Critical Careers - Women Building Careers in Digital Infrastructure - Book - Page 51
When you were younger, what did you
imagine your future might look like and how
does that compare to where you are now?
“That gap between where
you are and 100%? That’s
the opportunity. That’s
where you build capability,
resilience and con昀椀dence.”
When I was younger, I always knew I wanted to go into management.
My dad built his own business from scratch with his brother, and I really
admired that. Watching him run something he had created gave me this
early sense that I wanted to be in business, leading teams and making
decisions. That’s why I chose Management Economics at university. I
felt that if I understood business fundamentals, I could apply them to
anything I chose later on.
Has there been a moment that made you
feel like you truly belonged in this industry
and why did that stand out to you?
I didn’t realise how formative my 昀椀rst job out of university would be.
It was a very traditional, family run business. Every decision required
careful review. Things took time. It could be frustrating, but it helped me
build patience, grit, discipline and attention to detail, all of which are
fundamental to how I work today.
I had only been in my current role a short time before going on maternity
leave, and when I returned at the start of the new year, I was the only
person in my region managing the site selection function. My peers
were all US-based, so formal training and real-time support were limited.
There wasn’t a structured roadmap, so I had to create my own.
As I progressed into corporate real estate and moved into leadership
roles, what energised me most wasn’t individual performance, even
though I enjoyed that challenge. It was building and managing teams.
Helping people grow. Shifting the focus from my own results to the wider
impact we could have together.
I immersed myself in the systems, learned them hands-on, and built
my own processes. It was uncomfortable at times, but that’s how I
developed real depth of knowledge. Over time, I moved from feeling
uncertain to being the person others could rely on. Now I can guide new
hires con昀椀dently because I understand not just what to do, but why.
I’ve always set high standards for myself, and because I was leading
teams at a relatively young age, I had to mature quickly and take real
responsibility for outcomes. But management taught me balance.
Leadership isn’t about replicating yourself or micromanaging others. It’s
about recognising individual strengths, understanding where someone is
in their journey, and giving them the trust, tools and space to grow. That,
more than anything, has been the most ful昀椀lling part of my career.
I also had to accept that in a global company, and in an industry evolving
quickly, no one knows everything end to end, especially when you don’t
have a technical background. Letting go of the need to control every
detail was a shift for me.
But that gap between where you are and 100%? That’s the opportunity.
That’s where you build capability, resilience and con昀椀dence. Realising I
could operate and succeed in that space is what made me feel like I
truly belonged.
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