Danni Casey

Biography

If you could pick one job, anywhere in the world, what and where would it be? I have not thought of what my perfect job would be, however I know that it would have to be located close to family, include a little bit of travel, provide a constant challenge and be located in a beautiful setting. Some may say I already have the perfect job. You recently won the Mary Penfold award, what did that recognition mean to you? At first I was very humbled and a little overwhelmed, but not long after, once it had sunk in, I felt very proud and extremely honoured. It has actually allowed me to reflect personally, in great detail, on the concept of the Women in Wine initiative and the reasons behind its existence. It is not women vs men or men vs women; it is the starting point for educating, promoting and supporting diversity in the workplace and working together to provide the best outcomes. Winning the Mary Penfold award you were invited to sit in on some meetings with our CEO Mike Clark, how was that? The ELT meeting I attended was very interesting and I found the whole experience extremely rewarding. Throughout the meeting, I could clearly see the same level of commitment and drive from the ELT members and I left with a sense of excitement and security that the senior leaders are 100% committed to the long term success of our company. I was lucky enough to have spent time with Mike within a business environment to understand just how fast his world goes! Having the opportunity to spend time with Mike over dinner was probably the most rewarding and inspiring moment of my career, but also one of the most enjoyable evenings I have spent, getting to know Mike on a personal level also. His determination, commitment and drive is infectious and he is a genuine nice guy with a great sense of humour. In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges women face in the workplace? I think there are many challenges women face in the workplace. The first very obvious one is the fact that there are a greater amount of women in the workplace that are also the main caregivers at home compared to men. This can at times cause women to choose between a career or a family. Another challenge I believe is that most women do not promote themselves as loudly or as confidently as men. How can women overcome these challenges? Women can investigate their organisation’s policies on flexible work hours and work with their manager on a solution to ensure an acceptable and workable balance can be found. Women can also ensure they take up every opportunity to develop themselves and their self-confidence. How can organizations recruit, retain and develop women leaders? There are many steps an organisation can take; for a start they can have a program such as ‘Women in Wine’ that is supported from the very top of the organisation and have a flexible work practice policy. When advertising for roles they can ensure they include a blurb about their flexible work practice policy. They can also have a mentor and/or development program in place to provide the opportunity for women within the organisation to develop appropriately. What do you like most about working at TWE? I like the fact that there is a big focus and respect for diversity in the workplace. TWE also owns exceptional brands and a very wide range of products from iconic wines, such as Penfolds Grange, through to very good value and popular commercial wines, such as Rawson's Retreat. TWE employees are proud of these wines and continue to collaborate well to deliver these great wines to the world to enjoy. I love the people and their passion, and the commitment and pride they show on a daily basis. Everywhere I go in TWE I see the same pride and commitment and this is nothing short of inspiring. Favourite TWE wine? I actually don't drink much wine at all, although that doesn't mean I am not passionate about wine. If I did drink wine I would think it would be Pepperjack. I love the branding and think it is an absolutely fantastic wine with great value for money!

Research Interest

If you could pick one job, anywhere in the world, what and where would it be? I have not thought of what my perfect job would be, however I know that it would have to be located close to family, include a little bit of travel, provide a constant challenge and be located in a beautiful setting. Some may say I already have the perfect job. You recently won the Mary Penfold award, what did that recognition mean to you? At first I was very humbled and a little overwhelmed, but not long after, once it had sunk in, I felt very proud and extremely honoured. It has actually allowed me to reflect personally, in great detail, on the concept of the Women in Wine initiative and the reasons behind its existence. It is not women vs men or men vs women; it is the starting point for educating, promoting and supporting diversity in the workplace and working together to provide the best outcomes. Winning the Mary Penfold award you were invited to sit in on some meetings with our CEO Mike Clark, how was that? The ELT meeting I attended was very interesting and I found the whole experience extremely rewarding. Throughout the meeting, I could clearly see the same level of commitment and drive from the ELT members and I left with a sense of excitement and security that the senior leaders are 100% committed to the long term success of our company. I was lucky enough to have spent time with Mike within a business environment to understand just how fast his world goes! Having the opportunity to spend time with Mike over dinner was probably the most rewarding and inspiring moment of my career, but also one of the most enjoyable evenings I have spent, getting to know Mike on a personal level also. His determination, commitment and drive is infectious and he is a genuine nice guy with a great sense of humour. In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges women face in the workplace? I think there are many challenges women face in the workplace. The first very obvious one is the fact that there are a greater amount of women in the workplace that are also the main caregivers at home compared to men. This can at times cause women to choose between a career or a family. Another challenge I believe is that most women do not promote themselves as loudly or as confidently as men. How can women overcome these challenges? Women can investigate their organisation’s policies on flexible work hours and work with their manager on a solution to ensure an acceptable and workable balance can be found. Women can also ensure they take up every opportunity to develop themselves and their self-confidence. How can organizations recruit, retain and develop women leaders? There are many steps an organisation can take; for a start they can have a program such as ‘Women in Wine’ that is supported from the very top of the organisation and have a flexible work practice policy. When advertising for roles they can ensure they include a blurb about their flexible work practice policy. They can also have a mentor and/or development program in place to provide the opportunity for women within the organisation to develop appropriately. What do you like most about working at TWE? I like the fact that there is a big focus and respect for diversity in the workplace. TWE also owns exceptional brands and a very wide range of products from iconic wines, such as Penfolds Grange, through to very good value and popular commercial wines, such as Rawson's Retreat. TWE employees are proud of these wines and continue to collaborate well to deliver these great wines to the world to enjoy. I love the people and their passion, and the commitment and pride they show on a daily basis. Everywhere I go in TWE I see the same pride and commitment and this is nothing short of inspiring. Favourite TWE wine? I actually don't drink much wine at all, although that doesn't mean I am not passionate about wine. If I did drink wine I would think it would be Pepperjack. I love the branding and think it is an absolutely fantastic wine with great value for money!