Kinetic launches Women at Kinetic Action Plan to drive gender balance across Australasia operations

Leading mass transit operator Kinetic has launched its Women at Kinetic Action Plan 2026-2029, a comprehensive commitment to achieving gender balance across its workforce by 2030.

The Action Plan adopts the Champions of Change Coalition's 40:40:20 vision, targeting a workforce comprising 40 per cent women, 40 per cent men and 20 per cent of any or no specific gender.

Kinetic's current workforce gender balance sits at just over 20 per cent women.

Across Australia and New Zealand, Kinetic employs over 1,600 women, including more than 800 female drivers. In corporate support functions, women represent approximately 50 per cent of the workforce.

The Action Plan is focused on closing the gap on the operations side, where women remain significantly underrepresented across the transport industry.

The plan is built around six pillars: Attraction, Year One in the Driver's Seat, Engagement and Culture, Career and Leadership, Work Environment, and Community. Progress will be measured annually and reported publicly.

Key targets include increasing female driver application conversion rates by 5 per cent year on year, increasing female driver retention by 10 per cent year on year in the first 12 months, ensuring 40 per cent of internal candidates for promotion are female and achieving zero gender pay gap for like-for-like roles.

Kinetic Group CEO Michael Sewards said the Action Plan represents the next step in the company's commitment to reshaping gender balance in the transport industry.

"When we founded Kinetic in 2015, we set out to change an industry that had traditionally been male dominated, with limited diversity and limited career pathways for young people," said Mr Sewards.

"The Women at Kinetic Action Plan formalises that commitment. We have over 1,600 women working across our business today, and we've seen women who joined us as drivers go on to become trainers, supervisors, team leaders and wellbeing specialists.

“But we're honest about the fact that at just over 20 per cent, we have a long way to go.

"Approximately 42 per cent of our senior leadership team in Australia and New Zealand were promoted from within the business.

“We want to see women represented in that pipeline at every level, and this plan is how we get there.

“It builds on what programs like Women Up Front have started, and extends into every part of the employee experience, from how we attract women to the industry, to how we support them in their first year, to how we develop them into our future leaders."

In Australia, Kinetic Executive General Manager – People and Safety Madonna Hegerty said the plan provides the structure needed to turn ambition into lasting change.

"We know that attracting women into the industry is only the first step. What matters is what happens after they walk through the door," Ms Hegerty said.

"This plan addresses the full journey, from recruitment and onboarding through to career development, workplace safety and leadership.

“We're committing to things like a six-month buddy program for new female drivers, allyship training for male leaders, a variety of rosters, and ensuring 100 per cent of our female senior leaders have at least one internal female mentee.

"These are practical, measurable actions that will make a real difference to the experience of women working at Kinetic in Australia."

In New Zealand, Kinetic Director – People, Culture and Safety Nicky Harrison said the plan reflects the progress already being made across Kinetic's New Zealand operations while setting the bar higher.

"In New Zealand, we've seen the impact of Women Up Front firsthand, with women coming through the program and build genuine careers with us, and one of our graduates from the very first New Zealand intake being appointed to our inaugural Cadetship Program," Ms Harrison said.

"We're also proud to be a finalist in the 2026 Diversity Awards NZ™ Breaking Barriers category for the Women Up Front program, alongside organisations like ANZ and Kiwibank.

“That recognition tells us we're on the right track, but this plan is about making sure we keep pushing forward.

"The Women at Kinetic Action Plan is a key delivery mechanism under Kinetic's broader Sustainability Strategy.

View our Women at Kinetic Action Plan here.