The powerhouse sisters leading major residential and retail developer Lewis Land say they run a company with a rare statistic for property. Half their 800 staff are women. But Marnie Lewis-Millar and Shay Lewis-Thorp – whose Lewis Land sponsors new Gold Coast Bulletin Women of the Year awards category Fashion Retail Stars – say their team is just as lucky to have “talented and supportive men”.

The two co-owners and directors of Lewis Land – behind Harbour Town, Sovereign and Ephraim islands and much more – say it’s “unusual” in property to have so many female staff, but Ms Lewis Thorp added: “All of our team, female and male, are talented, devoted and passionate. “Of four hotels, we have two female hotel managers who are nailing it. Our head of retail division has returned from maternity leave to oversee major renovations. Our group marketing manager is a warm and creative woman, passionate about branding and community engagement.” The list goes on. The human resources boss is a “nurturing and empathetic woman”, head office is stacked with “uber-organised meticulous women”, and the Sovereign Hills and Port Macquarie sales offices has an “exceptional group of local women”. “The women at Lewis Land know they’re on equal footing. Everyone brings their own ideas and perspective.”

The sisters say they view Lewis Land as a “property development and investment company” rather than construction firm, with three divisions – and women playing vital roles in each. Ms Lewis Thorp: “In our leisure sector, women know how to draw a crowd, appeal to families, create a warm and welcoming atmosphere, a fun theme or a memorable event. In our retail sector, let’s face it, no-one knows shopping like women. Most women are very knowledgeable about brands and consumer trends. In our development sector, women are house proud and family focused, great building blocks for creating successful communities. “Women have a keen sense of design and aesthetics, creating liveable spaces for families, making a home as opposed to a house, and a village as opposed to a development.”

Ms Lewis-Millar added property was one of Australia’s largest employers so supporting women in it helps address broader societal issues of gender equality. “We’re already seeing improved representation of women across the industry. Personally, we’re lucky to be surrounded by talented and supportive men, in our business and personal lives.” Both their husbands are Lewis Land directors, one having worked there for two decades. “The men in our lives are our biggest cheer squad.”

Ms Lewis-Millar said hopefully, in the “not-too-distant future” there’ll be no place for gender-based awards. “Successful women will simply be accepted as the norm. But the world is emerging from a very long history of barriers to women in the workplace – sexism, glass ceilings, pay gaps, gender stereotypes, sexual harassment, the juggle between work and motherhood. We’ve seen loads of improvement, but there’s still a way to go.”

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