capital explores power, influence and the people moving Australia forward with courage, nuance and deep cultural grounding.

Where leadership meets lived experience. Prabha Nandagopal and Mundanara Bayles speak with the thinkers shaping the future - political leaders, changemakers, cultural icons and business innovators. Culture Capital explores power, influence and the people moving Australia forward with courage, nuance and deep cultural grounding.

Culture Capital

He Runs a Global Engineering Empire. Here's Why Gender Equity Keeps Him Up at Night.

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/b68562b9-b8d6-4cff-a752-b456001eed34/transcript