How will you ‘Choose to Challenge’ in 2021?

“I will make sure that the men in my team know they have our support in driving a good work/life balance, as I think this is important for driving equality at home for women and that flows through into many other aspects of life.

“I’ve also recently decided to start calling out the practice of people saying, “I explain it in a way that even my mother could understand”.

"Well! My mother, like so many women – grandmas, aunts, mothers-in-law – are capable, technically proficient, intellectual giants.

"If one of my three daughters said that in reference to me, I’d be devasted. So, let’s all skip that super-weird cliché!”

How will you Choose to Challenge in 2021?

“Very recently, after watching Serena Williams in an Australian Open match, a friend said, ‘I think she needs to retire, she’s had enough glory’. I didn’t hear him say the same about Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal. Rest assured, I stood up for the woman who won a Grand Slam while she was 20 weeks pregnant.

“We often discuss conscious biases towards gender, race, age, sexual orientation and physical abilities but what I think can sometimes make inequity and discrimination harder to address is the ignorance of unconscious biases and the lack of response to it.

“To do my part, I will be fearless in calling out microaggressions, brushed aside opinions or snide remarks that can perpetuate if they are not nipped in the bud. I will endeavor to be comfortable having those uncomfortable conversations.”

What do you think makes nbn an inclusive place to work in 2021?

“Having started at nbn last year as a graduate, and as someone who is at the beginning stages of their career, I am constantly amazed and grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to work in various diverse and inclusive teams across the business.

“A testament to my time at nbn and looking ahead in 2021, having a safe space in team meetings to share ideas without judgement of position, age and gender, as well as solidifying the practise of empathetic leadership, are two important factors that make nbn an inclusive place to work.

“While everyone has different ideas of what an inclusive workplace looks and feels like, for me, it is about first creating a sense of belonging and mutual understanding within the immediate and wider team.”

“I really enjoy and take an active part in mentoring a number of talented and diverse people leaders. It’s important that we champion our talent, and through active coaching I look to support building business resilience and specific areas of focus to provide growth in roles and support future opportunities.

“Being part of an inclusive leadership community, we actively look for opportunities to build self-confidence, expand visibility, and arm our female talent with the experiences to enable them to compete for that next step up. Above all else, no one should feel that they don’t belong at the table, and that they don’t have a right to be there. We are always stronger through our diversity of thoughts and ideas.”

“Mentoring – I work with a number of people, and probably half are women.

"More recently, I have joined with a group of other female senior procurement leaders to establish an empowerment forum to try to encourage more female talent in the procurement profession.

“Like in many areas, it has been recognised that we have strong female presence in the lower levels, however the percentage representation reduces at the more senior levels.”

How will you ‘Choose to Challenge’ in 2021?

“Diversity hiring is incredibly challenging in the IT industry. A recent example, to illustrate the point, is one senior engineer I know looked through his list of more than 300 LinkedIn contacts, and found three female engineers, all of whom already work for nbn.

“That’s a stark reminder of the challenge, though I’m also glad for the level of diversity that nbn has achieved. But there’s still more that we can do and because gender bias can be systemic, my focus will be to think differently about the way we hire, from the way I write job descriptions, to which platforms we advertise with, to how we interview, to how we work with our suppliers.

“I want to send the message to the industry that nbn prioritises diversity and equality in our hiring, and that we choose to challenge the status quo.”

“I will Choose to Challenge my own self-limiting beliefs and encourage those around me to challenge theirs.

“For generations, we have formed views of ourselves and the world based on media and societal expectations, pressures and gendered norms. It is fantastic to see more women in global leadership, increased demand and expectation for pay parity, more flexible work options for all genders, and more new fathers taking parental leave.

“I put the challenge to each of us to consider all the things we’ve told ourselves we couldn’t do because we were too much or not enough, or because it’s not how our gender is ‘supposed’ to behave. And then ask ourselves, ‘Why we are letting that get in the way of our own greatness?’ It’s 2021, if not us – then who?”

“I have recently completed a series of coaching sessions based around inclusive leadership, which really opened my eyes to how much more I could be doing to support the elimination of bias and inequality.

“This year, I will actively be working on creating a stronger culture of inclusion within the team, questioning the teams I am part of to uplift awareness of bias, and taking part in nbn’s programs designed to support the next generation of female leaders.”

What do you think makes nbn an inclusive place to work in 2021?

“We are a values-driven business that really focusses on and promotes a strong culture of people first, where inclusion is embraced and differences are celebrated.

“Whether it be by encouraging connection and collaboration with others, supporting and embracing our differences, ensuring everyone’s safety and promoting open mindedness in our ways of working, for example, managing meetings in a way that invites all to have a voice and flexibility.”

What are you doing to make a difference and/or to support women in their career?

“Through mentoring and coaching many women in nbn, and the industry, I share the story of my own challenges and experiences with inequality as a woman in engineering over the past 20+ years.

“I listen to other’s experiences, offer insights, and help to arm women with the tools where needed today. I actively sponsor women in engineering and technology leaders to be visible and heard, and to seek and celebrate women’s achievements. I am also a member of the nbn Equals Awareness & Advocacy team.