February 17, 2026 in News
National Series of ‘Advancement of Women’ A.G. Coom...
A.G. Coombs concluded its national series of ‘Advancement of Women’ Leadership Academy events in Canberra at the National Museum of Australia. The...
March 19, 2026
In the traditionally male-dominated building services industry, A.G. Coombs Group is writing a new narrative – one where diversity and inclusion is welcomed and cultivated. The company understands that meaningful change requires bold action, sustained commitment and a willingness to challenge the status quo.
“With women’s participation rates in the built environment sector sitting at 15%*, we cannot ignore the diversity and inclusion challenges that lay ahead nor our responsibility to be advocates and industry trailblazers in this space,” says Kerry Ryan, A.G. Coombs Group Non-Executive Board Member and Diversity & Inclusion Committee Chair.
Kerry’s candid reflection on her own career-family journey reveals exactly why the A.G. Coombs Diversity & Inclusion Action Plan she champions matters: “Transitioning in and out of the workforce during the years I was having my children was probably the most challenging aspect of my career journey.” Kerry’s experience reveals some of the real-world challenges
A.G. Coombs is helping to progress.
Beyond equality
The A.G. Coombs Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Action Plan represents more than 50 specific actions organised around three key pathways:
- Indigenous pathways
- Advancement of women
- People of all abilities.
The plan’s transparency and accountability make it a living, breathing roadmap for A.G. Coombs. “The D&I Action Plan drives change and shows commitment to people internally, but also commitment externally whilst creating all-important accountability. We’re holding ourselves accountable as a responsible, leading organisation,” adds Kerry.
This accountability has facilitated meaningful progress. Female apprentice representation at A.G. Coombs has grown from 10% to 30%, with 20 female apprentices attending the company’s inaugural ‘Advancement of Women’ Leadership Academy event in Victoria. This occasion was followed up by similar events in New South Wales and Queensland overseen by the Advancement of Women Reference Group established to promote networking, community building, leadership development, industry engagement and advocacy.
These are but some of many A.G. Coombs initiatives targeting advancement of women, Indigenous employment and opportunity for people of all abilities.
Role model behaviour
Recognising the importance of positively influencing the next generation of talent, female A.G. Coombs technical personnel designed and led a ‘Build Your Future’ STEM program targeting Year 9 and 10 female and non-binary students. The science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) career-focused program empowers students with hands-on experience and explore career opportunities in the Building Services industry.
There’s a genuine understanding at A.G. Coombs that true inclusion requires belonging. “Creating a sense of belonging provides the foundation to success which is really important,” explains Kim Hesline, Executive Manager Employee Services at A.G. Coombs. “This philosophy manifests through attainable role models who show emerging young women that success is within reach.”
Inclusion across all dimensions
The A.G. Coombs ‘Innovate’ Reconciliation Action Plan, now in its second iteration, works in tandem with the company’s diversity efforts.
A.G. Coombs has forged meaningful partnerships with organisations including the First Peoples’ Health and Wellbeing Centre; Korin Gamadji Institute and the Melbourne Indigenous Transition School (MITS) –
genuine investments in Indigenous communities and talent development.
The company is also helping advance indigenous and non-indigenous athletes achieve sporting success. Through its partnership with Softball Australia, A.G. Coombs supports the Stacey Porter National Indigenous Talent Identification Academy and the Tanya Harding Women’s Leadership Academy. Russell Telford, A.G. Coombs Managing Director explains,
“This partnership reflects our shared belief in strength and high performance through diversity and inclusion.”
“A.G. Coombs’ commitment to people of all abilities recognises that inclusion encompasses neurodiversity, physical differences and varying capabilities, acknowledging that diverse cognitive approaches enhance innovation and problem-solving,” added Aaron Clark, Executive Leader – Social Procurement, Inclusion & Engagement at A.G. Coombs.
A model for transformation
The approach to successful growth at A.G. Coombs transcends headcount metrics. The company’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting framework tracks progress across multiple dimensions, ensuring accountability and continuous improvement.
Recognition has followed effort. Walker Fire Protection’s Lisa Dalgleish, Operations Manager – Service was recognised by the National Fire Industry Association (NIFA) with the inaugural ‘Women in Fire Protection Award’ and Walker Fire Protection with the national ‘Champion in Diversity’ award.
The A.G. Coombs Group currently have more than 120 apprentices across a range of disciplines. A.G. Coombs maintains an average apprentice completion rate exceeding 94%, significantly higher than the national average of 50% and testament to creating supportive environments where diverse talent thrives. A.G. Coombs believes that meaningful diversity and inclusion work requires sustained leadership commitment, systematic planning, community partnerships and courage to challenge industry norms.
“We’ve been working on meaningful and sustained change over a long period of time and, whilst there are visible and positive results, our journey continues,” reflects Russell. “We remain committed to reinforcing and extending our partnerships with many social value enterprises, collaboration partners and the broader community in creating meaningful employment opportunities as well as implementing decisive actions to deliver the best social, cultural and participation outcomes.”
This article originally appeared in BE – Building Efficiency 2025-2026 magazine.
