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HKInternational Women's Day 2020
International Women's Day (March 8th) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, and to recognise how far we’ve come towards gender equality, and how far we have left to go. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity and a more gender-balanced world, and challenge the stereotypes women face.
To celebrate International Women’s Day this year, at Drake International Australia, we want to celebrate our leadership team of which a significant portion is made up of strong and talented women. We’ve asked five of the many women that lead our teams to discuss their successes, inspirations, achievements and their career advice to young people looking to start their careers.
Tanya Anderson, National Area Manager (Drake Overload)
Who has been an inspiration to your career and why?
My dad – such a kind, generous, amazing man and an inspiration! Best described by the famous quote of Mahatma Gandhi – “In a gentle way you can shake the world”
What is your biggest achievement?
Biggest achievement and what I am most proud of… Firstly, my family – I have two children I am very proud of – my son is a Humanities teacher and my daughter, a Provision Psychologist – both so kind and thoughtful.
Secondly, the staff that I have had the pleasure of working with over the years and being able to contribute in some way to their success.
What’s your secret to success?
Hard work, persistence and dedication, and truly caring about the people I work and wanting them to achieve their dreams.
Some career advice you would like to give to young women.
The world is your oyster. With hard work, dedication and persistence you can achieve whatever you put your mind to.
Alisa Patterson, Branch Manager (Parramatta)
Who has been an inspiration to your career and why?
My son has been my inspiration to my career. Being a single mum is challenging and tough especially financially. Any parent wants to be able to provide all the needs and desires for their children to give them the best in life – this is especially difficult for single parents because you are the sole income earner. And this is the main reason why I’ve worked so hard in all of my roles to be the best at whatever I do so that I can provide the best for my son.
What is your biggest achievement?
Working fulltime whilst raising my son. He’s just completed his HSC, and is one of 4 finalists, 2 years running in the Fairfax Media Recruiter of the Year Awards!
What’s your secret to success?
God
Some career advice you would like to give to young women.
Take the initiative to learn everything there is to know about the industry and role you are working in. Strive to be the expert and always be open to learning from others, no matter who they are, improving what you do and how you do it. We are always learning in this life, it never stops, so be humble about your achievements and help others with what you’ve learnt so that they can progress.
Belinda Anderson, General Counsel
Who has been an inspiration to your career and why?
Frieda Esquelin was my mentor as a junior lawyer. She taught me an incredible amount about how to conduct myself both professionally and also personally. I was very inspired by her strength, her pragmatism, her commercial acumen and by her effectiveness in guiding the in-house legal team.
Since commencing at Drake I have been inspired by so many strong women and how they conduct themselves day-to-day with balancing competing demands on their time. These include Nicole Jones, Leanne O’Meara, Jodie Bartram and Karen Paynter. We have so many strong role models within this company. There are too many to list.
What is your biggest achievement?
Setting up our Compliance and Risk Committee. Rolling out key compliance plans and projects.
What’s your secret to success?
Perseverance. Taking calculated risks.
Some career advice you would like to give to young women.
- Work hard but also work effectively. Avoid meaningless busy time and focus on the key essential tasks you need to get done to fulfil the key requirements of your role.
- Acknowledge that mistakes are inevitable. Don’t beat yourself up for you mistakes. Make sure you learn from them and ensure you don’t make the same mistake again.
- Exercise independence when performing your role and teach yourself. There is little time for handholding in the business world. Despite that, know when to seek help on key issues.
Karen Paynter, Legal Counsel
Who has been an inspiration to your career and why?
My father. He always said to me since I was a young girl, if you work hard and apply yourself you can achieve any goal you want. He was right.
What’s your secret to success?
Listen and communicate, instead of just talking. I have always found trying to see both sides’ points of view assists in resolving issues and finalising negotiations.
Some career advice you would like to give to young women.
Believe in yourself and never give up. All problems can be talked through and worked through if you keep trying. Get support from a mentor, that has helped me immensely through my career.
Julie Anderson, National Tender & Proposal Manager
Who has been an inspiration to your career and why?
I can’t name her – but I had one manager who pushed me tremendously because she saw potential that I didn’t. She believed in me when I hadn’t yet learned to believe in myself, and she never stopped challenging me. She demonstrated what success and self-respect can look like for women in the workplace where I hadn’t yet seen a role model for that. It made me hungry to prove myself and I ended learning an enormous amount in a short space of time.
What is your biggest achievement?
When people genuinely look forward to working with me. This is my greatest achievement. I like it when everyone wins, and I believe we can all be on that journey together and benefit.
What’s your secret to success?
Hard work, persistence and dedication and truly caring about the people I work and wanting them to achieve their dreams.
Some career advice you would like to give to young women.
Work hard to build your chosen skill set, be confident about what you offer, and know your worth. Don’t be afraid to do things differently – sometimes your greatest asset and point of difference will be that you aren’t like everyone else.
Leanne O’Meara, National Human Resources and L&OD Manager
Who has been an inspiration to your career and why?
I was so fortunate to work with two amazing women in my first role after University. Both were amazing role models who were bright, calm, hard workers, experienced and great listeners and encouraged me to work out my strengths and play to those. Both also constantly reinforced that whilst work is vitally important it is just as important to have a balanced life!
What is your biggest achievement?
Still working in and loving the profession I chose (Human Resources) after 30 years.
What’s your secret to success?
Understanding someone else’s viewpoint, being kind (I hope I am) and a sense of humour!
Some career advice you would like to give to young women.
Get qualifications, work hard and develop resilience because you will need it at work and in life!
#IWD2020
