Who/what influenced your career?
I grew up in Newcastle. My mum was a nurse and then an English teacher, so I'll blame her for my move from psychology into IT. Like many people, IT is a career I 'fell into' or came to unexpectedly.
Why did you do a bachelor's degree in psychology?
I loved science growing up, so I enrolled in a Bachelor of Science and then worked out what area I wanted to major in. Even though I don't work in psychology, it's a fascinating area and applicable to any job where you work with people!
Why did you then do a master's degree in IT?
During my psychology degree, I volunteered at Lifeline as a telephone counsellor. Towards the end of the degree, I realised it wasn't the right fit for me. At about the same time, I started working in a casual student IT support role at the Uni, and really loved the problem solving nature of the role. So I went back to study an IT degree to pursue a career in that industry. The master's program was mostly online, so it meant I had flexibility for work.
Next came a graduate certificate in project management...
After a few years in support roles I was involved in some small projects. I really enjoyed the interaction with people, and as a rare extrovert in the IT industry, I thought this was a great fit for me. I enrolled in the Grad Cert (because 9 years is enough study, so didn't do the master's), to focus on that niche.
Roles in project management followed - what was your career focus?
I've been fortunate to have had varied project experience without having to leave Newcastle. I've been involved with a transformation of corporate systems in local government, a virtualisation of national energy infrastructure, the amalgamation of three Sydney councils, and migrating ASX companies from physical servers into Azure cloud environment. It sounds like I've done a lot of cool things, but really I just plan out and manage the work for groups of talented people to deliver.
What does your role as project services manager at Brennan IT entail?
I lead a multidisciplinary team that delivers projects to transform and support our customers, so that they can be more successful. I'm fortunate to work with a great team of techs, project managers and customers who work together well. Day to day, I meet with customers to keep them updated on their projects and work with my team to remove any roadblocks to their projects or overall success.
You have been in Hunter Young Professionals and HunterNet's future leaders program. How has that helped your career?
IT can be a very insular industry, so I realised early on that if I wanted to build a professional network, I needed to put effort into that. After a few events, I realised how passionate I was about creating opportunities for young professionals to connect. I was on the board of HYP for 3 years. I completed the HunterNet Future Leaders Program (FLP) in 2019 as I was interested in doing an MBA, but wasn't mentally ready to go back to uni. Overall, this has helped my career by broadening my awareness of things beyond my daily role, and giving me a space to learn new skills in a practical way. FLP connected me to inspiring young professionals who I can turn to for advice or bouncing ideas off. It's a powerful network to have.
You were recently appointed co-chief executive officer of Pint of Science Australia. What does that organisation do and how does it connect (formally or otherwise) to the STEM movement?
Pint of Science started in the UK as a casual meeting of researches to present their work to locals. It became a formalised program and then spread internationally in 2013. Pint of Science is focused on Science Communication "SciComm", so we are all about bringing the importance of STEM to people who don't work in that area, and giving researchers experience in communicating what they do. It's about making complicated, multi-year research accessible and relatable.
What are Pint's core values and what is its overarching vision?
Our key objectives are to expand the general public's appreciation of science; and enhance the quality and effectiveness of science communication by scientists in Australia. In doing this, we are heavily focused on equality, diversity, and collaboration. We aim to ensure that the annual program offers a representation of the diversity that exists in the STEM sector and the Australian population.
How did you become involved in Pint of Science?
I attended an event in 2018 and loved it. I signed up as a volunteer and lead the Newcastle branch of the 2019 festival. Gaining more experience and seniority, I took over the reins alongside my colleague Jin-Oh Choi in Tasmania for 2022. I didn't ever expect to step into the Co-CEO shoes, but it's an incredible organisation with the most passionate volunteers. I've learned so much.
What is in store for the '22 Newcastle event?
After a COVID-hiatus, we are back at the Happy Wombat - they were great to work with. We will announce our speakers, alongside ticket sales, later in April. Keep your eye on our Instagram and Facebook.
Equity and accessibility is important for POS. As a female in a geeky sector, how have you found it?
Equity, diversity and accessibility is at the core of what we do at Pint. Interestingly, we actually have trouble getting enough male volunteers and speakers to keep the festival balanced. Our leadership team is 72% female, but this is not indicative of the STEM or IT industry as a whole. I would love there to be more women in IT, but I do really value the camaraderie between the small amount of women we do have.
