A full recap of our Meet the C-Suite Brisbane Event

The Meet the C-Suite event, powered by QUT Entrepreneurship, brought together aspiring professionals and Brisbane’s top tech executives for a series of group mentoring sessions. These sessions provided an invaluable chance for participants to gain insights from seasoned leaders, helping to shape their career trajectories. Throughout the night, one theme resonated clearly: the importance of mentorship in career growth.

The Value of Mentorship in Career Growth

Mentorship is more than just receiving advice; it’s about having a trusted guide to help you navigate your career path, identify opportunities, and avoid potential pitfalls. A good mentor can accelerate your growth by offering perspectives shaped by experience and offering the support needed to thrive.

Angela Jones, CIDO at Workcover QLD, spoke to this directly:

“There’s no secret sauce to building high-performing teams, but having a vision creates connection, clarity, and kindness.”

This kind of vision and connection is what great mentors can help cultivate in rising professionals. Through shared experiences, mentors can help mentees recognise that they don’t have to fit a mould to be successful. Angela encouraged participants to not count themselves out for roles, even if they felt underqualified.

Thriving in a Relatable Environment

In any career, the culture of your workplace can greatly impact your personal and professional well-being. Angela Ryan, CIO at Auto & General, reinforced the idea that since so much of our confidence comes from our jobs, it’s important to find an environment that understands and supports this.

“For better or worse, we get a certain amount of confidence from our jobs. It’s important that the culture of the workplace understands that.”

Workplace environments that foster trust, transparency, and inclusivity allow individuals to thrive. Leaders like Tracy Whitelaw, CDO at LGAQ, emphasised the importance of building relationships to create these environments. Her approach of connecting with each team member through regular coffee catchups exemplifies how strong relationships foster a thriving work culture.

“At my level of responsibility, my job is about relationships. Clear is kind—be direct when giving feedback.”

Growing Your Career and Building Confidence

Mentorship also plays a key role in building confidence. Often, we may doubt our qualifications for certain roles, as Angela Jones mentioned, but mentors help challenge those doubts. Offering clarity on where strengths lie and how they can be applied, mentors can propel individuals into new opportunities.

Karishma Darr, CIO at CleanCo, reminded attendees of the importance of taking risks in their careers:

“Sometimes you feel like you are failing, but you have to take the risk to make it work.”

This sentiment was echoed by Dr. Joni Sytsma, CTO at iLAuNCH, who offered a unique perspective on failure:

“Failure is what success smells like.”

Both leaders encouraged participants to see failure not as a deterrent but as a stepping stone to growth. This shift in mindset is essential for career advancement, and mentors can play a vital role in fostering this outlook.

Leading with Transparency and Trust

Several of the mentors spoke to the importance of transparency, direct communication, and building trust in teams. Remona Murugan, Head of Technology Platforms at Rio Tinto, emphasised that clear and direct feedback is essential for cultivating trust within teams. For her, storytelling is a key tool when leading teams and connecting with stakeholders.

“Transparency and clear, direct feedback create trust.”

Remona also shared her strategies for balancing professional demands with personal commitments, such as dedicating thinking time and prioritising family dinners—an important reminder that success also involves setting boundaries. “Dinner with family is non-negotiable.”

Leaders like Wendie Lee, CPO at Flight Centre Travel Group, echoed these thoughts, emphasising the importance of asserting your worth, while managing expectations clearly.

“Know your worth and fight for it. When you can’t employ people into your team, you must develop your team, or your team won’t be set up for success.”

Her advice to ask for what you want also struck a chord. She encouraged participants to speak up for their needs, as leaders may not always know them unless explicitly communicated. “Ask for what you want—your leader doesn’t know if you don’t ask.”

Career Growth Requires Intentional Leadership

The mentoring sessions also provided deep insights into intentional leadership. Juliet Alabaster, COO at BEDA, highlighted the importance of continuous professional development, particularly focusing on honing soft skills to enhance leadership effectiveness.

“Soft skills are important. Being able to flex is key.”

Alexa Kane, CCO at Felix also shared advice on becoming more data-driven and commercially focused in leadership roles. Her emphasis on observing before stepping in to offer insights and ideas encourages intentional, thoughtful leadership.

“Being data-driven and commercially focused is critical, particularly when presenting insights.”

Final Thoughts

The Women in Digital Meet the C-Suite event was a powerful reminder of the importance of mentorship, not just for professional development but for personal growth. The insights shared by the Brisbane tech executives provided invaluable guidance on building relationships, taking risks, thriving in supportive environments, and navigating the path to leadership.
This event was a testament to the power of community and mentorship in shaping future leaders. We’re excited to see how these conversations will inspire career growth and create lasting impacts within our community.

Become a Women in Digital Member

Are you passionate about connecting with like–minded humans? Is professional development important to you? Do you want to take active steps towards creating your own career opportunities? Welcome to Women in Digital’s Individual Membership!

Whether you’re looking to expand your circle, score your next promotion, build professional recognition, return to the workforce, make a pivot in your career, or shape the future for women in digital or more broadly, the future of technology… we want to help YOU achieve your goals with the support of our welcoming community.

Become a Member

Took a Career Wrong Turn? Melanie knows all about it!

Melanie Packer’s career journey is a remarkable story of reinvention, self-discovery, and determination. Starting her professional life as a Town Planner, she now thrives in the digital world as a Power BI Developer at NHVR, specialising in data analytics.

Her transition from Urban Planning to the tech industry has been anything but linear, but her story is proof that it’s never too late to change paths and chase new dreams.

Early Career: Navigating the World of Town Planning

Melanie’s initial career in town planning was driven by her natural ability to think spatially. Growing up, she was the “chief navigator” of her family, and with the encouragement of her parents, both of whom were teachers, she developed a love for both technical and humanities-based subjects.

“I wanted to study something technical, but I didn’t have the math grades for engineering, so planning seemed like the perfect balance,” Melanie recalls. For years, she worked as a development assessment planner, negotiating with property developers and making her mark in urban planning. While she enjoyed her role and the team she worked with, a sense of repetitiveness started to creep in. This sense of stagnation led her to reconsider her career path, though making a change was daunting.

The Turning Point: From Planner to Coder

In 2018, Melanie took a break and traveled for three months, using this time to reflect on her next steps. “I decided to create a WordPress blog to share trip updates with friends and family,” she explains. Little did she know, this side project would ignite a new passion. She became so engrossed in coding and redesigning her blog that she realised her future career had to involve tech.

The decision to leap into the tech world wasn’t easy. “It was scary to try something completely new when I had an established career,” she admits. But the thrill of learning to code outweighed the fear of starting over.

Melanie’s journey into tech wasn’t without challenges, with the biggest hurdle being her confidence, or lack there of. Entering the tech space after years in a different industry felt like being back at square one. But she approached her learning with the same patience she’d have extended to a junior colleague.

“I had to give myself the space to learn.”

A key moment in her journey was when she took up rock climbing—a hobby that became a metaphor for her professional growth. “Climbing helped me build confidence and self-worth outside of work. It reminded me that I could succeed in other areas too.”

Leveraging Skills from Town Planning in the Tech World

Though Melanie initially felt her background in town planning didn’t help much in the tech world, over time she realised that her soft skills were invaluable. Her experience negotiating with developers taught her how to handle high-pressure situations. “In planning, sometimes I had to say ‘no’ or ‘I’m not sure’—those skills have carried over to my current role,” she shares.

Her urban planning background also equipped her with the ability to think three steps ahead, a skill that has proved crucial in data analytics. “Urban planning teaches you to think about how people interact with their environment, and I apply that same forward-thinking to data projects.”

One of the biggest obstacles Melanie faced during her career change was the technical learning curve—specifically, statistics. “I hadn’t studied math since high school, and I had to re-learn basic equations,” she recalls. Despite these initial challenges, Melanie persevered, crediting her resilience as one of her proudest accomplishments. “What I’m most proud of is my ability to keep pushing even when it felt like it would never happen.”

Finding Balance Between Work and Personal Passions

Rock climbing, which played such a crucial role in Melanie’s confidence-building, continues to help her maintain balance between her personal and professional life. “Movement keeps me healthy, mentally and physically,” she says. Although balancing a demanding job with climbing can be difficult, she remains committed to making time for her personal passions.

It’s Never Too Late to Change

Melanie’s story is a testament to the power of resilience and self-belief. For those considering a career change, she advises, “It’s never too late. There were times when I felt like I was too far down the wrong path to turn back, but I learned that you can always pivot.”

Reflecting on her journey, she emphasises the importance of community. “When I first joined Women in Digital, I was a planner trying to break into tech, and chatting with other community members gave me the confidence I needed.”

Today, Melanie’s role is a blend of technical skills and stakeholder engagement. “My team develops and maintains Power BI reports, but my background in planning means I also handle project coordination and stakeholder relationships.” Her career path may have changed dramatically, but she has found a way to meld her technical and interpersonal skills, and she couldn’t be happier.

For Melanie, the journey hasn’t been easy, but it’s been incredibly rewarding. “If I could tell my younger self anything, it would be that it’s okay to be on your own path—just because you feel behind, doesn’t mean you are.”

Melanie’s story serves as a powerful reminder: it’s never too late to change direction, and the stories we tell ourselves are just as important as the skills we bring to the table.

The Juggle Is Real: Insights from Our Perth Event on Finding Balance

Women in Digital made its debut in Perth in August, and what an incredible evening it was! Hosted at The Melbourne Hotel, the event brought together some of Western Australia’s most inspiring female digital leaders to discuss a challenge facing many of us: finding balance in our personal and professional lives.

The panel, powered by our new corporate members auDA and delivered in collaboration with WiTWA, featured insights from Esther Anderson (Founder and Digital Strategist at Teck Design & Marketing), Bec Nguyen (Founder and Director at Upbeat Digital), and Tina Ambrose (Co-Chair at Women in Technology WA Inc.). Moderated by Andrew McCallum, the discussion was as enlightening as it was empowering, offering attendees practical advice and a sense of solidarity in their shared experiences.

Our Top Three Takeaways:

💡 Have Empathy for Yourself

One of the most resonant messages of the evening was the importance of self-compassion. In a world that often demands perfection, it’s easy to be hard on ourselves when we fall short. The panellists reminded us that it’s okay to acknowledge our limits and to treat ourselves with the same kindness we would extend to a friend. Balance starts from within, and that means prioritising our well-being just as much as our responsibilities.

💡 No One Size Fits All When It Comes to Balance

The quest for balance is deeply personal, and what works for one person might not work for another. The panellists shared their unique approaches to managing the many demands of life, emphasising that there’s no universal formula. Whether it’s structuring your day differently, seeking support, or redefining success on your terms, the key is to find what works best for you.

💡 When It Does Come Time to Stop or Take a Break, Don’t Let Work Into Your Safe Space

In our daily lives, the lines between work and personal life can easily blur. The panellists stressed the importance of protecting your personal time and space from work intrusions. Whether it is setting boundaries with your devices or creating a physical space where work is off-limits, maintaining this separation is crucial for recharging and preserving your mental health.

The evening wasn’t just about listening—it was about connecting. The energy in the room was palpable, and it was clear that everyone left feeling a little more empowered and inspired.

Looking Ahead

This event was just the beginning of our journey in Perth. As we continue to grow, we’re excited to bring more opportunities for connection, learning, and support to women in digital across Australia. Stay tuned for more events, and if you missed this one, don’t worry—there are plenty more chances to get involved.

Thank you to everyone who attended, and a special thank you to our panellists and partners, auDA and WiTWA, for making this event possible.

Here’s to finding balance, together.

Join us at our upcoming ‘How To Negotiate A Pay Rise’ webinar

To help you gain invaluable knowledge and strategies to confidently navigate the negotiation process and advocate for your worth, Alex Hanlon from Fair Pay Negotiations will be helping us master negotiation strategies for a successful outcome. Alex is a seasoned executive who brings in depth experience of complex problem solving, strategy development, crisis management and recovery.

Register Today

From Awareness to Action: Driving Change on Equal Pay Day

Despite all the work happening behind the scenes regarding gender equity, Australia continues to face a persistent challenge: the gender pay gap. As the tech and digital sectors continue to innovate and grow, women are still not paid equally for their expertise and contributions.

WGEA has announced the date for this year’s Equal Pay Day as 19 August, marking the 50 days into the new financial year that Australian women must work to earn the same, on average, as men did last year.

This year’s theme is “it doesn’t add up.”

What causes the gender pay gap?

The disparity in average earnings between women and men is shaped by a complex web of social and economic factors that diminish women’s earning potential throughout their careers.

Key contributing factors include:

Conscious and Unconscious Bias: Discrimination in hiring and pay decisions, both overt and subtle, continues to disadvantage women.
Industry Segregation: Women and men often work in different industries and roles, with female-dominated sectors typically offering lower wages.
Workplace Inflexibility: The lack of flexible work arrangements, particularly in senior positions, hampers women’s ability to balance work and caregiving responsibilities.
Part-Time Employment: Women are more likely to work part-time, which affects their overall earnings and career advancement.
Career Interruptions: Women’s career progression and opportunities are often stalled due to taking time out of the workforce for caregiving duties.
Unpaid Labor: Women shoulder a disproportionate share of unpaid domestic and caregiving work, further impacting their earning capacity.

“The gender pay gap is fueled by a mix of unconscious biases, industry norms, and societal expectations. To close this gap, we need leaders with courage, innovative solutions, and a collective push for change from everyone—individuals, companies, and communities alike.” – Alex Hanlon, Negotiation Navigator

How can you start driving change today?

1. Educate and Advocate

Stay Informed: Continuously educate yourself about the gender pay gap, its causes, and its impact. Understanding the nuances of the issue is crucial for effective advocacy.

Raise Awareness: Use your voice to spread awareness about the importance of gender equity. Share relevant articles, statistics, and personal stories on social media, in your workplace, and within your community.

Engage in Conversations: Start and participate in discussions about gender equity in the workplace. Encourage others to join the conversation and understand the importance of closing the gender pay gap.

2. Support Policy and Organisational Changes

Advocate for Transparency: Push for salary transparency in your workplace. Encourage your employer to conduct regular pay audits and openly share the results.

Support Legislation: Back policies and laws aimed at closing the gender pay gap. This can include supporting local, state, and national legislation that promotes gender equity.

Encourage Best Practices: Promote and support workplace policies that help reduce the pay gap, such as flexible working arrangements, parental leave, and career development opportunities for women.

3. Take Personal Action

Negotiate Your Salary: Be proactive in negotiating your salary and benefits. Research industry standards and come prepared with data to support your request.

Mentor and Sponsor: Mentor and sponsor other women in your industry. Share your knowledge, provide guidance, and help them navigate their career paths.

Continue Professional Development: Invest in your own professional development. Attend workshops, pursue further education, and seek out opportunities to enhance your skills and advance your career.

If you don’t ask, you won’t get

Alex Hanlon from Fairpay Negotiations is presenting at our upcoming ‘How To Negotiate A Pay Rise’ webinar and has a series of blog articles to help you deal with common pushbacks that arise in pay negotiations. Check them out here:

“Negotiating your salary isn’t just about seeking more money; it’s about understanding your value and standing up for what you deserve. Arm yourself with information, be confident in your achievements, and don’t hesitate to have that essential conversation.” – Alex Hanlon, Negotiation Navigator

3 ways employers can take action to end the gender pay gap

Gender Pay Gap Analysis Guide

The WGEA Gender Pay Gap Analysis Guide helps employers to plan and execute a pay and composition analysis in order to identify the drivers of their gender pay gap.

→ Access it here

WGEA Action Planning Tool

The Action Planning Tool helps employers who report to WGEA identify actions they can take to improve gender equality in their workplace.

→ Access it here

Capacity Building Live Masterclasses

WGEA has a series of live masterclasses and learning events to help employers deepen their understanding of workplace gender equality and take effective action to narrow their gender pay gap.

→ Access it here

What next?

As we mark Equal Pay Day in 2024, it’s clear that achieving pay equity in the tech and digital sectors is both a pressing need and a significant opportunity for growth. By understanding the unique challenges in our industry and taking proactive steps—whether it’s advocating for transparency, supporting policy changes, or negotiating confidently—we can all play a pivotal role in driving meaningful change.

Let’s encourage our collective power to bridge the pay gap and ensure that every contribution is recognised and rewarded fairly. Together, we can turn the promise of gender equity into a reality, setting a new standard for fairness and excellence in Australia’s tech and digital landscape.

Join us at our upcoming ‘How To Negotiate A Pay Rise’ webinar

To help recognise Equal Pay Day, and to help you gain invaluable knowledge and strategies to confidently navigate the negotiation process and advocate for your worth, Alex Hanlon from Fair Pay Negotiations will be helping us master negotiation strategies for a successful outcome. Alex is a seasoned executive who brings in depth experience of complex problem solving, strategy development, crisis management and recovery.

Register Today

From Teaching to Tech

Yvonne’s Inspiring Journey from Teacher to Senior Business Analyst

Originally from Ireland, Yvonne Hill now calls Wollongong, NSW, home. She lives there with her husband, three kids, and two dogs. With a decade of experience teaching primary school students in both Ireland and Australia, Yvonne decided to make a significant career transition during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moving from the classroom to the digital industry, she embarked on a journey to become a UX designer through the Mantel Group Flagship Traineeship Program. Today, she applies her user-centric learnings as a Senior Business Analyst at Mantel Group, where she drives innovative solutions across industries like health insurance, retail, and technology.

Yvonne’s interest in becoming a Business Analyst was sparked by a sense of stagnation in her teaching role. To explore new avenues, she began studying Graphic Design part-time, which eventually led her to UX design. Her journey took a pivotal turn at Mantel Group, where she participated in their Traineeship Program in 2021. This 12-week, full-time, paid program was designed to support women and gender minorities transitioning to tech careers. Through on-the-job training and mentorship, Yvonne put her newly acquired design skills to use, ultimately finding her niche as a Business Analyst.

Her background in teaching provided a solid foundation for her transition into the digital realm. The skills she developed as a teacher – working with and helping people, being organised, and fostering creativity – were directly transferable to her new role in UX design and business analysis. These skills enabled her to thrive in environments that demand empathy, structure, and innovative thinking.

However, the transition was not without its challenges. Yvonne recalls the difficulties of feeling like the oldest newbie in the room and the discomfort of stepping into an entirely new industry. She learned to embrace change as a synonym for growth and trusted the process, even when it meant not having all the answers right away. As Nedd B famously said, “You have to get comfortable being uncomfortable.” This mindset helped Yvonne navigate the uncertainties, self-doubt and imposter syndrome that accompanied her significant career shift.

Throughout her journey, Yvonne found solace and strength in the support of friends and colleagues who had undergone similar transitions. The shift into the digital space also brought unexpected benefits. Yvonne now enjoys a much better work-life balance, with the flexibility to work from home and spend more time with her family. Simple pleasures, like being able to pick up or drop off her kids at school, have added immense value to her daily life. Additionally, Yvonne had the opportunity to speak at Design Outlook, an experience that stretched her out of her comfort zone and offered valuable learning.

“Reflecting on my journey, I am proud of my perseverance and willingness to embrace the unfamiliar. If I had any advice for my younger self, and anyone considering a career change, it is to remain calm and accept that it’s okay not to know everything on day one.” – Yvonne Hill

Yvonne’s story is a testament to the power of adaptability and the impact of supportive programs and communities in facilitating career transitions. Her journey from teaching to tech illustrates that with the right mindset and support, it’s possible to transform your career and find fulfilment in new, unexpected places.

Mantel Group Flagship Traineeship Program

Mantel Group’s flagship Traineeship Program, spanning 12 weeks, aims to upskill career transitioners, those returning after a significant break, and individuals identifying as women or a gender minority. They have welcomed participants from diverse fields such as hospitality, nursing, finance, optometry, and architecture, all bringing unique perspectives to our culture.

The program includes an immersive two-week induction, eight weeks of technical skills development, and a chance to practice learned skills in a safe environment on a real-life internal project, supported by a dedicated Mantel Group mentor.

Mantel Group has supported 81 trainees through the programs so far, with 75 people securing permanent roles at Mantel Group. They are also incredibly proud of receiving the 2024 Tech Diversity Award, recognising the significant impact of their traineeship on both Mantel Group and the industry.

Find out more about the Mantel Group Flagship Traineeship Program

Stay tuned for more inspiring stories from our members, showcasing the incredible journeys and achievements of Women in Digital!

Renee-Noble-2023-Women-in-Digital-Awards-Champion-of-Change.webp

Introducing the 2023 Women in Digital Awards Champion of Change powered by BlackCard, Renee Noble!

Renee Noble isn’t just your typical CEO. She’s truly a force to be reckoned with in the tech world as CEO of Tech Inclusion, CEO and Founder of ConnectEd Code and if that’s not all, she is also a Cloud Advocate for Microsoft. Her passion for technology, education, and community is at the heart of her professional journey.

Renee’s nomination for Champion of Change was centred around her incredible work with the Girls’ Programming Network (GPN) working to improve tech education for people of all ages and levels of experience, particularly women and girls.

Renee is really living and embodying the “if they can see it, they can be it” motto which has been evident in every step of her career journey! Her achievements as a champion for women in digital is nothing short of outstanding.

We were thrilled to talk to our 2023 Champion of Change about her winning entry, career journey and more.

Click here to meet all the 2023 Women in Digital Award Winners.

Congratulations Renee! We are huge fans of your work in the industry.

To try and sum up who I am at my core, I’m a person who loves to give to other people. Being able to build other people up is when I feel great, and helping other people flourish is how I feel like I am doing my part in the world. With that, I am also a person who goes all in on things. I struggle to do things by halves (but I am trying to have some more chilled-out hobbies now!) If I see the benefit or potential in something I want to give it my all, I want to see how good something can be, and I want to see what I have in myself to be able to make that a reality.

I’ve always been very motivated to prove what I can do, maybe originally this was to prove to others what I can do, but these days it’s more about showing myself how much I’m capable of. I just love figuring things out, learning what I need to take things to the next step, and working hard to make it happen. I could definitely have been described as a workaholic for a lot of the parts of my journey to this point, but along the way I’ve realised that all the opportunities I had to do all that work has been what lifted me up to this point, and that sharing the work around will not only benefit me by reducing my workload to closer to normal human levels but also make space for other people to have those same opportunities.

It has been a very conscious decision of mine to recreate opportunities that I had when I first joined GPN for as many people as possible. Being thrown in the deep end a little my first time at GPN helped build my confidence in my tech skills immensely, and having the support of the people around me was one of the things that made me feel like I had found a home in the tech scene. At that time, GPN was a tiny little thing with a tiny group of volunteers. Everyone had to do things they wouldn’t necessarily sign up for, things they didn’t think they were “qualified” to do. These days we have plenty of experienced volunteers, but it’s part of the culture I set out to establish to make space for those experiences – giving people a little bit of a push to take on giving a lecture, running a room, or leading a whole event.

And to bring our readers up to speed, could you give a little pitch for Tech Inclusion and ConnectEdCode. How did ConnectEd Code come to be?

So firstly, Tech Inclusion is the charity that I co-founded around the already existing GPN program. GPN had existed for over 13 years when we founded Tech Inclusion two years ago. Until then we had been under the umbrella of various organisations, but we thought it was about time we went out on our own. Now we have set up Tech Inc. (yep that’s what we call it for short! Our org where the Inc. stands for Inclusion!), we have a lot more ability to be agile, and to work with industry partners. We’re always looking for more sponsors and more university partners that can help expand and grow our program around the country.

Within Tech Inc we’re also looking at different ways to build on the work we are doing with GPN, providing more opportunities for our tutors, trialling a new program for year 3-6 students, and many other things that are on the to do list. It’s still all volunteer-run, but we hope to get to a place where we can have people working on this as their job, to help us achieve all these benefits for gender diversity throughout the tech education and career pipeline, as well as potentially other marginalised groups.

ConnectEd Code is actually also inspired by my GPN work. In 2020, everyone was having a bit of a watershed movement, I think. It was then that I realised that I had built up a huge amount of skills and a huge network through my work on GPN and they weren’t really being recognised and were under utilised at my job at the time. It was then that I decided I wanted to tackle the problems I wasn’t getting to take on in my job.

This was about tackling delivery of the mandatory Australian technology curriculum by really listening to teachers and working with the limited time they have and the constraints of the school system. I knew a lot of the pedagogical learnings I had from GPN would be something that could benefit a lot of people. Since then I’ve come up with a lot of really creative ways to work with schools to make meeting their requirements easy, while also having kids that are really excited to learn about technology. It’s all about bringing Coding together with content, community, and curriculum. You can do a lot of cool stuff with that as your basis, like have teams design and code the tech for an escape room, or solve a murder mystery using their hand-coded detective devices.

The crux of your nomination is GPN. Tell us more about this program and what you have achieved?

I joined GPN in 2014 when there were maybe 30 girls learning to code each term at a workshop in Sydney. In 2023 we taught 1500 girls to code around the country! And that’s not even back to our pre-COVID peak attendance of around 2000 a year, since some of our GPN nodes only started back up about a year ago, and a lot of the students have graduated high school and now become GPN volunteers.

When I joined, having a nationwide network of GPN nodes was not something that was on the cards, I don’t know if that had even been imagined. But today we have nodes in Sydney, Canberra, Perth, Melbourne, and regional Tasmania. And we’ve had four others along the way we hope are back on deck soon!

It’s amazing to see how GPN has spread over the country in less than 10 years, the full story goes something like this…

About a year after I joined, I discovered I had accidentally inherited the leadership of the program, and I was hooked. As I’ve mentioned, GPN was somewhere that felt like a home for me. I wanted to help more students and volunteers to find out about it. It felt like I was giving them a gift!

With a (big) handful of commitment, I was able to add some of the hands-on activity ideas we had been talking about for at least as long as I had been there. And with this I also made space for other ideas from our other volunteers to shape the event, adding our mentoring sessions for senior school students that has meant that a lot more students keep coming to GPN throughout their senior years, seeking that support as they look to their futures.

The student population at the events started to rapidly grow. Girls were bringing their friends, who then went on to bring more and more friends. At the same time, I was racing to reach out across the tech industry to find as many women to volunteer as possible to make sure we had enough volunteers for all the kids! This led to us having a richer, more diverse range of volunteers from a variety of tech, teaching, and other sectors, at various stages of their careers.

Eventually, we reached our cap in Sydney, there simply weren’t more than 180 computers we could use at the same time. We ultimately ended up having to add an extra day of the workshop, because so many girls were upset to be missing out. We had a problem that no one foresaw, too many girls wanted to learn to code.

And, while there were girls we knew were missing out in Sydney, surely there were girls around the country who would also love to go to a GPN workshop. Canberra was the first to jump on board, with support from ASD, and soon we had Perth, then Cairns, Mackay, Adelaide, Burnie, Melbourne, and Brisbane. In bringing on board people and partners from across the country I spent a lot of time working out what it really meant to be a GPN node. And then spent a lot of time making sure our content was something that could be delivered by the volunteers on hand at every location around the country, from the middle of Sydney where software developers are plentiful, to regional Australia where GPN events were run by passionate teachers. Finally, finding more ways to help more GPN die-hards get on board to help grow and support the program, and give them a methodology for spreading what GPN is, why we do it, and how to recreate it, to a diverse range of communities around the country.

We now have a great team of experienced GPN volunteers supporting nodes around the country, travelling to new nodes and supporting them as they come on board. And all our nodes are working together to support the growth of GPN nationally, sharing the knowledge that they have gained in their own communities and experiences. This in particular is something that has helped us thrive in recent years and looks to have us scale faster than ever into the future.

How are you planning to grow the program in years to come?

In 2024 we are hoping to have at least two more nodes up and running in capital cities around Australia and to be looking at reaching students in NSW that likely aren’t benefiting from our Sydney workshop. We’d also love to see our Sydney numbers return to their pre-COVID heights, and we’ll be chasing that this year too!

We’re also piloting our GPN Junior program for year 3-6 primary school students in Sydney. There is always such interest in our high school program from parents with younger kids, so we’re trialling a half-day experience designed specifically for that demographic.

Looking further ahead, I’d love to have a node in every capital city by 2026. I’d also love to get some of our regional Queensland nodes back up and running. With our expanded team and the help of our sponsors, I hope to be able to increase support for the hardworking teachers who were bringing GPN to life in pre-COVID years.

We have a lot of other ideas as well, from programs to support uni students who are new to coding, ways to reach more students in schools, workshops on ways to build essential career skills for graduates, and creating opportunities for high school and university students to experience what it’s really like to work in a tech team. These are just a few of the things we want to get done, we’re just waiting on the right partners to help us bring them to life and to energise our operations by allowing some of our volunteers to make GPN their job.

What led you to pursue a career in tech in the first place?

I actually ended up in tech by chance. Living in college my first year of uni a couple of people decided that they wanted to teach me to program at 11pm one night. That was my first ever experience of coding, I didn’t even know that anyone could just get started with it on a regular laptop before that. It really felt like a superpower.

I took to it quite naturally, and I saw it as a way to use all the types of maths and problem-solving that I had loved in high school. I was studying Chemical Engineering and Science degrees at the time, but added a computer science subject, and ultimately squished in another science major alongside my chemistry major in Science. For my chemical engineering honours thesis, I utilised coding and machine learning for sustainable energy solutions, coding my experiments up and leaving them to run overnight, coming back to my beautifully graphed results in the morning (most of the time at least!) Meanwhile, a lot of my peers were whiling away time in the labs, with one eye on their experiments as they slowly completed.

I really loved how I could use coding to solve problems in a new way that multiplied what I could do by myself by a factor of millions. I just had to know the instructions to tell the computer. I’d found ways to use code in my chemical engineering internship as well, to make processes easier for everyone and the huge amounts of data they had. I loved the feeling of scripting something and seeing the results come out and having achieved something or having uncovered the next problem to solve.

Upon finishing uni, I decided that I was going to take the computer science route, rather than the engineering one. I got my first full-time job at what is now Data61-CSIRO, then was in an ed-tech start-up for a while, then started my own business, and now work for Microsoft – all while I was leading and growing GPN.

Tell us more about your role and what it is you do in a week as a CEO and Cloud Advocate.

While all three roles, CEO for Tech Inclusion/GPN, CEO for Connected Code, and Cloud Advocate at Microsoft are similarly summed up as tech + education + community, they are all very different in terms of the kind of work I am doing for each of them.

For Tech Inclusion/GPN, as we grow and as we solidify the charity, it is becoming more high-level work. I am spending more time looking at contracts, policies, and prospectuses than I was before, which are all new skills I’m getting to build. I also only get to move up to these new tasks because there are other amazing volunteers who are taking on things that I used to spend a lot more time on, like educational planning and event management. I am still very focused on the mission, and how to spread that mission to other locations, so after my day job at Microsoft, I often have meetings to connect with the GPN Committee running leading GPN nodes around the country, with teams starting up new projects, or spending the weekend with my powerhouse COO, Alex Penna, at one of our classic “GPN Planning Parties”.

For ConnectEd Code, that is another one where I am lucky to not be taking it on alone anymore. Since I started at Microsoft, my fiancé and CTO, Jack Reichelt, has taken a lot more of the business. Most of my work for that will be chatting with him over lunch about new initiatives that we want to pursue in relation to new curriculums and the introduction of AI tech in schools. I’m in the loop in the education industry in a variety of ways, so most of my work is to loop Jack in so we can connect meaningfully with the schools and organisations that need some help in the tech space and provide them with a solution that works for their constraints and desires. Occasionally I might need to take a couple of days off work at Microsoft so I can go and be part of a cool event where we work directly with the kids, like getting a whole school year of over 150 students, coding to solve a murder mystery with data science, launch a weather balloon full of sensors, or build and code the electronics of their own escape rooms. Those are very exciting days to be a part of!

Microsoft is my full-time job, so that follows a bit more of a normal structure, except for the fact that I’m here in Sydney, a very awkward time for engaging with a global team during office hours. But, luckily, as a Cloud Advocate, the kind of work we do can be largely done independently. This might be writing a new module to be released on Microsoft Learn, working with the Microsoft Reactor in Sydney to host a YouTube livestream with a guest, writing a blog discussing an upcoming event, or working on collecting diversity and inclusion stories to be shared both internally and externally as part of my work on the D&I committee for my organisation. We’ve had so much cool new tech coming out from Microsoft in the last year, so some time has to go into getting up to speed with that, and then telling other people about what it was like to get started with it.

How do you manage to juggle it all while keeping your energy so high?

I really love giving opportunities to people, whether it’s the chance to learn, the chance to volunteer, the chance to join and be part of something. I think that’s what keeps me going, I’m just genuinely excited about what I get to offer people, and how they respond when they realise the possibilities they’ve unlocked through learning and building skills.

Also, having people along on the journey with me is now a major source of energy and momentum. I can’t pour as much raw energy in as I did when I was 10 years younger, but having a team who believes in the mission as much as I do and knowing that we will keep the momentum going as a team, it makes it both a lighter lift for myself and everyone, and makes me want to do it even more.

What does winning this award mean to you?

To be recognised in this way is a major honour. I’ve been doing this a long time, and you do kind of get lost in the day-to-day, never-ending nature of it. There’s always something more to do. But a moment like this is one to stop and reflect on all that I have been able to achieve on this journey, and all the people who are now on the journey with me.

Also, having this moment for GPN to be seen by a bigger audience is always so meaningful. That’s what all this work is about, and giving it a moment to be seen and knowing that could lead to an even bigger impact, that’s incredible.

You have achieved incredible company growth so far! Do you have any key personal highlights?

The highlights from my GPN journey really have been around uncovering the potential I could see in GPN and bringing that to life all around Australia. It’s amazing how many requests we get for GPN to start in different communities, or people travelling great distances to get to the closest GPN to them. It is also very special to me to know how many people are carrying GPN forward, to know that this idea to make GPN this crazy big thing is shared by others and together we can ensure GPN gets to continue into the future.

I have also got to have a lot of personally exciting opportunities around my work with GPN, doing photoshoots and events with other incredible women for Women’s Weekly, CREATE magazine, and the AFR 110 Women of Influence. To be included among lists of such talented people is both very humbling and empowering.

We’re so excited to know… what is next for you? Do you have an ultimate career goal or North Star?

I think we’re really in a moment in time where we’re seeing how important it is for everyone to have an understanding of technology, whether we think about how AI will play into our futures, or the impact of cybersecurity on our everyday habits. I think equitable access to opportunities around understanding how we can change our own futures with technology is key.

Whatever I’m doing, whether it’s through GPN/Tech Inclusion, ConnectEd Code, Microsoft, or something else, is about bringing tech education opportunities to the community in a creative way. There are so many exciting things about technology, I think it is worth the extra effort to think about how we can make the way we learn about tech as exciting as the opportunities that knowing how to code and create new technology has. I want to be at the front of that, taking on the things that people say “that sounds great, but impossible”, doing things that people just don’t know how to do, or creating whole new ideas that shake up how we think about engaging with technology. If I can do that, and make it easy for teachers, students, and learners of all ages to be able to use, then I’ll know I’m heading in the right direction.

It is commonly recognised that there are fewer women in technology. What do you think could be done to improve diversity in tech?

I have so many opinions on this, and it’s hard not to explain all the principles we have behind what we do at GPN. So I’ll sum it up in a few things we hold close to us, and some things we want to see even more of to help people at all stages of their tech journeys.

GPN’s core values are around ensuring that coding is fun, social, and represents a diverse community of people, not just “hacker” style people, but anyone, you can love ballet, baking, or basketball and still love coding. We also want to show more people that coding is relevant to them and can help them solve problems they care about, whether that’s helping people, the environment, or animals – coding exists across all industries and can be combined with nearly any aspiration in a new way. Being in a welcoming culture of diverse minds makes tech a fun place to be where we solve important problems together.

Another key component for people at all stages of their learning and career journey is role models. And that can’t just be one role model you see on the internet, or one who visits your school once. It needs to be a diverse set of role models at different stages of their own journey. The ability to interact with these different people is a core way to plan your own journey, seeing where you can be in 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, 10 years’ time. It’s a lot easier to hopscotch your way to your dream than to figure out the path all on your own.

I’d love to see these principles carried out in schools, from primary school, right through to universities and the workplace. When we focus on the people and problems to be solved first, and the tech tools later, we open up a new world of thought, new ways to work together, and hopefully more welcoming environments that will attract more women, and if we keep it up, will retain them too.

If someone wanted to get involved with Tech Inclusion or ConnectEd Code, are there any opportunities to do so?

To get involved with Tech Inclusion the best thing you can do right now is support GPN. If you’re high up in a company, find a way to sponsor us! Check out our prospectus – https://gpn.org.au/sponsor

GPN also needs university partners, that’s how we bring GPN to new locations. If you have contacts at a uni in a city that doesn’t have a GPN, we need to hear from you! You can reach us at info@girlsprogramming.network

And for individuals, if you are a woman or a gender-diverse person, volunteer for GPN! There’s so much to give and so much to get in return. You never know where it’s going to take you, I think my story is a great example of that. GPN is everything we can collectively imagine it to be. Fill out our tutor sign-up form: https://gpn.org.au/tutor

As for ConnectEd Code, we’d love to hear from anyone who wants to bring coding to their school or community group. We love working with individuals to make sure we give them the help they need, whether they need teacher PD, an awesome workshop for dozens of kids, or some tips and tricks on coding projects. We take pleasure in figuring out the hard stuff for busy people! You can reach out to us at info@connectedcode.org or check out our website: https://www.connectedcode.org/

What do you believe is the importance of industry awards such as the Women in Digital Awards?

There are a lot of people out in the world trying to do their best, trying to do something incredible, or something that goes against the grain. This is often true for women in tech, just trying to fight the uphill battle to succeed as a minority group in tech.

Industry awards like the Women in Digital awards are a moment to take stock of what you have accomplished and take in the fact that while you might not have finished your goals yet, you are doing something amazing and to feel the support of your peers and the industry smiling upon you. It’s a nod to let you know you’re going in the right direction and to not stop now, you’ve got even more great things ahead of you.

Renee, if you could leave the Women in Digital community with one parting word of wisdom, what would it be?

I look at myself as someone who doesn’t have any innate talents. Might seem a bit self-deprecating, but actually it’s to remind myself that everything I have accomplished is something I figured out and worked hard to get.

If there is something that you want to accomplish, (that doesn’t rely on some unchanging characteristic, like being 7 feet tall) you can get there. You might have to learn something, there might be some hard yards to put in, you might fail a bunch of times along the way, it might take a lot longer than you imagined and some days are going to be harder than others, and you might even need to inspire some people to help you on your journey. And when you do get there, you’re going to be even more proud of what you have accomplished for everything you have overcome along the way.

If I had to say I have a “talent”, it’s that I want to make things happen and that I’m prepared to work hard to get there. If you decide you want to say the same things about yourself, then I can’t wait to see what you do.

Once again, congratulations Renee on this accomplishment and thank you for taking the time to chat with us!

To read more about our 2023 Women in Digital Award Winners, click here.

For those pursuing an academic pathway, university is arguably some of the best years of your life! They are also crucial years that can serve as a pivotal launchpad for your career (and we’re not just talking about the qualification at the end). From internships, vacationer programs, student clubs, networking events and more, there are many ways to get your foot in the door and gain some real-world industry experience long before you toss your graduation cap. The key? A keen eye to recognise opportunities and the drive to go after them.

Meet Mackenzie Kerr. Mackenzie is currently in her final year of a Bachelor of Information Technology (majoring in Software Information Systems) / Bachelor of Business Management (majoring in Marketing) at the University of Queensland. She is also an Undergraduate Business Analyst at NTI, a recent Digital Engineering Vacationer at EY and has completed an impressive list of internship programs and industry roles that have set her up with an incredible foundation for her career.

With so many achievements already on her resume, we wanted to chat with Mackenzie and drive deeper into her experience finding opportunities at university, juggling study and internships and also ask her advice for students trying to land competitive positions or stepping into the corporate world of tech for the first time. As one of our very first interns who participated in the 4B Internship program – a partnership with Women in Digital, Cisco and Data#3, we also wanted to ask her a few questions about her experience with the program!

To kick things off, tell us! Did you know you always wanted to work in IT? What drew you to a career in IT and business management?

Leaving high school, I wasn’t set on any particular career. In fact, I originally applied for a Bachelor of Science majoring in Data Science as I’d heard that this was going to be the ‘in demand’ job. After receiving an offer for this course, I came to the realisation that I had absolutely no interest in this degree! I always enjoyed studying IT as one of my high school subjects as we did a lot of web design and development, so I decided to apply for a Bachelor of IT at UQ. As for business, I figured that if I was going to go to uni I may as well do a dual degree to broaden my career options in case either of the two didn’t work out.

In hindsight, I have found the areas of IT and business to be very complementary and both have provided me with a wider range of opportunities compared to if I had done a single degree.

Were there specific courses or projects during your university studies that you found particularly beneficial for your career?

Much of my IT degree has consisted of group projects where we are given a project brief and are tasked to design, develop and build a product over the course of the semester. I have found these subjects to be the most beneficial as we get to work in diverse teams where each member brings their own unique skills. This has taught me that utilising different skill sets in a team can actually make for a better-performing team, rather than each person trying to excel at everything.

A lot of students worry about having too much on their plate. How have you managed to juggle work, study and life?

For me, it is important to know what habits and routines work best for me. Personally I have found that I really enjoy the structure of a 9-5 so I have structured my work and uni around this. I work regular business hours on three days of the week and use the other two days to do uni whether this be attending classes or at home studying. Where possible, I try to avoid overlap (i.e. working on uni days or doing uni on work days). Having distinct work and uni days has really helped me to separate these two parts of my life and allowed me to be more present in each – I know that when I arrive at work I am 100% focused on work and on my uni days I am far more engaged in my classes.

In saying that, I am such a big believer that what works for might not work for everyone! I would strongly recommend finding out the routines that work best for you and doing what you can to fit your schedule to that.

We know a lot of students are nervous about the idea of going ‘part-time’. What is your response to this?

My response is simple – I get it! I was so worried about decreasing my subject load and extending my degree because I thought it would put me behind my peers. I thought that graduating a bit later than intended would mean that all my friends would be out working while I would still be stuck at uni.

I have been doing 3 subjects per semester and 3 days of work for pretty much my entire degree. Although this has meant I will graduate a year later than intended, I truly believe that it was the best decision I made career-wise. Having the ability to work 3 days a week in various industry roles has given me a wealth of work experience before graduating and more importantly, has allowed me to explore my own skillsets and discover a multitude of potential career paths. I have found this experience to be infinitely more valuable than having an extra year in the workforce and to be quite honest, most of my friends ended up extending their time in uni either by going part-time or changing degrees.

When should students start exploring opportunities for internships or entry-level opportunities? Is there such a thing as ‘too early’?

I would say that the right time to start exploring is whenever you feel ready – so long as you are still able to enjoy this season of your life as a uni student. There is absolutely no pressure to start your career the second you get into uni, and I truly believe it is important to enjoy this time while it lasts. Personally, I started looking at IT-specific industry experience in my 3rd year, as I was genuinely curious about what the world of tech had to offer and wanted to experience what an IT career would be like.

Where should students be looking for these opportunities and is there anything they need to know / any tips when looking?

LinkedIn, Seek, Indeed and word of mouth. I am a huge LinkedIn advocate and see a lot of internship opportunities either posted by companies or advertised by employees. The more you search the job section of LinkedIn with keywords like ‘internship’, the more tailored your algorithm will become and the more relevant your suggestions will be. Who knows – you might just stumble upon an algorithm-recommended opportunity on your morning scroll!

As weird as it sounds, LinkedIn ‘stalking’ people is also a great way to see what internship opportunities are available. You can stalk people who study similar fields in a similar age range to see what programs they have been involved in, and then go to the company website to find out more about the program such as when their application period is. This can be a great way to find out which companies run regular intern intakes and can help you plan ahead for internship periods.

What advice would you give your peers aspiring to land competitive internships like you have?

Think about your personal brand and unique skillset, and let this guide your application letters, resume and interview answers. It is tempting to think that you have to be the best at everything to land these opportunities when in reality, it is just as valuable to identify what your unique mix of hard and soft skills is. I would also strongly recommend using any mock internship opportunities that are available to you – interviews can be the most intimidating part of the application process and having interview practice personally boosted my confidence ten-fold. They are a great way to practice responses and get feedback without the pressure of an internship at stake.

Also, a running Excel spreadsheet of annual internship opportunities that tracks application deadlines, internship dates and interviews never hurts 😉

Did you face any unexpected challenges stepping into the corporate world of tech? How did you overcome them?

For me, my biggest challenge has been to accept the fact that I am by no means technically strong. Whilst I have a foundational technical understanding, I suck – and I mean suck at programming. I spent a lot of my degree worrying that this meant there were no opportunities for me and that I was at an immediate disadvantage because of this. I found it quite challenging to recognise that I didn’t have to be good at programming to have a career in tech and that there were plenty of non-technical IT roles out there. To overcome this, I spent a lot of time focusing on what my skills are and what kinds of roles these translated to – even though I may not be cut out to be a Software Developer, my skills are just as valued.

What can interns expect entering their first internship programs or undergraduate positions?

No one expects you to know anything, and everyone is there to support you! These programs are designed to give you exposure to the industry and for you to learn – you are not expected to enter your first internship with a wealth of knowledge. In fact, most internship positions will focus on how you learn, not what you know. It’s important to remember that every experience is what you make it – take the opportunity to be curious, ask questions and make lasting connections with those that you meet.

Tell us more about your current role!

Of course! I’ve recently started in a Business Analyst role and am absolutely loving it. For the platforms that are in my team’s remit, the BAs are responsible for identifying business requirements from our internal stakeholders and translating these into actionable solutions for our developers to implement. This can be anything from implementing new features on our platforms to identifying ways we can leverage our platforms to streamline business processes.

For me, this has been the perfect opportunity to combine my foundational technical knowledge with my broader business understanding. I am really enjoying learning about the intricacies of business processes and finding new ways we can use technology to solve non-technical problems. I have also been so lucky to have such great support from my new team and have loved working with them so far!

What advice would you give or what would you tell younger Mackenzie about university life or working in tech? Is there anything you wish you had known earlier?

I would definitely tell myself that uni is not an accurate representation of your career – it can be so easy to get caught up in the bubble that is university and forget that there is so much more beyond campus. To be quite honest, I spent the first few years of my degree wondering how my studies could possibly be preparing me for a career – aside from some basic programming understanding and a little bit of theoretical technical knowledge, I felt wildly unprepared for a career in tech! It wasn’t until I had a little bit of work experience under my belt that I realised the most valuable skills uni had taught me were soft skills – things like communication, teamwork and critical analysis of problems. So if I could give my younger self some words of wisdom, I would definitely tell her that uni isn’t forever and that there is so much more to learn from industry work experience. (I’d also tell her to not over pluck her eyebrows, but that’s another story…)

Are there any industry-related support networks, communities, events, or extracurricular courses you would strongly recommend to students or recent graduates wanting to break into the industry?

So many! Uni societies are the best place to start as they run heaps of events with industry professionals which are a great way to learn about potential career pathways or internship opportunities. I also find these events great to talk to professionals about their own career path – it’s always valuable to learn about how others reached their current roles, especially if it was on a ‘non-traditional’ path. I would also strongly recommend attending any mock interview or case study-type events that are run by societies as these give you a chance to practice real-world skills in a low-stress environment.

I would also strongly recommend Cisco’s MentorMe program – this isn’t an internship per se, but it is a great opportunity to connect with tech professionals and learn more about the types of careers available in tech. Over the course of the program, you will attend a variety of information sessions on topics such as new tech innovation or impactful tech projects, as well as professional skills like resume writing or interview tips. You will also be paired with a dedicated mentor, which is the perfect opportunity to build a meaningful relationship and ask all of your tech-related career questions. I had such an awesome experience in this program and still keep in touch with my mentor almost two years later!

Do you have any last pieces of advice do you have for students who are aspiring to build a successful career in digital/technology?

Figuring out what you don’t want to do in your career is just as valuable as figuring out what you do want to do. It’s okay to try different roles and not like them, as this just puts you one step closer to figuring out roles that may be more suited to you.

Also, make the most of being a student! It is the best opportunity to learn about tech careers without the pressure of having professional responsibilities. More people have your back than you think and there is no better time to be curious.

You are among the first group to participate in Women in Digital x Cisco and Data#’s 4B Internship program. How would you summarise your experience?

The 4B program was my first insight into a career in tech and I really could not have asked for a better introduction! The program provided exposure to a huge variety of tech roles from non-technical roles such as sales and account management to highly technical software engineering roles. It was the perfect opportunity to understand how tech businesses like Cisco and Data#3 operate, as well as gain insight into the different paths into tech careers. I remember being so blown away by how supportive the Cisco, Data#3 and WID teams were and it made me realise just how keen other industry professionals are to see young women succeed in tech. The 4B program has huge sentimental significance to these organisations and it was truly such a privilege to be part of the first intake honouring Brenda Conroy’s legacy. I truly could not speak more highly of this program and would encourage anyone who is passionate about a career in tech to apply.

What was your favourite part/s of the internship?

As cheesy as it is, definitely the people. The teams at Cisco, Data#3 and WID were so welcoming and supportive, which really made the idea of starting a career in tech way less daunting. I also really enjoyed learning about the high variety of non-technical roles that are available and it really helped to ease my concerns about having a more non-technical skillset. It was so reassuring to learn that so many of the team had such unique paths to their current role, regardless of their technical background.

How did the program open doors for you?

The 4B program allowed me to form strong connections across these organisations which I have been able to utilise in many different ways. Since being a part of the 4B program, I have been able to participate in Cisco’s MentorMe program, secured permanent employment with Data#3 and been a regular attendee at WID’s events which are an amazing way to network with other amazing industry professionals. I have also maintained relationships with many of the people I met through the 4B program and have used these connections as references, career consultants or even just friendly faces to chat with about tech careers, uni studies and life in general. Never in a million years did I imagine that I would have a strong professional network, let alone one as supportive as I do. Knowing that I have the support of so many has made such a huge difference to my confidence and speaks volumes about the value of having a supportive community.

Keep an eye on our blog for more Women in Digital Member Spotlights and don’t forget to follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Are you a university student eager to take proactive steps towards creating your own career opportunities and connect with like-minded individuals? Join Women in Digital’s Student Membership today! Click here to learn more.

Here at Women in Digital, we believe that gender diversity is just the beginning of a much broader conversation about workplace diversity. Diversity isn’t a one-dimensional concept; it takes many forms and when you examine high-performing companies it becomes increasingly apparent that diversity—of thought, culture, and experience—is not only desirable but essential. Someone we were very excited to talk to on this topic is Nazli Seghar.

Hailing from Iran and now a prominent business leader and transformation advisor, Nazli Seghar exemplifies the power of passion and perseverance. From her childhood dreams of becoming a movie director to her unexpected entry into computer science, Nazli’s story is a testament to the power of pursuing one’s true interests and passions, even when the path seems uncertain.

Today, Nazli is a Customer Success Executive at Cisco with over 20 years of experience under her belt in successfully leading teams in various government and large private organisations including the University of Newcastle, CSIRO, AWS (working in space innovation!) and Cisco where she has carried through her unrelenting drive to explore the possibilities of emerging technologies.

In this Q&A, we discuss Nazli’s journey into tech, her experiences working as a woman in tech in Iran and building a professional career in Australia, and the unique challenges that have influenced her leadership style and approach to managing diverse teams. We also heard Nazli’s advice on getting your foot in the door with large tech innovators, facing cultural barriers at work and more.

This promises to be an inspiring read!

To kick things off, what did 5-year-old Nazli want to be when she grew up?

Back when I was 5 years old, I had my sights set on becoming a movie director and producer. I would go on scouring for stories, rounding up all the neighbourhood kids feeling like a mini-Hollywood casting director, and putting on performances that would leave their parents in awe (or at least, they pretended convincingly!). Lights, camera, action—In my own eyes, I was the little maestro of backyard blockbusters!

How did you end up in your current role at Cisco?

Six months ago, I embarked on an exciting journey with Cisco, taking on the role of Customer Success Executive as part of the ANZ Customer Success team. This position, relatively new to the tech industry, is centred around aiding customers to maximise the value from their investments. Rather than a traditional sales-centric role, it’s about fostering a positive customer experience as they navigate their transformational journey.

Throughout my career, I’ve always been passionate about ensuring customer success, and this role allows me to focus on just that. My particular enthusiasm lies in the industry I am currently engaged with, which adds further motivation and excitement to my work. At Cisco, I continue to champion customer satisfaction and success, making their journey both seamless and rewarding.

It is commonly recognised that there are fewer female leaders in digital and technology. Could you tell us a little bit about your career background and how you ended up working in the industry in general?

When I was faced with the decision of choosing my future career in Iran, the university entrance exams were very competitive, leaving little room for choice. I initially dreamed of becoming an architect, but circumstances led me to be accepted into the field of computer science. Surprisingly, it was harder to get into computer science, and I didn’t think I stood a chance of getting accepted and to be honest, I had only added it to my list to please my mum, who had already been disappointed that I didn’t aspire to become a doctor. With a computer science degree, I embarked on my journey in technology, and it felt like a natural fit for me. Even when an unexpected opportunity arose for me to study architecture and even work at an architectural firm a few years later, I realised just how fortunate I was to have veered away from pursuing architecture, and that I eventually found myself doing what I am doing now. My current path aligns perfectly with my curiosity for emerging technologies and my personal passion. It is a testament to the fact that when you follow your true interests and passions, you naturally gravitate towards a fulfilling and rewarding career, regardless of the specific academic path you initially embark upon.

You were able to grow an impressive resume working in Iran before moving to Australia. What was that experience like? How did go about building up your network, and professional career in Australia?

Back when I was completing my bachelor’s degree, a miraculous opportunity presented itself—I stumbled upon Bulletin Board Systems (BBS), of all things, for my thesis. Little did I know that this seemingly niche topic would open doors for me in the vast realm of the online world including leading the software team of the first web platform in Iran. Fresh out of university, I ventured into Iran’s male-dominated tech industry, working on the country’s first online platform without the convenience of Google. Instead, we relied on books and hands-on learning to deliver. Although the challenges were immense, the result was exceptionally rewarding. When I relocated to Australia, by a stroke of incredible fortune and reward for working hard and getting good marks in my master’s degree, found a job at university which was a stepping stone for me for my future career. I found myself working at CSIRO—an experience that has played a pivotal role in shaping my career and leadership in advanced technology. With each new wave of emerging technologies, I’ve been irresistibly drawn in. I was curious about the potential of cloud computing within AWS and that’s how I ended up working at AWS which led me to leading the aerospace and satellite business in ANZ for AWS and working with amazing space innovators in the region. I love pushing my limits, constantly seeking new challenges, and right now I consider myself unbelievably fortunate to be surrounded by the greatest and brightest minds in Cisco. Collaborating with these remarkable individuals who have shaped technology infrastructure across the globe is a privilege beyond measure.

Reflecting on that, is there anything you would do differently? And what would your advice be to someone starting fresh in a new country?

Growing up in war in Iran has taught me not to dwell on the past with regret. If I have emerged from those circumstances alive, I consider it a success. While I do acknowledge and learn from my mistakes, I view them primarily as opportunities for personal growth. Thus, would I change anything? Probably not, as it would hinder the valuable lessons I have learned. They are like treasures. However, I constantly strive to do better and improve upon my past experiences.

To anyone embarking on a new journey in a foreign country, my advice is to recognise that most of the limitations we assume to exist are often confined within our own minds. It is essential not to let those self-imposed limitations restrict our potential. I often advise my mentees that migrating to a new country is like finding yourself in a situation where you lack the keys to various aspects of life, from finding a home to applying for jobs and more. It can be overwhelming, but instead of succumbing to the pressure, approaching it with enthusiasm, excitement, and curiosity will often result in positive outcomes and solutions to most challenges.

How would you compare your experiences working in Iran vs. Australia? Were there any interesting challenges you had to overcome?

This is an intriguing question. One of the greatest aspects of Australia is that if you remain focused on your goals and genuinely passionate about your pursuits, your efforts will not go unnoticed, and you will make progress. While challenging situations exist everywhere, in Australia, these challenges often revolve around specific individuals you encounter in your career. In Iran, however, there are additional political challenges that make things significantly more complex, especially for women. Unfortunately, being a woman in the tech industry and striving to become a leader is still more challenging for women worldwide. In Iran, this situation is exacerbated by laws that favour men. However, in Australia and Western countries in general, there is growing awareness and encouragement for gender equality in the tech space. While there is still progress to be made, the recognition and support for doing what is right is increasingly prevalent.

It is often said that as a woman in the tech industry, you must work twice as hard to gain recognition. When you add an accent to the equation, the expectation is that you must work three times as hard! Building trust becomes crucial, and being extremely results-driven becomes a necessity. In Iran, that wasn’t any barrier, but there were thousands others!

How have your cultural background and experiences influenced your leadership style and approach to managing diverse teams?

You may be aware that Iran is a collective society where strong loyalty to family is highly valued. In this cultural context, the interests of the family always come first, and individual needs take a backseat. The concept of family honour and shame is shared by all members, where success brings prestige, and any dishonour affects everyone. This deeply ingrained aspect has profoundly shaped my leadership style, emphasising the importance of unity, responsibility, and the collective well-being of those I lead.

As a leader, my team and customers are like family to me. I take responsibility for my team members’ mistakes while celebrating their individual achievements. I deeply care about my customers’ success and treat them with the same genuine interest as I would my family members. I prioritise their best interests, even if it comes at a cost to my own situation. This genuine care has fostered strong bonds with my team, leading to lasting connections that transcend time and cultural backgrounds.

Coming from a diverse cultural background, I empathise with the challenges faced by individuals from minority backgrounds. Embracing diversity, I actively seek varied viewpoints rather than surrounding myself with like-minded individuals. I value the unique perspectives that diversity brings to the team and strive to create an inclusive environment. Learning from exposure to other cultures and their leadership styles has been instrumental in my personal and professional growth.

You have worked with some heavy hitters in Australia including CSIRO, AWS and now Cisco. How did you get your foot in the door? What is your advice to others looking to get their foot in the door with large tech innovators like these organisations?

It is often said that success in one’s career is a blend of passion, hard work, and a sprinkle of luck. There are moments in life where the choices we make can have a profound impact, and that’s where luck comes into play. I have encountered several pivotal moments in my journey. Meeting two incredible women during my masters at the University of Newcastle paved the way for my first job, leading to more opportunities. The first job is always challenging, but once you secure it and perform exceptionally well, the doors begin to open. As a woman, I encourage others to seize chances and never assume they won’t be chosen. What I always emphasise to my mentees is to go for it— the worst that can happen is not getting it. Throughout my years of experience, I have hired numerous individuals. I believe that technical skills can be learned, but finding the right cultural fit is crucial. Interviews are also a chance for candidates to assess if the company aligns with their values. Ultimately, my advice is to pursue something you love and a company that brings out your passion. Go for it!

In your opinion, what can organisations and leaders do to create a more inclusive and diverse environment, particularly in relation to gender and cultural diversity?

To promote diversity and inclusivity, we must actively and consciously embrace differences with an open mind. It’s important to challenge ourselves to be comfortable with discomfort and resist the natural inclination towards familiarity, whether in gender or culture. Stepping out of our comfort zones and creating a safe environment where everyone can freely express themselves is crucial. By doing so, we can foster a culture of inclusivity, embrace diverse perspectives, and work towards a more inclusive future.

What advice do you have for women that are wanting to progress in their career but perhaps face some cultural barriers?

To pursue your ambitions, you must be resolute and courageous, with a clear destination and well-defined goals. Seek a reliable mentor, take ownership of your future, and actively engage in networking. Showcase your capabilities and ask for assistance when needed. If cultural barriers arise, seek advice from those who have overcome similar challenges. With determination and perseverance, success will be within reach. Remember, it is up to you to demonstrate your worth and make your dreams a reality.

Any final thoughts you would like to add?

First and foremost, I want to express my gratitude to the Women in Digital for providing this opportunity and for the incredible work you do.

To all the amazing women out there, I offer this advice: never underestimate your capabilities and always aim high. You’ll be amazed at what you can achieve. Believe in yourself and embrace the power of your potential. Keep pushing boundaries and reaching for the stars!

And just for fun… What is a podcast or book you are loving right now?

One of the books I cherish, recommended by a mentor, is “Untamed”. Additionally, I found great enjoyment in reading “The Dopamine Nation”. As a dedicated podcast listener, “Space Connect” is among my favourites, and “Everyday AI” by CSIRO also captivates my interest. These resources have enriched my knowledge and sparked my curiosity in various subjects.

Is there something you wish was illegal but isn’t?

I believe that while society is aware of the prohibition of certain forms of discrimination, additional measures should be implemented to combat them in various ways. I strongly advocate making such discrimination illegal, akin to crossing a red light. By enacting stringent laws and enforcing them rigorously, we can foster a more inclusive and equitable society that upholds the values of fairness and respect for all individuals.

What is your favourite way to waste time?

I have a deep passion for cooking, especially when it comes to discovering new recipes that I haven’t tried before and preparing them in my kitchen! There’s something incredibly satisfying about exploring different flavours, ingredients, and techniques to create delicious dishes. Cooking allows me to unleash my creativity and brings joy as I experiment with new flavours and textures. It’s a delightful journey of culinary discovery that I thoroughly enjoy.

You’re suddenly teleported to an airport with a plane ticket in hand. What location are you hoping to see on the ticket?

Egypt, I really want to visit Egypt.

Keep an eye on our blog for more Women in Digital Member Spotlights and don’t forget to follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Want to join our thriving community of digital-loving, career-driven, diversity-championing humans and get access to exclusive members-only opportunities? Join the Women in Digital Membership today! Click here to learn more.

The signs of a growing tech industry are all around us, and for many women, a career-pivot in technology is an exciting pursuit – though one that may require some encouragement.

The tech sector is now the seventh largest employing sector in Australia, employing 861,000 people according to the Tech Council of Australia. With more opportunities becoming accessible for people to work in this lucrative industry, we are seeing more women entering the tech sector as a mid-career transition, like Teena Glassick.

Like many tech leaders we connect with, Teena Glassick’s journey into the world of technology wasn’t a straight path right after high school. It took some interesting twists and turns. Initially, Teena pursued her passion for dance starting a Bachelor of Arts in Dance at the Victorian College of Arts in Melbourne. However, her path took a different direction when she decided to pursue a Bachelor of Applied Science in Microbiology and Biochemistry. After completing her research-focused honours year, Teena spent five years exploring various research roles before she took the bold move to enrol in a Graduate Diploma in Informational Technology. Today, Teena is a Senior Director of Product Engineering and Operations at Skedulo.

In this Q&A, we get to know Teena’s fascinating journey into tech, the challenges she’s overcome, advice to people pondering a career pivot into the industry and where to get started!

To kick things off, what did 5-year-old Teena want to be when she grew up?

Either an author or a ballerina. I absolutely loved writing stories from quite a young age, with my most famous piece being a story called “The Storm”, which I wrote in Year 2 and got a special Principal’s award for!

Tell us a little bit about how you ended up in your current role??

I discovered Skedulo through the Tech Girls Are Superheroes program. I had been a mentor for the program and joined the winning teams as an ambassador on their trip to Silicon Valley in 2018. Skedulo was one of the companies we visited. I met our CEO Matt Fairhurst and some other members of the team. I was very inspired by their product and leadership team and after that trip I just kept them on my radar. Then, in 2021, a recruiter contacted me about an opportunity at Skedulo, to help support their high capacity vaccination booking product and I was really excited by the role and joined the team.

After your first career pivot from dance to biology, what motivated you to pivot from academia into tech? How did you evaluate the potential risks and rewards of the transition?

To have a career in academia, you really need to do a PhD. I had enrolled in a PhD and even had a supervisor and scholarship ready to go and I got cold feet just before I was due to start! I was just not sure that was the right pathway for me and to be honest, whilst I enjoyed the learning and the research, I did not enjoy the lab work and was not sure if I was ready to commit.

At the time, I was quite interested in the field of Bioinformatics and decided to do an IT postgraduate degree as a possible pathway into that field. I really enjoyed my study and in particular I really liked my software development subjects and decided to pursue a career as a Software Developer. The advice I gave myself and give to my young adult daughters is to just try things out until you find the thing that ‘fits’ and that you enjoy.

How did your experience in academia lend itself to a career in tech? Were there transferable skills that you took through with you?

I think there are many skills and capabilities that are transferable across professions. For me specifically, my main callouts in the transition from life sciences to IT are research skills and applying the scientific method (which is the systematic way of exploring observations and answering questions) to software development practices and processes.

How did you prepare yourself for this transition? Were there any specific resources, mentors, or networks that supported you during your career pivots? How did they contribute to your success?

When thinking about a career pivot, I try to do some personal learning and research about specific roles and pathways into those roles. I have been very fortunate in my career to have had a couple of great managers who have believed in me more than I believed in myself and have encouraged me and supported my career growth and changes I’ve made along the way. I don’t have the highest self esteem so having people who want to ‘lift me up’ has been crucial for me.

When I first started my IT degree, my husband was also incredibly supportive. He had a strong background in computer science and maths and he firmly believed in my abilities to make the change and kept being my cheerleader while I was trying to balance full time work and part time study.

How did you manage to juggle a career pivot, while raising two children and working your way up into leadership positions?

Balancing a career and young children is the most challenging thing I’ve ever done! My daughters are my world and I went through periods of immense guilt when they were very young. I wanted to spend all my time with them, but I also did not want to give up or pause (for too long) a career that I had invested so heavily in.

The key to my survival and success was a flexible and supportive workplace and managers. When I first transitioned from an individual contributor role into a management role, I actually did this in a job share capacity with a colleague who also had young children and we were both working part time. This is fairly unheard of and was a very progressive decision from the company I worked for. My colleague and I found really effective ways of sharing an engineering management role with a shared inbox (this was pre-Slack!!), effective splitting of our responsibilities and ensuring that we had full coverage for any issues and escalations. We worked together in this way for a number of years and formed a great partnership. I think the company benefited from this decision and so did we.

Were there challenges and opportunities you encountered during this transition that you perhaps didn’t expect?

The biggest challenge I had when transitioning from an individual contributor role to a leadership role, was needing to become a manager to people who had previously been my peers (and friends). I think I lacked empathy as an IC about the challenges of leadership, thinking it was going to be a lot easier than it was. I did not fully appreciate that leadership is a distinct craft in itself and that I needed to develop and mature a whole new set of skills and capabilities to be successful, and I definitely made some mistakes (and still do) along the way.

What would you say to someone wondering if it’s ‘too late’ to make a change and pivot?

I don’t think it is ever too late to make a career pivot. We spend so much of our lives working and I am so grateful that I am in a role that I am passionate about and genuinely enjoy.

If you had to do it all again, what would you do differently? What would you tell younger Teena?

I think I would probably just be a bit kinder to myself especially during those early years of balancing being a mum and maintaining a career. I tried (in vain) to be ‘perfect’ in both roles and just felt constant guilt on both sides – either I was not being a good enough Mum or I was not being a good enough employee. What I would tell women trying to do ‘the balance’ is that it does get easier over time and there will be times when the balance tips in one direction and that’s okay. What I would tell organisations is that flexibility and supportive leadership is so very important for parents and other people in caregiving roles who are doing a balancing act. I was so thankful for the support I received that I think I gave back more than was expected, learned to become very outcomes focused through ruthless prioritisation and developed a fierce loyalty for my company and my team in return.

If you could name two things that someone needs to successfully pivot into a career in tech, what would they be?

Start with the fundamentals – technology is a craft and you need to learn the key skills and capabilities of your chosen discipline. This could be through self learning or more formal education, but you will need to learn and that will take time, so be patient.

I would also encourage people to build a network or seek out people / meetup groups related to your area of interest. There is so much available that you will be spoilt for choice and you will gain immense benefit from having that network and hearing the ‘real life’ experiences that you won’t learn from your studies.

What advice do you have for women in tech that are wanting to progress in their career and move into a more strategic, people management role?

I would seek out opportunities to ‘dip your toe in the water’ of leadership as a good first step. This could be through an interim role or just identifying a gap that needs to be filled and putting yourself forward. As an example (in the software development space), this could be through taking on a team lead type role where you can combine your IC skills with some leadership responsibilities.

And just for fun… What is a podcast or book you are loving right now?

I am reading a great book right now called “Demon Copperhead” by Barbara Kingsolver. It is a story of poverty and addiction in the American South and inspired by the Charles Dickens novel “David Copperfield”.
I have also been listening to this really interesting podcast called “Sounds Like a Cult” which explores modern day cult culture.

Does your car have a name? If yes, what is it? If not, what name might you give it?

It does not – if it did I’d probably call it Bullet – fast and silver.

If you could magically pivot into a new career tomorrow (no upskill required), what would it be?

Probably medicine – I’ve always found human physiology completely fascinating.

What do you think your superpower is?

Being genuine and humanistic is a leadership superpower. (I also wear my feelings all over my face, so I have no choice because people can often read me like a book!)

Keep an eye on our blog for more Women in Digital Member Spotlights and don’t forget to follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.