SPAN News April 2024

Making great connections along your career journey can be transformative; you may uncover an unknown talent or interest, gain new insights or perspectives about your industry or be inspired to try something new altogether

SPAN offers our community the opportunity to connect with like-minded peers, shows our current students what it takes to achieve their career goals and allows those who share their insights such as our Old Girls, parents and others, to reflect on their own careers and hopefully, gain a sense of fulfilment by

offering their advice and support

In this issue of SPAN News four women from the SCEGGS community proudly share their journeys beyond the Green Gate . We hope their stories inspire, influence and motivate our readers to strive to reach their career goals, whatever they may be!

We love hearing from the SCEGGS community who are keen to share their career story . To learn more about SPAN News or the SPAN Program, please contact Tina Mavritsakis at span@sceggs. nsw.edu.au or on 02 9332 1133 .

Why People Matter

Catherine ABOUD (1988)

Various employment experiences revealed to Old Girl Catherine ABOUD (1988) that a career in Human Resources was the right path for her. With significant leadership roles under her belt, including Workplace and Change Director at PwC, Catherine set up her own consultancy during COVID with a peoplecentred approach to help match the right people to the right role.

What have been your educational and career paths since graduating from SCEGGS?

When I finished school, I was unclear as to my career path. I decided to complete a Bachelor of Arts (History) at the University of NSW. I undertook training and was proficient in touch typing, so for the last few years of my BA I was a part time Executive Assistant (EA). I finished my Bachelor of Arts and headed over to the UK for about a year. I did a lot of secretarial temp work while in London. The great thing about this was that I worked in a number of different organisations from a small recruitment firm to a large multi-national consulting firm. I also worked at Court Chambers in Temple in London and saw one of the staff dressed up to become a Queen’s Counsel. These varied workplaces guided me towards the environment that matched my interests. The big end of town was very appealing and when I returned home, I joined Anderson Consulting (now Accenture) as an EA and then moved into Human Resources (HR), specialising in Learning and Development (L&D). This introduction to a people-based career set the foundation for what I really enjoy. It’s not easy as we need to always remember that people are the best and the most frustrating part of any job!

To gain greater understanding of HR, I completed a Graduate Certificate in Human Resource Management. I stayed working in large corporations and during a merger of two insurance firms, I was asked to join the change management team. Again, this resulted in a decision to further study, and I completed AGSM’s Graduate Certificate in Change Management.

My curiosity in understanding the different ways people absorb information has meant I have had exposure to some very interesting

“If a career in HR is perceived as a more female role, does it follow that it is a less valuable career? This question is controversial, and that is not my aim.”

people and companies. I have experienced all aspects of people consulting, ranging from internal L&D roles at large corporations, to selling eLearning, leadership and sales training, and also to consulting on small, medium and multinational organisations on people and culture I sometimes reflect that if I stayed at one of the multinationals, I could now be an established partner. However, I don’t think this would have given me the breadth of experience I have had which has included travelling the world with my work, consulting to a wide range of organisations and facilitating workshops in numerous locations. These locations included a chateau in France, a plush luxury brand in Hong Kong, and also at a port-a-cabin in Darwin. My experience has meant I have kept the doors open during times of disruption and given myself the self-confidence to start my new adventure as a sole trader.

Over 80% of the HR workforce is now female[1]. Do you think it is important for there to be a greater gender balance in the HR workforce?

I don’t like to think of the HR workforce in terms of gender. I am concerned that over 80% of this workforce is now female and I see it as a mistake that more men are not choosing HR as a career. Their opinion around the HR table provides important diversity.

If a career in HR is perceived as a more female role, does it follow that it is a less valuable career? This question is controversial, and that is not my aim; however, HR is one of the most important roles in the organisation, particularly when HR skills are directed towards influencing executives to develop the right culture, mindsets and behaviours to achieve organisational strategy.

How has your career changed as the industry has evolved over time?

Having worked in a range of industries and different sized organisations both as an employee and as a consultant, I have had the opportunity to observe different approaches that organisations take to engage employees, both the good and the ugly. This is where I have seen the biggest changes in my industry. Executives have shifted from thinking of staff as resources / widgets, to acknowledging that their biggest assets are their people.

About 10-15 years ago I was concerned that HR, particularly in Australia, was broken. HR seemed to be either an administrative or policing function, and not really focused on the people aspects of an organisation. The Banking Royal Commission Report (2017) put culture in the headlines, and interestingly, it was the CEOs and

Why People Matter

executives who were reaching out to me about this, not HR. It seemed HR took a little longer to shift.

There has been a global shift in HR towards having a stronger Employee Experience mindset. It takes inspiration from marketing and customer experience and looks at key moments that matter for employees. Instead of treating staff as children who must obey rules and regulations, it treats people as adults and identifies how to give people a positive experience in the workplace. I now apply a people-lens in my projects whether that be on culture, change management or leadership development. It means I can drive changes in behaviour or prepare people for new ways of working.

What skills do you think are necessary to excel in this field?

Key to my career has been curiosity and an interest in people. It is always challenging as we design approaches thinking of how people act rationally, while also knowing that there will be irrational reactions. There is a need for me to be flexible and to deal with ambiguity and to go with my gut feeling when trying something new.

What career opportunities and progression are available for those seeking to work in HR?

I was fortunate to work in an HR team early in my life. I remember thinking that these skills in engaging people in an

organisation will be valuable in whatever role I do in the future – and I was right. It opened numerous career opportunities and progression.

Some of the great roles I have seen in my industry include:

• Organisational Design Lead: a more strategic role that works with executives to drive the achievement of the strategic goals through people initiatives.

• People and Culture Consultant: all the large consulting houses have large teams in this field finding new and exciting ways to engage people and shift ways of thinking.

• Board roles: there is a growing desire by Boards to have directors who can provide a people perspective to strategic initiatives.

People are an organisation’s greatest asset, yet this valuable resource continues to lack the attention I think it deserves. I’ve seen organisations spend millions on strategies or on technology. However, if they don’t get the people bit right, this money is wasted. This career will be challenging but always interesting as you influence executives to keep people at the forefront of their minds.

[1] https://www.smh.com.au/business/ workplace/how-australia-s-hr-careers-areevolving-in-rapidly-changing-workplaces20230328-p5cvvi.html

Sherryn Hancock (ELLIS 1987)

Old Girl Sherryn Hancock (ELLIS 1987) credits her time at SCEGGS for instilling the confidence and sense of independence to contact an international CFO, resulting in a fulfilling career in business and finance in Hong Kong. Now both a CFO and CEO, Sherryn shares fascinating insights into her journey with SPAN News readers.

How has your education and career journey led you to working and living in Hong Kong?

One of the best things I learnt from my time at SCEGGS was being independent and in charge of my life choices. Anything is possible. It pushed me to go for my desired degree in business wherever that may be. It gave me confidence. My work in manufacturing as a Trainee Accountant was different to the normal route of an accountant but the experience was invaluable for the rest of my career. My goal was to run someone else’s business. Moving to Hong Kong with my husband, gave me new opportunities; however, as there was not a big call for accountants with a manufacturing background, it felt like I was starting from scratch.

The independence that SCEGGS instilled in me to forward my career, provided me with the confidence to reach out to the CFO of Citibank North Asia, who I had never met, and resulted in him contacting me to say there is a job available in the Regional Office of Citibank, and he felt I was suitable for that job. This signalled the start of a long career in finance and business in Hong Kong.

You are the CFO for bbase Design Group and also the CEO of Sherryn Hancock & Co. How do you simultaneously balance the demands and responsibilities of these roles?

They are two very different roles but using very similar skills. I started work at bbase Design Group on a part-time basis at the start of COVID. It was a very rare opportunity to work on a part-time basis as a CFO, so I jumped at the chance. During the last four years, I have been able to help bring the business through turbulent times, keeping it viable and now watching it expand into the virtual, yet still prosper as a sustainable retail sunglass designer and manufacturer all over the world. Conversely at Sherryn Hancock & Co, I help individuals and small businesses with their financial wellbeing and I specialise in guiding couples through the divorce process. I am able to compartmentalise the two roles, particularly as the divorce and financial wellbeing work can be highly unpredictable as it depends purely on when the person needs those services.

Accounting Abroad

How essential is motivating your team to delivering effective solutions for bbase Design Group?

If you don’t have a motivated team, it leads to major issues when working towards achieving a goal. Treating everyone as an individual and understanding their own personal goals in what they want to achieve are important. When I first took over, my team were segmented, often doing mundane work. However, by allowing them to take responsibility, encouraging them to work towards the company goals, giving them new opportunities and expanding their roles, I have developed a happy and motivated team which has resulted in massive savings to the business over the last four years.

What career accomplishment are you most proud of?

The work I have done with many women going through divorce here in Hong Kong. By helping them from start

to finish, seeing them becoming strong, empowered and independent women and helping them to understand their financial position going forward, has been the biggest reward of my career. It is not an easy journey and requires both empathy and a firm hand through the process, but it allows the person going through divorce to make informed decisions about themselves and their family.

Do you have any advice for current students who are also interested in working abroad?

Go for it. The opportunities abroad are numerous, and the expat communities are so welcoming and helpful, always happy to give great advice. I have been in Hong Kong almost 30 years now and never looked back. Your friends here are your family and wherever they are in the world, they are always happy to help you in your career. All you have to do is ask and take the step.

Old

Girls’ Career Evening

Years 9- 12 students and their parents/carers are warmly invited to the Old Girls’ Career Evening on Wednesday 8 May 2024 from 6.00pm – 8.00pm. Making a return since COVID, this informative and inspiring evening will welcome back Old Girls from a variety of careers to share their experiences, tips and advice with current students. There will be opportunities to hear from Old Girls working in fields such as art and architecture, medicine and health, law, banking and financial analysis, climate change and sustainability, animal health, property, tech, engineering, writing, government and policy, media and communications, science, crime investigation and more.

Andrea Pinnock Careers Adviser andreapinnock@sceggs.nsw.edu.au

Work Experience Placement

Can you assist students from Years 10 – 12 with work experience? We would love to hear from you! Students are encouraged to undertake some work experience over a holiday period during their senior years. Our Old Girl community has always played a generous and supportive role in our work experience program, providing valuable learning opportunities in a workplace setting wherever possible.

Lunchtime Career Conversations

From Anthropology to Zoology and everything in between, our girls would love to meet you and hear about your experiences. Our lunchtime (1.00pm) career conversations are an informal way for our senior students to connect with Old Girls and gain valuable insights into a particular industry, learn tips to help forge a career in a competitive profession, how to apply for an internship and more. It does not matter what you have done, we would love to hear about it!

The SCEGGS P&F Association and the Old Girls’ Union were delighted to welcome back SCEGGS Old Girl Lucy Hill (BETTS) from the Class of 1995 to the first Parent/ Daughter Breakfast of 2024.

Students from Years 9 and 10, along with their parents/carers heard about Lucy’s career as the Head of Marketing and Communications in Australia for Natixis Investment Managers, one of the world’s largest asset managers. Prior to joining Natixis last year, Lucy spent the last 20 years helping to build some of the best-known brands in Australian financial services including ANZ, AMP and Perpetual. After her time at SCEGGS, Lucy studied at UNSW and gained her Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Marketing and Accounting.

Lucy shared her beneficial experiences such as to study what you like, to be curious and to embrace change. Lucy also reiterated that a positive workplace culture is important and that “up” is not the only way.

Year 11 and 12 students will next have the opportunity to hear from fellow Old Girl Harriet DAWSON (2006), Account Director - Defence and National Security at EY on Friday 17 May. Booking details will be available in the Behind The Green Gate newsletter from Term 2.

David and Sascha Wills

Front L- R: Gavin Zimmerle, Matt Andrews and Peter Anderson

Back L - R: Annalise Zimmerle, Lilla Brennan, Molly Andrews and Grace Anderson

Elisabeth Drysdale and Alanna Sparks with daughters Taylor and Mia and friend Lily

Ella McCormack with guest speaker and Old Girl Lucy Hill

Parents and daughters starting the day with a special morning

Breakfast and bonding with family and friends

Claudia Migotto (HAYES 1996)

Claudia Migotto (HAYES 1996) is the Assistant Auditor-General at the Performance Audit Office of NSW. Claudia has over 20 years’ experience working with national and state government agencies in policy and program development, implementation and evaluation with a strong focus on strengthening the accountability and transparency of governments through public reporting. Here, Claudia shares her insights on working in the public service and some of the challenges governments face today.

Can you share with SPAN News readers your career journey so far?

Over the past 20 years I have enjoyed a rewarding and varied public service career in the Commonwealth and NSW Governments. Over that time, I have worked in program delivery and evaluation, policy development and reform, and more recently in independent oversight agencies that hold governments accountable for the use of public resources.

My time at the Audit Office of New South Wales has been a highlight. I lead the Performance Audit branch, which is responsible for conducting deepdive analyses of the effectiveness of government programs and services. In this role I have overseen the production of more than 120 reports covering issues such as transport and infrastructure, education, health, prisons and policing, cybersecurity and government spending on consultants. All of these reports make recommendations about how things can be improved, and it is very rewarding to see the impact these improvements can have.

What does a career in independent integrity agencies entail and what are some of the challenges professionals in this field face today?

People working in integrity agencies such as the Audit Office of New South Wales come from all walks of life, but a key thing that unites us is the desire to see governments working as effectively and fairly as possible, in the best interests of the communities they serve.

One of the key challenges for professionals in this field is keeping up with the pace of change in how the public sector does business, and the key risks and challenges it faces. Governments are grappling with very complex and dynamic issues such as cybersecurity threats and AI. They are also increasingly delivering infrastructure and services in more complex ways – for example through public-private partnerships and commissioning. The challenge for auditors like me is to stay up to date with the key risks as they continue to change and evolve, and to ensure we are providing oversight of the right areas.

Prior to your current role you had advised on reforms and policies such as the National Indigenous Reform Agreement and the National Disability Agreement. Can you share some examples of how this work has impacted our society today?

At various times governments enter agreements that aim to focus investment and activity to improve outcomes on particular issues. These agreements also are intended to provide transparency to the community about how well governments are performing – by setting out performance indicators and measures of success.

My role at the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Reform Council, in reporting on these agreements, was to provide transparency to the community about how well their government was performing in achieving what it had agreed to do.

This is important because agencies tasked with independent oversight can sometimes be the only ‘source of truth’ on things that matter deeply to the community. Because they are independent, they lack the motivation to make things seem better than they appear, or to cast a political lens over government performance.

That communities have access to this sort of performance information is vital, so that they can play their role in holding governments accountable and make informed choices about the government policies and programs that they will choose to support as voters.

Building relationships and gaining trust from both the government and the public are key to your role. How have you achieved this?

In my role, honesty and transparency

are very important. It is often a difficult process for government agencies when they are subject to external scrutiny, and it is important to be clear at the outset about what the process will involve, and to ensure I am listening carefully to any feedback or concerns about the accuracy and fairness of the analysis.

For anyone working in an independent integrity agency, it is important to constantly be demonstrating objectivity and personal integrity. Showing that you can keep an open mind, and that your assessment is not biased by any strongly held views or interests is fundamental to gaining the trust of governments and the public in these sorts of roles.

What are your three tips for the next generation of SCEGGS girls seeking a similar career path?

1. Government graduate programs offer a great way in and provide a solid grounding to fresh public service careers. Seek them out.

2. Working on complex policy issues is demanding and rewarding. Sometimes there can be noise from wider politics. Keep focused on your values and the community’s interests as you navigate through.

3. Always keep an open mind to new opportunities and roles. Having a very rigid idea of your own career goals can sometimes blinker you to really great opportunities. Always be on the lookout for interesting new challenges and be brave in taking them on.

Amy SATCHELL (2002)

Old Girl, current History Teacher and Year 9

Co-ordinator at SCEGGS Amy SATCHELL (2002) transitioned back to the classroom after beginning her career in the Theatre.

Epitomising the saying “Once a SCEGGS Girl Always a SCEGGS Girl”, Amy shares with SPAN News the impact her SCEGGS education had on her career choices and the very real impact she has and continues to have on the young people in her care.

“I started teaching at SCEGGS in 2022 and my time has been one of such joy. Returning to the School, working in such a familiar and well-loved setting, but with such exciting young thinkers, is truly joyful.”

What career path did you follow graduating from SCEGGS?

After finishing school at SCEGGS in 2002 I completed an Arts Degree with History Honours at the University of Sydney (USYD). I loved studying American History and Film Studies at USYD, and it provided me with the opportunity to study abroad at the Royal Holloway campus of the University of London in 2007. Studying at USYD also provided me with the opportunity to continue my love for work in the theatre that I had fostered at school. Never one for being on the stage, I was involved in various areas of technical work in the theatre including stage management and lighting design. I wanted to pursue my involvement in the Arts further and at 23 years old, I followed this passion into Arts Administration at the Sydney Theatre Company (STC) where I worked for three years; I loved my time at STC, where I was the assistant to the General Manager and was there firsthand to see the innovative work of the Artistic Directors of Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton.

What sparked your career move into teaching?

Whilst I loved my time and experiences in the Arts, I knew there was more I could give and contribute. There are a lot of educators within my family, albeit more at a tertiary level, but I also knew that I loved History. A love of History is often

inspired by teachers who loved History themselves; the experiences that I had as a History student at SCEGGS and the passion of the teachers then, encouraged me to move towards teaching as a future career. As such, I completed a Masters of Teaching at the University of NSW.

Can you share with our readers what being a teacher means to you?

Shifting to teaching from the Arts was the best decision I have ever made; I say it more often than I ever expected. I started teaching at SCEGGS in 2022 and my time has been one of such joy. Returning to the School, working in such a familiar and well-loved setting, but with such exciting young thinkers, is truly joyful.

Another aspect of what it means for me to be a teacher came from my last school setting, where I worked for almost 10 years; this was at a school of socially disenfranchised boys. At university we were told very early on to, ‘make sure you always say hi, and smile, at your kids; you may be the only adult to do so in that child’s day’. This school embodied that and I knew that I was a reliable adult in my students’ lives that they could connect with. This was such an important time for me. I am still in touch with students that I was the Year Coordinator of, and it brings me so much joy that they are thriving.

As technology continues to evolve, how do you leverage digital tools to enhance your teaching practice?

I would like to think that technology and its innovative usage has always been embedded into my teaching practice.

For educators, it’s usage, for better or worse, is rapidly evolving; being on the front foot is key. The success I have found in using it is playing to the strengths of the students to drive the implementation of new digital tools. I try to get the students to use their everyday technologies, software and hardware, and support their work with teaching some core skills that they may not have. In a typical day there are a myriad of applications we use in the classroom from online learning platforms and collaboration tools, to using software like Zoom and Skype to interview historical figures on the other side of the world!

What opportunities for career progression are available in the education sector?

Having an education degree is invaluable and it can take you into a range of areas; the qualification of course allows you to teach in education contexts, but it also helps to develop your soft skills and your employability skills. Experiences in the education sector will allow you to work overseas in a range of different contexts whether it be in the classroom, or in supporting developing communities in need. Furthermore, such experiences can assist you to work in sectors not inherently connected to a single classroom – it could be various government sectors, such as curriculum development, educational policy, and council planning all the way through to being the educational officer in theatres and museums. This is why having experience in the education sector can open doors that may not ever be planned- I think that is very exciting!

support, vocational guidance and network opportunities