How did you get to your current role?
I completed my undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Teaching at the University of Western Sydney in the early 90s. After ten very rewarding years and hard work as a primary school teacher, I was offered the opportunity to move into instructional design and training delivery on IT projects.
Now 14 years on, I’ve been lucky to hold significant training, stakeholder engagement and business readiness roles that naturally progressed to my current role as a Business Change Manager. Working on large-scale transformation programs provides such a rich experience and I love the variety each new project brings. I have contributed to new product, system and transformation projects at Optus, Transport for NSW, CommBank, Qantas and the NSW Department of Justice.
As a contractor, much of my work is secured through referrals and connections made at different organisations, along with relationships with key recruitment agencies that work tirelessly behind the scenes to pitch and secure roles for respected candidates.
What made you decide to progress with further study?
Early in 2017, I was invited to attend an information night for the Master of Change, Innovation and Leadership (MCIL). I am a certified PROSCI and APMG International Change Practitioner and initially considered this education sufficient for my role. However, after hearing more about the MCIL course content, and knowing the program has been developed in collaboration with key industry leaders holding enormous change experience, I knew I had to submit an application.
Why did you choose the MCIL?
The MCIL program takes an interdisciplinary approach with a key focus on blending business and organisational psychology and this compliments my interest in family and organisational systems, an area that I have trained in over many years. The strategy and financial analysis units (borrowed from VU’s MBA) have also been valuable for me to complete; the content has given me a much better understanding of the reasons behind the transformational change in organisations and much-needed knowledge on how strategy is developed.
What does your study involve?
MCIL is a postgraduate course that feels like it was designed especially to cater to professionals. We complete a unit delivered in burst mode by attending one full week of face-to-face learning. The week contains a mix of lecturers, group work and case studies, along with presentations by guests from industry and this has included a CEO, CFO and Change Leads from key Australian companies.
What do you love the most about your course?
The interaction with other change professionals is so valuable. I have met and worked with talented people and collaborated with them during class, case studies and projects. I have learned a great deal from my peers.
What advice would you give someone starting out in a career in change management?
Get as much experience as you can on project teams and take feedback whenever it is offered.