Mrs Div Pillay

Div Pillay is an experienced and respected diversity and inclusion practitioner, leader, researcher and advocate, for over 20 years. Her speciality focus is on gender, race and cultural inclusion. Her work is backed by her experience of living under racially segregated apartheid laws, before migrating to Australia and her behavioural psychology background. Div founded MindTribes, in 2012 and under her leadership the business has grown to an award-winning diversity and inclusion management consultancy, gaining recognition as TechDiversity Award Finalists 2019; Westpac Businesses of Tomorrow Winner, 2018; Telstra Business Award Finalists, 2016. Div works with boards, executive teams, staff led working groups and HR leaders from the private, public and large not for profit sector. Clients spanning across all industries, are, BHP, Rio Tinto, Suncorp, American Express, Telstra, AGL, State and Federal Governments, Local Councils, The Alfred Hospital, WaterAid etc. MindTribes works to ensure that organization’s represent the communities and customers they serve in their diversity make up, especially at decision making levels, and that all people feel safe and included.

Div also founded social enterprise Culturally Diverse Women that runs a flagship Masterclass program in Career Management accredited by Monash University’s Business School. Div runs this program inhouse with clients, inclusive of women, men and non-binary people. The program has advanced over 600 racially and culturally diverse people into leadership since 2017, with the support from their Anglo allies and advocates. To further the conversation of race and culture in Australia, Div also cohosts the weekly podcast, Business in Colour – the list of guests impressively covers some of Australia’s top leaders.

Div’s work on gender intersectionality is published as guidance material by The Commission for Gender Equality in the Public Sector and she is well regarded by the Victorian Multicultural Commission for her research on Women of Colour career mobility and safety, partnering with The University of Melbourne. She is also the Chair of the D&I Committee at the American Chamber of Commerce, Australia and is a Board Director at VicHealth. Div’s impact is well recognized - she is one of the 100 Women of Influence, named by the Australian Financial Review, 2018; she is recognised by AACSB, the world’s largest business education alliance, as one of two Australians in a Global List of 25 Influential leaders in 2021; and she has won the SME Business Leader of the Year in the Outstanding Leadership Awards, 2022.