Katie Hodgson, Chief People Officer and Chief of Staff to the CEO at Treasury Wine Estates (TWE), believes that respect is more than a workplace value — it’s a fundamental human need that underpins every positive interaction. That’s why she’s proud to see TWE align with the newly launched Respect in Drinks Charter, an industry-wide initiative designed to foster safe, inclusive and respectful environments across the drinks sector.
“I believe that creating a safe, inclusive and productive workplace benefits not just individuals and businesses, but society as a whole,” says Katie. “And the critical ingredient in achieving that is respect.”
The Respect in Drinks Charter is a proactive and visible commitment by the industry to uphold respectful behaviours and embed a culture of dignity across all parts of the sector. For Katie, it’s a perfect fit with TWE’s values and people-first culture.
“The Charter absolutely aligns with our values and commitment at TWE,” she says. “Specifically, the ability for everyone to feel seen, heard and valued for who they are, and to feel confident they will be treated fairly and with dignity.”
With the drinks industry employing thousands across Australia and reaching millions more through retail and hospitality, Katie believes the sector has a powerful opportunity to lead by example.
“As an industry that employs millions of people, and touches millions more in our local communities, we have an important role and indeed responsibility to set the standard,” she says. “By doing so we will continue to attract a breadth and depth of talent into the industry and in turn continue to play a vital role in supporting a vibrant and connected society.”
For Katie, embedding respect goes beyond frameworks – it’s about daily actions. “Respect and inclusion are fundamental to fostering a positive and thriving workplace,” says Katie. “While respect is an easy word to say, it requires intentional effort to consistently demonstrate it in every interaction with every person, all of the time.”
“That’s why the work in creating, reinforcing and evolving culture is never done. Respect must be modelled and embedded in our daily behaviours and decisions.”
Ultimately, Katie sees the Respect in Drinks Charter as a unifying force for the entire industry to connect with a shared purpose.
“We believe that the Charter is an opportunity for us to come together as an industry and communicate a consistent standard and commitment as to what we stand for, how we go about our business and, in doing so, how we want people to be treated,” she says.
“At TWE, this is not something that is new, but we are always focused on continuous improvement and how we can do things better. So this initiative is another opportunity to demonstrate our deep commitment to positively enhancing our workplaces and the experience everyone has of us.”
And at the heart of it all is a simple, powerful truth: “Who doesn’t want to be part of an industry that plays a fundamental role in nurturing connection and cohesion and promoting fairness and wellbeing for our employees, our customers and our communities?”
The Drinks Association supports and encourages compliance by its members with the ‘Respect in Drinks Charter’ but makes no representations, expressly or by inference, in relation to the conduct of our members or their compliance with the Charter. The only representation made by the Association is that our member has signed the Charter. Any complaint or claim arising from any alleged breach of the Charter must be made directly to the member organisation.