When a tragic injury threatened to completely transform Hacia Atherton’s life, she dedicated her life to helping leaders change their lives and learn about how to strengthen workplace culture, improve retention, and maximize performance. 

Hacia’s experience and insights are newly captured in her book, “Billion Dollar Blindspot: What Is Your Workplace Culture Costing You?" 

Hacia Atherton was an equestrian at the elite level, training to represent Australia at the World Equestrian Games. In 2017, her horse reared and fell directly onto her, crushing her pelvis and destroying nerves. She was told she’d spend life in a wheelchair, but took her first supported steps less than six months later. 

Despite enduring countless obstacles and over 30 surgeries since the accident, Hacia completed her first half-marathon in 2021. The determination and focus that carried her through recovery became central to her approach to leadership. 

Today, Hacia helps leaders turn culture from a soft initiative into a P&L lever. The book exposes the “blindspot tax” leaders pay via disengagement, avoidable turnover, and poor mental health, and shows how to attack those costs with tools that leaders already have. 

Core to her method are Positive Psychology’s PERMA, building psychological safety, the Ladder of Inference (a 60-second bias check), and her strengths-based Respect Equality Model (REM). 

“Empowering organisations to cultivate cultures of psychological wellbeing and inclusivity isn’t just my role, it’s my mission. When you elevate the human experience at work, you unlock performance, purpose, and long-term sustainable profit.” - Hacia Atherton 

With renewed determination after overcoming her traumatic accident, Hacia decided that she wanted to help other women achieve their goals against the odds. She founded Empowered Women in Trades (EWIT) to encourage women in male-dominated fields and to support employers building inclusive, high-performance cultures. With women only about 3% of the skilled trades in Australia, EWIT works to show that women bring unique and indispensable value to these fields. 

Hacia is also one of ten members of the Our equal state reference group, advising her home state of Victoria on its gender equality strategy. Hacia also continues her mission through speaking and consulting, guiding leaders in hard-nosed industries to create psychologically safe, high-performing teams. 

Recognition for Hacia’s work includes the Telstra Best of Business Awards (Vic) and the Australian Women’s Small Business Champion Award. 

From a hospital bed to boardrooms around the world, Hacia’s story is more than inspirational. Her segment-ready insights guide leaders on improving workplace culture and stopping cash losses within 90 days.