Wayfinder: Supply Chain Careers for Women

What Wayfinder: Supply Chain Careers for Women does

Wayfinder is an Australian not-for-profit, industry-led initiative launched in 2018 to address the under-representation of women in supply chain and logistics careers. The program is operated by the Australian Logistics Council (ALC) and managed in partnership with Deakin University's Centre for Supply Chain and Logistics, headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, with a workforce of 11–50. It serves three participant groups at no cost: job seekers and professionals transitioning into the sector, university and TAFE students, and community members exploring supply-chain career pathways, while working alongside corporate sponsors across Australia's logistics ecosystem.

Wayfinder's product surface comprises multiple programmatic offerings rather than a single software platform. Core assets include the Supply Chain Digital Career Map (an interactive career-pathway tool), an Ambassador Program pairing industry leaders with tertiary students, an Awareness Course on career pathways, a Gender Diversity Toolkit for employers, the National Supply Chain Education Network (reported 50+ members across 30 universities and TAFEs), a Schools Program, Graduate Program Webinars, research reports, Freight Heartland Tours, a Male Operations Managers Forum, and a "Leading the Way" video series. No proprietary technology infrastructure or AI/ML components are disclosed; the digital assets function as awareness, educational, and employer-tooling resources rather than transactional platforms.

The business model is corporate-sponsorship-driven rather than revenue-generating. Approximately 15 major companies fund the program — Amazon, ARTC, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Coles, DP World, Foodbank, Linfox, National Intermodal Corporation, NSW Ports, Port of Melbourne, Primary Connect, Qube, Toll, VICT, and Viva Energy — alongside institutional partners including the Australian Government's Department of Infrastructure, iMOVE Australia, and FIAL. Co-founders Dr Hermione Parsons and Belinda Flynn lead the program. All offerings are free to participants, and financial figures (sponsorship quantum, operating budget, employee count band) are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Wayfinder: Supply Chain Careers for Women

Legal name

Wayfinder: Supply Chain Careers for Women

Website

https://wayfinder.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Australian not-for-profit operated by the Australian Logistics Council with Deakin University since 2018 to address women's under-representation in supply chain and logistics careers. Funded by ~15 corporate sponsors, it delivers free career-education programs to job seekers, students, and community members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Corporate Sponsorship: Wayfinder is funded entirely through major corporate sponsorships from supply chain and logistics companies including Amazon, ARTC, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Coles, DP World Australia, Foodbank, Linfox, National Intermodal Corporation, NSW Ports, Port of Melbourne, Primary Connect, Qube, Toll Group, VICT, and Viva Energy. Sponsors receive membership of the Steering Committee, branding on the Career Map, access to research reports and toolkits, access to the National Supply Chain Education Network, staff professional development through the Ambassador Program, and branding at awareness programs.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Wayfinder is an industry-led non-profit program that delivers an integrated suite of free programs — anchored by an interactive digital Supply Chain Career Map covering 130+ roles across 18 sectors — combined with an Ambassador Program, awareness courses, schools outreach, graduate webinars, freight tours, research reports and a gender diversity toolkit, all designed to attract, retain, and advance women in the Australian supply chain and logistics workforce. The program is funded entirely through 15+ corporate sponsorships from supply chain and logistics companies, with services provided at no charge to job seekers, students, and community members.

Product overview

Wayfinder: Supply Chain Careers for Women is an industry-led program run by the Australian Logistics Council and managed in partnership with Deakin University's Centre for Supply Chain and Logistics. The offering is a platform of interconnected programs designed to attract, retain, and advance women in the Australian supply chain and logistics sector. At its centre is the Supply Chain Digital Career Map — an interactive tool covering 130+ roles across 18 sectors — which is complemented by the Ambassador Program (supply chain professionals sharing career insights with schools and community groups), the Supply Chain Awareness Course (a short face-to-face/online program covering core supply chain concepts), the Gender Diversity in Supply Chain Tool Kit (practical guides for organisations), the National Supply Chain Education Network (connecting 30+ universities and TAFEs with industry), a Schools Program, Graduate Program Webinars, Research Reports, Freight Heartland Tours, a Male Operations Managers Forum, and the Leading the Way video series. All programs are underpinned by research and guided by a National Steering Committee of sponsor organisations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• The supply chain and logistics sector contributes $140bn yearly to the Australian economy
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Australian Logistics Council (ALC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 March 2018Wayfinder is a fully integrated program of the Australian Logistics Council (ALC). ALC provides governance, organizational infrastructure, and strategic direction. The program is managed and supported by ALC, with Dr Hermione Parsons serving as CEO of ALC.
• Deakin University - Centre for Supply Chain and LogisticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWayfinder program operations are hosted at the Centre for Supply Chain and Logistics at Deakin University. Dr Hermione Parsons, Director of the Centre, serves as Wayfinder Co-founder and Co-chair. The university provides research infrastructure and academic backing for Wayfinder's research initiatives.
• Food Innovation Australia Limited (FIAL)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIAL is Wayfinder's National Partner and co-funder of the Supply Chain Career Map. FIAL is an industry-led, not-for-profit organization focused on growing the share of Australian food in the global marketplace. Wayfinder and FIAL work together to showcase career opportunities in the agribusiness industry to young women.
• Deakin University (Centre for Supply Chain and Logistics)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Centre for Supply Chain and Logistics at Deakin University conducted the seminal research into the under-representation of women in supply chain and logistics roles, informed by extensive interviews with more than 100 women in the sector — the most comprehensive study to date.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Australia: Australian non-profit advancing women in the construction industry through networking, education and advocacy. Highly comparable in form to Wayfinder: same country, similar mission to attract and retain women in a male-dominated sector, with analogous program and event structure.
• Women in Trucking: US-based nonprofit focused on promoting women in the trucking and logistics industry through career promotion, mentoring and employer engagement. Closely mirrors Wayfinder's mission, audience and operating model in a North American context.
• Women in Logistics UK: UK-based organisation promoting the role of women within the logistics profession through networking, events and career development. Directly comparable in purpose to Wayfinder but operating in the United Kingdom rather than Australia.

Others

• Diversity Council Australia: Australian independent not-for-profit providing research, advice and practical tools on workplace diversity and inclusion. Adjacent rather than directly competitive: serves a broader D&I agenda across all industries rather than specialising in supply-chain talent.
• Chief Executive Women Australia: Australian membership organisation for female executives focused on increasing gender balance in senior leadership. Adjacent peer addressing women's workforce representation, but at the executive level rather than the operational/career-entry level Wayfinder targets.
• Career Industry Council of Australia (CICA): Australian peak body for the career development industry, providing research, policy advocacy and professional standards. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor — relevant as an enabler of the career-services category in which Wayfinder operates.

Emerging players

• Code Like a Girl: Australian social enterprise running programs to increase women's participation in technical and STEM careers. Comparable as a women-focused career-awareness and training organization, but oriented toward technology rather than supply chain.

Regional players

• Trucking HR Canada: Canadian industry-led workforce development organization addressing talent shortages and diversity in the trucking and logistics sector. Comparable mission of building talent pipelines and employer engagement, but operating in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wayfinderau
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wayfinderau
• Instagraminstagram.com/wayfinderau

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wayfinder: Supply Chain Careers for Women