In just 9 years, WIN has grown from a small, passionate team into a leading voice for women in industrial.
But this growth didn’t happen by chance. It took dedication, determination – and a clear roadmap.
Every year, our committee members come together for a planning session to set bold goals and strategic plans. And the results have been impressive.
Here’s a glimpse into our planning process – and how it drives WIN’s progress.
But first, what is a roadmap?
Success (in anything) doesn’t happen overnight. And when you have a goal as big as breaking barriers in a male-dominated industry, you need a solid plan.
Enter the roadmap.
At its core, a roadmap is a strategic document that helps organisations visualise where they want to be within a specific timeframe. It puts priorities front and centre – and gives you a clear path to your goals.
For WIN, the humble roadmap has become a central part of our progress.
As WIN founding member Charlotte Brabant puts it: ‘We’ve always had big ambitions. But as we grew, we knew we needed more solid structure to support us in getting to where we desire to be.’
And that support came in the form of roadmap consultant, Glen McKernan.
A glimpse into our process
Since 2022, we’ve been teaming up with Glen to hold our annual WIN strategy day – a powerful session that allows our committee to refine priorities, set goals and track progress. And all our committee members get to have a say.
‘When I first met with WIN’s committee members, I was impressed that they already had their vision set – which is half the battle done,’ Glen shares.
‘With that in place, WIN’s roadmap sessions are highly focused,’ he adds. ‘We spend a few hours setting priorities, and everyone walks away knowing exactly what they’re responsible for.’
Every year, WIN’s roadmap is built around 4 core pillars:
- Networking and professional development
- Marketing and brand presence
- Education and industry engagement
- Operational growth, governance and internal systems
These focus areas shape the initiatives we take on, like launching new mentorship programs or increasing industry partnerships.
‘Think of WIN’s roadmap as a four-lane highway,’ Glen explains. ‘Each lane feeds into the ultimate destination of empowering women in industrial – with actionable steps.’
The entire process is highly collaborative and begins long before strategy day, with committee members sharing their insights in a pre-session survey.
And on the day, everyone gets a vote on key initiatives, priorities and goals to tackle.
The wins from our roadmaps so far
Since introducing roadmaps to our strategy, we’ve made huge strides in education, advocacy and strengthening our network.
Charlotte lists our achievements: ‘We’re forming strong relationships with universities and property groups. We’re launching scholarships and creating pathways for students. And we’re expanding our following and network.
‘This has all been a direct result of the focus our annual roadmap provides,’ she stresses.
Let’s look at those achievements in more detail. In the past few years, we’ve:
- Strengthened partnerships with key organisations like the Property Council of Australia
- Inspired young women to explore careers in industrial by expanding our university and high school outreach
- Launched scholarship and mentorship programs to help women enter the sector or progress their careers
- Fostered stronger connections and deeper learning by shifting to intimate, education-focused networking events
- Created an operations and systems subcommittee to streamline event planning, membership management and marketing
- Established WIN as a leader in our sector through the publication of thought leadership pieces
Looking back – while always moving forward
One of the best parts of WIN’s roadmap planning sessions? Having the opportunity to reflect on and celebrate our growth – and adapt our next roadmap accordingly.
As Glen puts it: ‘The best roadmaps shift as an organisation changes its goals – and that’s exactly what WIN does.’
It’s this mindset that’s helped shape the WIN we see today.
‘Seeing how far we’ve come makes me enormously proud,’ Charlotte says. ‘WIN has become a well-known name in the Australian industrial sector. We’re respected in the industry. And we’re making a real impact.’
And the best part? We’re just getting started.
Ready to help shape WIN’s next chapter?
If you’re a WIN member who thrives on action, insight and impact, we’d love to have you at the table. Reach out to one of our committee members today.
