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Hacia Atherton

About Hacia Atherton

“They told me I’d never walk again. I ran a half marathon.  They said culture can’t change. I rewrote the playbook.

True leadership isn’t about control, it’s about unleashing human potential, one bold decision at a time.”

– Hacia Atherton, CPA, MAPP

My Philosophy: 
​Culture Is Your Competitive Edge

I'm Hacia Atherton an international keynote speaker, leadership strategist, and unapologetic cultural reformer on a mission to transform how we lead, build, and belong in the modern workplace.


Before I was reshaping boardrooms, I was fighting to walk again. In 2017, a near-fatal equestrian accident shattered not just my body but the identity I had built as an elite athlete training for the World Equestrian Games.I spent six months in hospital after the accident. It took 117 days before I could even stand on land and over 30 operations since. But I didn’t just walk again. I rose. And I’ve been rising ever since.

What rose from that fire was more than recovery—it was a complete transformation. I call it The Phoenix Process—the very method I now teach leaders who are ready to burn down outdated systems and rise into bold, human-centred leadership.

Strategy Meets Soul: 
​A Dual Lens on Leadership

Today, I serve as the Director of Leadership & Culture Strategy at All Star Consulting, guiding executive teams to solve what I call the billion-dollar blind spot in business: toxic culture, outdated leadership, and psychological disengagement.

I’m also a Certified Practicing Accountant (CPA) and sit on government, educational and corporate advisory boards, where I help shape the future of ethical leadership, wellbeing, and equity in the workplace.


I blend boardroom strategy with behavioural science, drawing from a Master’s in Applied Positive Psychology (University of Melbourne) and over a decade of business leadership including as the former CEO of Reed Plumbing, a fast-scaling company in the skilled trades sector.

Born from Trades. Built for Impact.

My connection to industry transformation runs deep. I come from a fifth-generation plumbing family, whose legacy in the skilled trades stretches back to the founding of the Master Plumbers Association in 1891. Our family business now manufactures medical sterilisation equipment a company I grew up working in, learning firsthand the power of operational excellence and the consequences of skills shortages.

But the trades industry is still one of the most male-dominated spaces in the world. And I was ready to change that.

“In 2020, I founded Empowered Women in Trades (EWIT), a global movement that’s shifting the narrative on who belongs in skilled trades, challenging outdated norms, closing gender gaps, and proving that capability is not defined by gender, but by opportunity, training, and support.. EWIT supports the attraction and  retention of women into skilled trades through immersive programs and building inclusive culture change. Our mission is to increase female representation in trades from 3% to 30% by 2030.

A Global Voice on Culture, Courage, and Psychological Safety

I’ve shared stages with icons like Kevin Costner, JT Foxx, Elizabeth Hurley, Tommy Hilfiger, and more. I’ve been featured on The Project, co-authored a book with Reebok founder Joe Foster, and advised Australian Ministers on accelerating women in industry.


But no matter the platform, my message is the same:  Culture is not a vibe, it’s a system. And if it’s your blind spot, it’s costing you millions.

Through keynotes, masterclasses, and consulting, I help leaders go beyond the buzzwords and build cultures that drive innovation, belonging, and profit.

My Leadership Philosophy

Let’s Build a Culture Worth Leading

Your organisational culture is about competitive advantage.  If you’re ready to shift from burnout and bias to results and resilience, let’s build something extraordinary together.

The next era of leadership is about becoming more. And that begins here.

Let’s inspire change together and create workplaces where everyone, regardless of gender, can genuinely thrive. 

If you’re ready to build a culture worth leading and scale it with clarity, courage, and conscious leadership, let's talk about how we can work together. 

I believe:

  • Human and Organisational resilience isn’t reactive, it’s built proactively into your systems.
  • High performance is built on the foundation of psychological safety.
  • You don’t need more hustle. You need deeper purpose, clearer systems, and proactive leadership.

My work is rooted in applied positive psychology, the PERMA framework, VIA strengths, and polarity-informed leadership tools I use to support individuals become 1% better every day and organisations evolve into thriving ecosystems of innovation and inclusion.

BOOK A CALL WITH HACIA

My Leadership Philosophy

I believe:

  • Human and Organisational resilience isn’t reactive, it’s built proactively into your systems.
  • High performance is built on the foundation of psychological safety.
  • You don’t need more hustle. You need deeper purpose, clearer systems, and proactive leadership.

My work is rooted in applied positive psychology, the PERMA framework, VIA strengths, and polarity-informed leadership tools I use to support individuals become 1% better every day and organisations evolve into thriving ecosystems of innovation and inclusion.

Let’s Build a Culture Worth Leading

Your organisational culture is about competitive advantage.  If you’re ready to shift from burnout and bias to results and resilience, let’s build something extraordinary together.

The next era of leadership is about becoming more. And that begins here.

Let’s inspire change together and create workplaces where everyone, regardless of gender, can genuinely thrive. 

If you’re ready to build a culture worth leading and scale it with clarity, courage, and conscious leadership, let's talk about how we can work together. 

BOOK A CALL WITH HACIA