Div Pillay

Div Pillay is a diversity and inclusion practitioner, leader, researcher and advocate with over 20 years of experience in gender, race and cultural inclusion. Born, raised and educated in South Africa, Div carries with her, her lived experience of racial segregation. For the last 11 years, Div has researched the covert nature of negative behaviours at work, as experienced by women, migrants, refugees and asylum seeker professionals.

Backed by her behavioural science and economics background, Div has worked with boards and executive teams in large private and public sector entities to realise long lasting change. Div leads award winning diversity and inclusion consultancy MindTribes, and social enterprise Culturally Diverse Women. Both businesses were recognised by Westpac in their Top 200 Businesses of Tomorrow for social impact.

Div is a Governor of Victoria at the American Chamber of Commerce, Australia; a Board Director at VicHealth; and Chair of the Workforce Committee. In 2018, Div was named one of the 100 Women of Influence by the Australian Financial Review. In 2021, she was listed by the AACSB; the world’s largest business-education alliance, as one of the 25 Global Influencers in Social Impact. In 2023, Div was selected as a Top Linkedin Voice for Gender Equity in Australia. In 2024, she was listed as one of the 124 Impactful Asian Australians, by the Asian Australian Alliance.

Div also co-hosts the popular podcast, ‘Business in Colour’ and is regularly invited by the media to contribute as an industry expert on equity and inclusion.