Never before has there been such a great opportunity for established and emerging IT leaders to be privy to and learn about the very unique ins and outs of IT management and strategy than at the IT Management Program (ITMP) at Cisco Live 2018 in Melbourne 6-9 March. One of the key presenters at the ITMP this year is Seema Hyne, a Senior Program Manager in Cisco IT. Seema is a leader in her field, a champion of STEM education and ICT careers and an expert in Cisco’s current work culture. In 2017 Seema was awarded the FY17 Best of the Best Inclusion and Collaboration Community Award for the category “Inclusion Leadership Team Outstanding Member” which was awarded in part for her being a STEM champion.

In her presentation, Seema will be taking her audience on a 10 year journey of transformation of Cisco from a hardware company into a services organisation from a culture, people, process and platform perspective. I recently interviewed Seema about engaging young people in STEM, the future of work and her upcoming presentation at ITMP “Accelerating Value Delivery through IT as a Service.”

BH: You have played a role in the current work culture of Cisco what does the future of work look like to you?

SH: We’re going to see more and more organisations placing greater emphasis on their values and beliefs and ensuring their employees are embodying those values. There will also be a lot more focus on organisations providing more flexibility in the workplace – i.e. working from anywhere, anytime, any place even for those roles that traditionally require them to be in the office.

With the rapid market shifts we need to be able to deliver things faster, with higher quality, security and adaptability and we need to be continuously innovating – we needed to be Fast IT otherwise we will be left behind. It’s through our pervasive agile mindset that we’ve been able to accelerate our ability to deliver.”

At Cisco our collaboration technology and mobility strategy has played a huge part in the way we work. No longer is work ‘where you go’ but it’s all about what you do and being able to work anywhere, anytime in any place. As a working mum of 3 young boys I’m able to integrate my work with my family life by working from home, taking calls from the car, collaborating with my colleagues across geographical borders and most importantly our technology has given our people flexibility.

BH: You are a champion of women in Tech and are renown for encouraging STEM education and promoting ICT careers to the next generation. What is the key to engaging young people in STEM careers?

If you want to engage young people into STEM careers, it’s important that you foster their interest from a very young age. This can be as early as primary school or early high school but once young people hit the later years of high school (year 10 and above) they already have their fixed ideas and stereotypes of certain professions and it’s really hard to shift those biases.

If you can expose them to organisations and people that work in the field of STEM and show them the vast opportunities and the exciting job roles available to them this can be the catalyst for them to consider STEM careers as an option.

BH: Can you share with our readers the topic of your presentation at ITMP, Cisco live 2018?

The topic I’ll be speaking on at the IT Management program is called “Accelerating Value Delivery through IT as a Service.” I will be talking about Cisco IT’s transformation to a services organisation, what this means and the steps we took to get there. This journey started about 10 years ago and we didn’t know it back then but it is the foundation of digital transformation which is about simplifying what we do but also providing transparency and

accountability for the services we deliver.

I share what we did from a culture, people, process and platform perspective and highlight the tangible benefits we’ve seen from this new way of operating IT. Gone are the days where we’re spending 18 months to develop, build and test just to find out that the requirements have changed or the market has changed. Through our agile methodology and our tighter partnership with the business it has enabled us to respond to market shifts and

competitive threats more quickly. We are now working in smaller and more dynamic cross functional teams which mean we have become a lot more nimble and faster in delivering products and features that are of value to the business and our customers.

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Seema Hyne will be talking at ITMP Cisco 2018 in Melbourne next month. Tickets are still available so don't miss out!

As subscribers of the Symes Report, we are excited to be able to offer you a discounted rate for CISCO LIVE, saving you $300 off the ticket price. To purchase your tickets, just click here and enter this discount code at the checkout: ITM18SGPR3F

As an IT Management Program delegate, you’ll also receive complimentary access to Cisco’s Empowered Women’s Network keynote sessions and networking lunch taking place at Cisco Live Melbourne on International Women’s day (Thursday 8th March).

Pauline Hampshire, Chief Information Officer, ASEAN, Cisco IT APJC is truly a global leader. Based in New Zealand, Pauline's role takes her across the globe but for the most part in the ASEAN region. CISCO is the worldwide leader in IT and networking and is one of the largest organisations in the world. So when Pauline was one of two International leaders at CISCO to be awarded the "Inspire Forward" award in 2017 for “Inspiring others to be the best they can be,” it was a great achievement,

Pauline will be a featured speaker at ITMP Cisco Live 2018, a platform for rising technology professionals to develop leadership and technical strategies through a customised educational experience featuring top industry leaders and Cisco IT Executives.

Pauline's lifelong love of travel and cultures of the world has nurtured her views on leadership, team work and innovation. Barbara Harvey recently interviewed the very inspiring Pauline about her upcoming talk on: “Moving from Manual Operations to Autonomous operations,” at ITMP Cisco 2018 and her thoughts on artificial intelligence and her great passion; cross-cultural diversity across teams.

BH: Pauline, can you share with our readers what the topic of your presentation at ITMP Cisco 2018?

PH: In the traditional IT world much of the operations work dealing with system outages in the past has been manual. I am going to talk about moving from Manual Operations to Autonomous operations. As the world’s business becomes completely digitised, we must also digitise our operations.

One aspect of this is performance management. One bad experience with the performance of an application a customer may pardon, but after the second and third time, you will lose their business! This impacts all industries!

Ensuring we automate all aspects of operations is a big focus for Cisco IT. In this particular example I will talk about the use of App Dynamics (this technology recently joined the Cisco portfolio through an acquisition, but Cisco IT has been using AppDynamics already for several years), and how we are taking the alerts on transactional issues from AppDynamics and automating 25% of what was taken as manual actions in the past. All of this on a foundation of a focus on Innovation and people. In a world of Software defined everything, it is more and more important to invest in the software skills of all IT employees.

BH: What role does cross-cultural diversity play in innovation?

PH: One of the best teams to find an innovative idea, and actually execute on the idea and create a product are diverse teams, especially cross-cultural teams. We have all been influenced differently by our culture, the education system we were raised in, the way our country views the world, and when you bring diverse views together you get great outcomes.

A recent example of this at Cisco was our STIR program (Short term international rotation program), where we took enthusiastic engineers from India, Poland and the UK and rotated them into a small group to work on an innovation project. The next phase includes engineers from France, Israel and the US.

BH: How is ArtificiaI Intelligence going to change the world as we know it?

PH: We have created more data in the last few years than what was created in decades before. There are billions of people calling, texting, tweeting and browsing on mobile phones worldwide now. What is interesting is the fact that we are now developing algorithms and logic to help us analyse the patterns in this data and then take action on the data, automatically. That is what is artificial intelligence. It is the capacity of a computer to capture what humans have produced as rules, and apply them in the way that we would with our own brains, but much faster. So Artificial Intelligence will change the way all aspects of our businesses and society works.

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Pauline Hampshire will be talking at ITMP Cisco 2018 in Melbourne next month. Tickets are still available:

As an IT Management Program delegate, you’ll also receive complimentary access to Cisco’s Empowered Women’s Network keynote sessions and networking lunch taking place at Cisco Live Melbourne on International Women’s day (Thursday 8th March).

For more information about the IT Management Program and to see the full agenda, please visit the website:

Is it time the Bible had a bit of an update? A Google search revealed the best-seller’s earliest parts to be around 3500 years old.

Mind blowing. My phone’s out of date in 12 months.

Enter, An Act of God.

In it, the body of “chosen one” Mitchell Butel is taken over by God and with the help of archangels Alan Flower and Laura Murphy he seeks to address humanity’s dire misconceptions about the Bible. They also deliver 10 new commandments – all suitably hilarious.

Described by the New York Times as part chat show, part Ted Talk gone rogue, part sermon, the show takes aim at the Bible’s hypocrisy with that most enjoyable of weapons – comedy.

Butel's masterful rendering of what is essentially a one-man comic soliloquy is as worthy as any of the gospels he essentially tears apart.

Penned by 13-time Emmy Award winning David Javerbaum (The Colbert Report, The Daily Show), Act of God promised writing as sharp as Sister Agatha’s glare, but the addition of some choice updates for an Australian audience make it more relevant. Its direct pro-equality and LGBTQIA+ stance is also timely for Oz.

Butel co-directs Act of God with fellow “self-professed recovering Catholic” Richard Carroll.

“Gay, straight, bisexual, transgender: Thou art all equally smiteable in my eyes.” – God

The show runs until February 25.

http://www.darlinghursttheatre.com/whats-on/an-act-of-god

It's not often you get to meet an Olympian, so when we met Monique Heinke when Jessica Symes' was delivering her keynote "Exam Preparation: The Sprint and the Marathon" we were intrigued. Two tough fields elite sport and medecine, how does Monique do it and what advice does she have for Symes Report readers? Barbara Harvey finds out some great tips.

How did you get involved in rowing and where did that take you?

I started rowing in my final year of my undergraduate science degree. A friend suggested I should try rowing as I am tall (6 foot 3 or 1.9m), so decided to give it a go before leaving university. Initially I rowed at club level, aspiring to race at the National Championships. As I continued to improve and got faster my goals changed and I set my sights on being selected on the Australian Rowing team to race at the World Championships and eventually the Olympic Games. I made my first National Team in 1999 and competed at the Sydney and Athens Olympics in 2004 in the Womens’ quad sculls and eight respectively.

When did you decide to make the switch to medicine and why?

By 2004, I had decided I would retire from rowing. There were a number of reasons: I was getting older and wasn’t sure I wanted to keep competing at that level for another 4 years; I was married and being away from home 3 or more months away from home each year was tough; and I felt it was time to move on and develop new skills and knowledge. In addition, I knew I needed to do something to focus my attention and energies on once I’d retired from rowing. I had become interested in medicine during my science degree when I had studied some medical subjects and found them very interesting. So I sat GAMSAT (the entrance test for postgraduate medicine) in the lead up to selection trials for the Athens Olympics, applied for and gained a place at Sydney University.

What was involved in making that switch?

I talked to friends and colleagues from previous work places about switching to medicine including studying and working in medicine; being a mature aged student/junior doctor; and working in medicine as a mum (I’d had my first child by the time I started my medical degree). The application process involved an exam as well as an interview. This was followed by 4 years of studying at university, then two to three years of work as a junior doctor. The study and learning continues. I am now a 4th year registrar in radiation oncology at Liverpool Hospital and will be sitting more (and my final) exams in 2018.

Does this new role/industry give you more purpose and if so why?

My new path gives me a different purpose. Rowing, was very much goal driven for myself and my crew. Working as a doctor, is less about my goals and achievements (although these are still important to get through the rigorous training program), but is more about providing the best care for my patients. I try to think of my patients as a whole person, taking into account their individual circumstances in order to give the best care for them. In addition, there are many skills I developed as a rower that are applicable to working as a doctor – teamwork, dedication, and communication to name a few.

Why Oncology?

I am currently training to be a radiation oncologist. I became interested in this specialty during my resident year and contacted a number of the departments in Sydney and meet with radiation oncologists and spent time in clinics. The radiation oncologists I met were inspiring people with an interest in clinical practice as well as teaching and research to improve patient care and outcomes. Radiation oncology is a great mix of clinical work, technology and opportunities for research. Oncology is a challenging specialty, but being able to help people and their families through such a trying time is rewarding.

What advice do you have for others about to make a switch?

Work out where you want to be in 1, 5 and 10 years

Gather as much information as possible about the new field

Talk to people working in the new area or who have made the switch

Find out what the steps you need to do to achieve the switch – for example more study, courses or experience. Enjoy the process. It will be tough at times, but remember the bigger goal

Kate Young: "You don’t have to be running a team of 100 to be a leader, even the most junior person in an organisation can create leadership opportunities for themselves."

How did you come across Symes Group?

I first came across Symes Group as part of a program for Young Leaders that I am on at Westpac. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to attend a number of sessions and workshops with Jess, Barbara and Pearl, and I really value how committed they are to helping women tap into all aspects of their own potential.

What has been your leadership journey?

My journey to become a leader has been shaped by working with great leaders at all points of my career. I’ve been fortunate enough to have worked alongside people I admire, respect and can learn from in all the roles I’ve had – good and bad.

I started my career in Public Relations and Communications and when I was very junior, my leadership style was adapted from observing the qualities in my team’s leaders that I admired and wanted to emulate. To this day, I still credit one of these people for teaching me everything I know! A few years later I made a career side-step into Westpac as an Executive Assistant. In this capacity I had the opportunity to support a number of senior people in the bank, which gave me an insight into leadership from an Executive’s view. My current role is managing the Graduate and Intern programs Westpac has in its Technology division, which again offers a different leadership perspective.

What are you most proud of in your career?

I started out in a career that I thought would suit me, but ended up being the completely wrong industry for me! Going to work was mentally and emotionally challenging when I was doing something that didn’t fit me – even though I had great colleagues and friends around me in these roles. Getting myself out of this situation and into a company and career I genuinely love was a pretty big milestone when I look back on it, and my career just sort of took off from there – which I suppose is no coincidence when you are happy going to work. I’m such a big advocate for changing things if they’re not right for you; and that this is entirely possible with a little persistence.

What kind of impact did Presenting with Impact have on you?

All of my roles have been largely people-based which has included an element of presenting to small and large groups of varying seniority. So while I’ve had experience, I’m naturally introverted and presenting is not something that I’ll ever seek-out voluntarily! Presenting with Impact

gave me a really good check-point about how to use my personality to my advantage to make my style natural and the whole process less stressful. Presenting to me is an invaluable skill to have and when you do it well, it can have such a positive impact on your personal brand.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I’m not someone who typically career-plans, but when I joined Westpac I always had the goal of being here for at least 10 years in the back of my mind. 3 years in and I’ve had four different roles so who knows where I will be in another 5 years. I’m a very structured person in all other aspects of my life but when it comes to my career, I’m excited by the fact I have no idea what opportunities are going to open up.

What are your interests or passions outside of work?

I’m big into fitness, health and nutrition so I spend a lot of my spare time being active and eating. At the start of 2017 I committed to ticking off 50 of Sydney’s best breakfast spots. I’m only 16-in so I have some catching up to do!

What do you think are the biggest challenges for young female graduates entering the workforce for the first time?

Often the biggest challenges for anyone starting out in their career is just getting a foot in the door. I know it hit me in the face a few times, but I do believe that the rejection has been just as important in my own journey as the successes I’ve had (admittedly I couldn’t see it at the time). I’ve worked in environments that have been largely female, and also those which are male-centric, and each has its challenges. Finding confidence and understanding your own worth can be a struggle for young women, which is why it’s so important to make use of the networks around you.

What advice do you have for female graduates entering the workforce aspiring for leadership?

I always tell my graduates that your brand is your number one asset. Being easy to work with will never fail you, and going outside the realms of your job responsibilities will pay dividends. I think it’s also important to just let the process happen – we live in a world where we have access to everything we want immediately, but sometimes just letting time take care of things is the only way to go. Lastly, you don’t have to be running a team of 100 to be a leader, even the most junior person in an organisation can create leadership opportunities for themselves.

Ian Williamson, Professor of Leadership at the Melbourne Business School is a man of Principal and Action. As the Director of the Asia Pacific Social Impact Centre at the Melbourne School he has focused on key social issues such as Indigenous economic development, the development of pathways to work for individuals dealing with mental health issues, the creation of investment instruments to financially support social impact initiatives, the evolution of CSR and the creation of new social enterprises. Ian will be speaking at the World Business Forum this month in Sydney. Barbara Harvey recently interviewed Ian to hear his insights about gender targets, diversity and working accross global teams.

“Diversity and innovation go hand in hand” Ian Williamson

What are you passionate about in your work at the moment?

My passion centers on developing innovative solutions to intractable social issues. For the last 8 years I have served as the director of the Asia Pacific Social Impact Centre at the Melbourne Business School. The centre was founded to position the business school as a vehicle to solve intractable social issues by conducting world-class research that forms the bases for innovative community interventions.

In your opinion what is the value of diversity to organisations?

Diversity and innovation go hand in hand. In particular, organisations seeking radical innovation must develop a strategy for attracting, retaining and developing diverse workforces.

Many organisations are now delivering global services with teams operating across continents, from different cultural, linguistic and social backgrounds. What advice do you have for managers and teams working across different countries?

In order to have an effective multi-national workforce organisations must be willing to create practices that tailor to employees’ needs. For example, in a recent research article my co-authors and I examined the impact of work-life support practices on employees’ delivery of effective customer service across a sample of companies operating across 27 countries. We found that the impact of work-life support practices was greater in those countries with a strong gender egalitarianism culture, such as you find in many Scandinavian cultures. However, the impact of work-life support practices was limited in countries with a low gender egalitarian norm, such as you find in many Gulf countries. The point is that one-size does fit all and organisations must take the time learn what types of practices fit local norms and also be willing to incur the costs associated with tailoring their human resource practices across different regions.

Ian Williamson will be talking on: “Empowering High Performance Organisations” at the World Business Forum June 2017

http://www.wbfsydney.com/world-business-forum-sydney-speakers/48-ian-williamson.html

"If you know deep down that it's the right move for you, be brave, follow your heart, embrace the journey and be open to wherever it may lead."

Danielle Fryday shares with us how she found her “WHY” We have known Danielle for many years through her work in Learning and Development, it's been captivating observing Danielle as she has shifted from Animal Conservation being a hobby or extra in her life to now being her career focus. Barbara Harvey asked Danielle recently about that shift and what was her path to get there.

Where did your career start? And How did you get into that field of work?

I started as a graduate in a recruitment firm after completing a Bachelor of Business Administration, majoring in HR and Psychology. I was aiming to move into an HR generalist role, however the training we undertook sparked my interest in the L&D space, and I decided that I wanted to become an L&D professional to enable and support the development of others.

What is your current role and why are you planning on making a switch?

I am currently an L&D Manager in a global law firm, having now worked in corporate L&D for more than nine years. It has been a very fulfilling career, and I have been fortunate to work part time for some of those years to volunteer my time to support animal conservation organisations - a cause very close to my heart. Over the last five years my passion for animal conservation has continued to strengthen, and I have reached the point where I want to make it my full time career, not just my volunteer role on the side.

Does this new role/industry give you more purpose and if so why?

I believe moving into the not-for-profit sector and working to support a cause that means so much to me will absolutely give me more purpose. I really feel that uncovering my strong passion for animal conservation has helped me realise my 'why', and I feel so strongly in my heart that this is my way to leave the world in a better state than I found it in for future generations.

How did you go about making the switch?

I am at the start of my transition, but am very excited for where it will take me! I am currently undertaking a Graduate Certificate in Conservation Biology to strengthen my knowledge of the sector, and am seeking job opportunities in relevant organisations where I can bring my skills and experience in project management, stakeholder management, communication, presentation and facilitation skills to be of value in the animal conservation sector. I'm also working on building my network with established conservation professionals.

What advice do you have for others about to make a switch?

If you feel it in your heart, go for it! It is definitely easier to stay put in a role or industry in which you are established, and it can be really hard to back yourself to make the switch, especially if you have people close to you who may not understand your vision. But if you know deep down that it's the right move for you, be brave, follow your heart, embrace the journey and be open to wherever it may lead.

With only a handful of female CIO’s in Australia, Business Applications Manager Sarah Mccullough is focused on changing the landscape by striving to become one. Sarah talks to Barbara Harvey about her career and her insights into how the tech industry can support and champion women in leadership roles.

I see the next step as a CIO role – and am actively working towards that with great determination!- Sarah Mccullough

How did your career in IT begin?

I started my IT career as a side gig whilst teaching scuba diving in Sydney harbour. I really loved scuba diving but found the cold winter dives too much, so I got an "office job" temping in IT. Within a few months of hard work and building up relationships, I worked my way up to being the IT supervisor and shortly after that the IT Manager. In 2008 my partner and I decided to do the traditional Auzzie thing and packed up our lives to hit London on a working holiday. I was lucky enough to snag a job at a small investment bank as their Head of IT and worked for a great CFO whilst there – who taught me that you don’t need to be an extravert to be a great leader.

You were nominated for the Telstra Women’s Business Awards Business Woman of the year, can you describe your leadership progression?

Upon moving back to Newcastle I took up an IT role in Pacific National- which is a great Aussie company providing hundreds of jobs in regional areas. I have been lucky enough to progress quickly within PN, and its parent company Asciano, after doing a variety of roles including Service Delivery, Program delivery, Customer Experience, Innovation and now Applications Management. I credit this in part to a stack of hard work, but also to great peers and a very supportive CIO who was open to adding diverse skills into IT and actively promoted women.

Lastly, in 2012 I finished my MBA in computing which gave me some great tools and taught me a lot about leadership.

What are your career aspirations?

In 5 years I hope to be in a fulfilling and challenging role that I love, ideally in a coastal or regional location. I see the next step as a CIO role – and am actively working towards that with great determination!

Being a CIO for me would mean I've broadened my IT experience and business acumen enough to be trusted with the top job- and I would see it as an honour to represent IT for an organisation.

How unique is it to be a female CIO and why are there not many female CIO's?

I don't come across many female IT CIOs, in fact I can name only a handful of them in our industry at the top. I think this is partially due to the fact there are fewer females in "c suite" roles but also because CIOs commonly originate from technical backgrounds such as engineering or infrastructure- of which fewer females choose or are encouraged to study. Whilst programs like FITT are doing fantastic work encouraging girls to study STEM programs, we still have some catching up to do.

Another factor is that women may be less likely to put up their hand for roles. I recently learnt a great lesson when taking over the Applications Portfolio for the organisation I work for- just because I haven't done a similar role before or don't have the technical depth doesn't mean I can't take on a role, learn on the way and apply my other skills to be successful.

Finally the other factor could be gender discrimination or similarity bias – with most CIO’s normally being placed by the CEO, CFO or the board, who are predominately male in most countries.

What in your opinion will it take to change the balance of female leadership in IT?

A few simple things could go a long way to turn the tide.

More women in junior IT roles would help the promotion of women to senior roles. Flexible working conditions that support family life would also help – to make it easier to juggle any senior role with other commitments.

These things would all help but probably the most powerful would be more senior leaders mentoring and actively encouraging and promoting women into senior roles – such as my previous boss who is an active supporter of diversity and women.

What are your interests or passions outside of work?

Good food, red wine, good fun and hanging out with my family, friends and our beautiful 15-year-old staffy. I have a deep love for the ocean, and love to be near the coast - the perfect day always starts and ends with a swim.

Sarah McCullough is Business Applications Manager at Pacific National

I have had the honor of being a finalist in The Ausmumpreneur Awards for the past two years and it has been a pleasure getting to know CEO and Co founder Peace Mitchell. Peace has generously contributed this inspirational and very important article for The Symes Report. We thank Peace very much and hope our readers enjoy.Jessica Symes

Why are so many women choosing to turn their back on traditional careers to start their own business?

Author Peace Mitchell

When you think of an entrepreneur most people think of Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk or Richard Branson. But the start-up landscape is changing and business is no longer the ‘boys club’ it once was.

Research from Start-Up Muster shows that one of the fastest growing demographics in the start-up space is women aged 35 – 55. With women registering businesses at three times the rate of men as they search for more flexibility, fulfilment and freedom.

FLEXIBILITY The word ‘balance’ has been thrown around so many times by working mums. Many women insist that there’s no such thing but I disagree. I know many women personally who have both spare time and incredibly successful businesses. It is possible.

For Toni Joel and Nikki Horovitz, founders of globally successful brand Tonic, the search for a more flexible working arrangement was a major deciding factor in their choice to leave their former careers and create a business and lifestyle that worked better for their families. Their business model allowed them to work just 2 days a week, freeing their time to raise their young children in the early childhood years but also enabling them to have time for personal development and pursuing hobbies and interests such as yoga and theatre on the days they didn’t work. Tonic recently celebrated their 25th birthday, and although all of the Tonic children have now finished school and grown up, Toni and Nikki continue to enjoy the benefits of this flexible working lifestyle, that is so elusive for so many working mums in traditional 9 - 5 jobs.

FULFILLMENT Women have been the nurturers, the carers, the healers, the comforters and the caregivers for thousands of years. When it comes to generosity and thinking of others it’s virtually second nature.

We’ve noticed a trend lately among women business owners. They have a vision to do more than just make a profit or be their own boss. It’s a deep sense of purpose, a commitment to making the world a better place, a calling.

This unique sense of purpose is something you will rarely find in a typical corporate position and this strong desire to create something that will make an impact in the world is definitely a reason so many women are choosing entrepreneurship over their corporate careers.

For Vinita Baravkar of Bhumi a personal passion for changing the world inspired the decision to make the leap from a career in health into entrepreneurship. Her business produces 100% organic cotton products which are ethically made in India. Her passion and attention to detail means that she not only regularly visits the factories where her products are made but she also visits the farms where the cotton is grown and ensures that the individual seeds and the soil are completely free from any chemicals and sustainable and ethical farming practices are used. Ensuring that every single step in the process is the best practice for the environment and the people who are employed creates long-lasting benefits for both the end users and the people producing the products.

“After seeing first-hand the disastrous health and environmental impacts of traditional cotton growing with farmer suicides, child labour, pesticide poisoning, birth defects, harmful dyes and toxic water ways, I knew I had to do something to be the change these people needed.” Vinita explains.

This sense of purpose is an increasingly common theme amongst women starting businesses. There is a growing trend to not just do what you love but to leverage that love so that you can also change the world. Creating a meaningful business that has a genuine purpose beyond profit is a core reason many women are now choosing business over traditional corporate careers.

FREEDOM For other women a sense of freedom and financial independence is a deciding factor in their choice to ‘go out on their own’. Despite years of acknowledgment that there is a problem and countless measures to address these issues, the gender pay gap persists in Australia, particularly as women get older or become mothers. The super gap continues to widen as well, meaning many women will retire with an estimated $100,000 less than men. Women working part time often report that they are being overlooked for promotion opportunities and an estimated 50% of pregnant women report facing discrimination at work. With thousands of women facing these conditions it’s no wonder that they are searching for a better way to improve their future.

“I needed flexibility for my family, but I was also tired of working in a job that didn’t fit me. I wanted ownership and the ability to choose who I work with and how I serve them.” Aerlie Wildy shares.

“I got tired of measuring myself and my success by a standard set by someone else, which was ultimately formed based on their budget and a bell curve of other people’s performance.” Winnie Elbl agrees.

“I seriously think I’m unemployable now, having run businesses and not been in a proper job for years now. Having my own business means I can decide my own path” explains Emma Veiga-Malta.

The Federal Government estimates that there are currently around 660,000 women in business in Australia and we believe this number is set to increase as more and more women leave corporate to start businesses in search of more flexibility, personal fulfilment and financial independence.

ARTICLE BY PEACE MITCHELL Peace Mitchell is a keynote speaker, author and CEO and co-founder of The Women's Business School & AusMumpreneur, Australia’s #1 community for mums in business. Peace is passionate about supporting women to achieve success in business and has helped thousands of women achieve their dream of running a successful and profitable business.

http://www.thewomensbusinessschool.com/accelerate for business education and

http://www.ausmumpreneur.com Australia’s #1 community for mums in business

Mary Rachel Brown is one of this Countries most acclaimed, talented and inspiring playwrights of our time. Jessica Symes from The Symes Report talks to Mary about her upcoming play ‘Silent Night’ and about her insights into the female lens of storytelling and it’s importance to our culture.

JS: Mary, tell us a little about what audience can expect in your upcoming play

‘Silent Night’ and what they can look forward to in a night out at The

Darlinghurst Theatre?

MRB: ‘Silent Night’ is black comedy; it’s heightened in style, kinky in nature and

lightning fast. Strap yourself in. This is a wild one; it will make you think the theatre should have seat belts installed.

You will get to meet the Lickfold family who are entering the ARCE

(Australian Regional Christmas Awards) for the thirteenth year. This year

they are determined to win….at any cost.

Here is a little taster of the Lickfold family

Bill (the father) – A doomsday pepper, imagine a poor man’s Bear Grills.

Anne (the mother) - A Christmas obsessed helicopter mother, part Pauline

Hanson, part Mother Teresa.

Rodney (the son) - A highly intelligent low achiever who loves taxidermy

and dabbling in Satanism. Think Marilyn Mason crossed with Julian

Assange.

Last but not least, there is the unexpected and unwanted Xmas guest. Any

play that’s worth watching has a disruption to the world and this guest is it.

He gives new meaning to the term “Act two surprise”.

In short expect it to be f**king funny, and if it is not ask Darlinghurst Theatre Company for your money back.

JS: What inspired you to write this particular story and are any of the characters

inspired by real people in your life?

MRB: I went out to the Christmas displays in the outer suburbs of Sydney and

interviewed people. I met one couple that were sleeping in their laundry

because their Christmas display was so extensive it had taken over the

interior of their house.

As to people in my own life…I think we are all influenced by these people,

even if their influence works on a subconscious level. With distance, I can

see there are aspects of my family that have crept in there, but they have

been pushed to an extreme to meet the demands of the style.

JS: How important do you think diverse voices and female voices are in theatre,

art and storytelling?

MRB: The most powerful art reflects the hopes, dreams, struggles and failures in

our culture. In order to do this with integrity we need diverse voices,

otherwise, we are not getting the full story, the true reflection. If we do not

have diverse voices, we are miss out on a chance to know ourselves better.

We miss the point of theatre - to recognise who we are, and in doing so

make us feel less alone.

There is a lot of focus on representation of women and ethnic diversity;

this is overdue and great. A big shout out to WITS (Women in Theatre and

Screen) for keeping this issue on the radar. I think the industry also needs to have a good hard look at socio- economic diversity. We still live in a world where art, in most cases, is programmed, created and consumed by the people from the middle to upper class.

JS: From a wider perspective how important is it to hear female voices and

perspectives in all industries and not just the arts.

MRB: It is essential; Positions of leadership and power are still dominated by

men. A pervasive sense of male entitlement will not shift until this inequity

is addressed. I have noticed in the Theatre industry, a lot of young talented males have had meteoric rises to Artistic Director positions. I do not begrudge this, but it troubles me that I don’t see enough of the equivalent meteoric rises

occurring with young female practitioners.

JS: Have you always been a writer and what do you love about it and why are

stories important to our society?

MRB: I used to be an actor; it equipped me with a good feel for dialogue and

character. It also imbued me with a respect for actors because I know

firsthand acting is really hard. I admire actors, especially in this country

where, in most cases, actors only get three-week rehearsal and a

production week. I have also done a few other jobs in between writing gigs, they include; retail, usher, bad waitress, Captain Cook Commentator and a really crap living statue at a wedding fair….the living statue gig was a real low point. Stories are important because they clarify our commonalities and our differences. They help us understand ourselves as a whole. Stories are important because they have the power to produce empathy.

What I love about writing - the agency to create a world. To make a point.

To share what I think is important and give voice to things we find hard to

talk about.

I love been picked up by a herculean theatre company like

Darlinghurst Theatre Company, that has the guts to produce this bold new

Australian work, and who pays its creatives.

JS: Would you encourage more people to come and see theatre and stories

written by women?

MRB: Because the female gaze offers a different perspective. If we are not curious

about what that perspective is, we will fall into the trap of reductionism

and presumption. The great thing about being a writer is you are not seen,

this can create some interesting gender blindness, I have experienced this

directly. When ‘The Dapto Chaser’ was on a punter came up to me in the

foyer and said “I thought that was written by a fat old guy”, my reply was,

“No, but don’t panic there are lots of them about”. On another occasion, an

actor in one of my plays said “I thought you would be a little old lady with

glasses”. It is so easy to lose curiosity and make presumptions about the

flexibility and muscularity of the female gaze. The way to not do the former

is to see great work by women writers and directors.

JS: If you have never seen a piece of Theatre before or not a frequent arts

patron would you advise to come along to experience your upcoming play at

Darlinghurst Theatre ‘Silent Night’?

MRB: Yes because this play is a servant to my mantra “Theatre should be

entertaining”. People want to laugh, you can feel that collective desire

when you are watching comedy. They want to laugh beyond theatre

manners and etiquette, they want to laugh from the guts, because they

recognise something deeply flawed and deeply human. I think I have

achieved this with this play.

JS: Would you encourage young girls who love to write to pursue their dreams

and what advice would you have for them?

MRB: Grit and persistence are essential, they help you keep perspective.

It is likely you will write some duds, learn from them as opposed to being

defined by them. In short, be kind to yourself. As for your successes (know you will have them) celebrate them, own them and don’t be shy about building on them. Seek out mentors and don’t be shy about asking for help. Learn to tell the difference between valid literary feedback and people just banging on about their personal taste. Walk to your own beat, don’t be influenced by the fashion and taste of others. Plant your flag. Seek out the council of people who are curious about what makes you tick. Every now and then put your hand up before you think you are ready, if you don’t risk doing this it is likely someone less talented, less ready and less qualified will get the gig. Possibly a man.

Don’t piss and moan too much about the hardship of being an artist, it will

bore people and make you unhappy. Remember you chose this path and

you live in a country where you have had the freedom to so.

Most importantly, SUPPORT YOUR FELLOW FEMALE ARTISTS, GIVE THEM A

LEG UP, ACKNOWLEDGE THEM! Yes, I did just yell that, because it is so

important. On that note, thanks for this great question and the interview

Jessica Symes! See you at the show!

Darlinghurst Theatre

SILENT NIGHT

By Mary Rachel Brown | Director Glynn Nicholas

SEASON

Previews: 10 November – 12 November Season: 15 November – 10 December

PERFORMANCE TIMES

Tues – Sat: 7.30pm Sun: 5pm Saturday Matinees: 2 December & 9 December at

3pm

Duration: 90 minutes

TICKETS AND INFORMATION

www.darlinghursttheatre.com / 02 8356 9987

TICKET PRICES

Standard $54, Concession $44, Groups (8+) $44, Industry* $38,

Under 30* $38, Previews $38 *Available Tue, Wed & Thu Only

SILENT NIGHT CREATIVE TEAM

Playwright: Mary Rachel Brown Director: Glynn Nicholas Production Designer: Hugh

O’Connor Lighting Designer: Richard Whitehouse Sound Designer: Ross Johnston Stage

Manager: Isabella Kerdijk Produced by Darlinghurst Theatre Company

Jessica Symes

CEO/ Founder

Symes Group

1300 657 934

www.symesgroup.com.au

The Symes Report Magazine

Barbara Harvey talks with a variety of people in the Diversity space to uncover their thoughts on Gender Targets.

Jessica Symes, CEO/FOUNDER Symes Group

We must accept that business is in this country was built and set up by men at a time when women were not allowed to work or vote. The legacy is still around us and not that much time has passed. Without addressing that, the legacy plays a part in unconscious bias, natural selection for recruitment, policies and procedures, paths to leadership and so on. And to say that legacy does not influence women's position in the workforce is ignorant.

I am not at all saying that there aren’t fantastically aware intelligent individuals in organisations, I'm not saying that people are sexist or archaic, what I believe is that the legacy is too strong for individuals to overcome that yet without making clear deliberate choices towards gender equality.

***

Sarah Mccullough, Business Applications Manager, Pacific National

I know there is a lot of literature for and against gender targets - and whilst I know they are not the silver bullet to this complex problem I am supportive of the idea. People who argue against gender targets cite that they destroy meritocracy – which I can also see. On the proviso that targets are used in conjunction with other strategies for change which target the root cause of the issue, I can see the value in such targets.

Any mechanism that helps women into leadership roles is a positive one in my opinion- provided it's positioned correctly and everyone understands the "why". Additionally, it's critical that targets are not the only thing the organisation doing to address the gender divide - they need to tackle the issue holistically with programs that target the fabric of the organisation.

In my opinion, having more women in key roles could only enrich our industry, bringing more diversity in thinking, differences in EQ and life experience.

I also am hopeful that as more women take on senior leadership roles and we work towards equality in the workplace, gender targets will become redundant!

****

Ian Williamson, Professor of Leadership at the Melbourne Business School

In just about every aspect of business organisations use goals and targets to drive outcomes. Early in my professional career I was told by my manager that “those things that get measured get done.” I think the same is true when it comes to diversity. It is natural for individuals to consistently gravitate towards people to whom they are similar. To change this behaviour almost always requires some form of overt goal. I think the key is for organisations to provide a clear explanation for why they would have explicit targets so as to enhance the perceived fairness of the process.

I also think transparency in the process is key. Overtime, as individuals’ behaviours change (e.g., they use different recruitment sources, they develop more inclusive management practices, interpersonal comfort increases) it is likely that the targets will no longer be noticed because the organisation will develop a culture that supports diversity. However, like any other aspect of the organisation, monitoring diversity should remain part of an organisation’s routines.

****

Kate Young, Graduate Managerm GroupTech, Westpac Group

I think having targets for all forms of diversity is an excellent way to keep these conversations front of mind. I personally feel very fortunate to work for a company who are passionately committed to giving women great opportunities at all stages of their career and investing in them to get there. Achieving gender targets is a complex and slow-moving journey, but having them and discussing them openly is a lot more effective than just sweeping the issue under the rug!

Professor Ian Williamson has spent the past 10 years studying innovation in organisations. Based on this research he believes there are three key human capital issues organisations must address to have a thriving innovation culture.

Here they are:

#1: DIVERSITY

First, the firm must create an environment that supports diversity. We know that a big driver of innovation is the accumulation of diverse expertise and experiences. This allows organisations to consider issues from multiple perspectives and provides a wider range of resources to act on insights.

#2: SOCIAL CAPITAL

Second, firms must manage the social capital in their organisations. By this I mean firms should spend time thinking about the pattern of interactions that occur within and outside the firm. Our research shows that the social networks of firm’s employees play an important role in shaping new ideas and harnessing these ideas for new services, products and processes.

#3: FLEXIBILITY

Finally firms must create an environment that supports flexibility. If an organisation wants innovation it must create an environment that encourages and supports employees behaving in different ways. Flexibility in how people work, when they work, and how they decide on which work to do is critical.

-----

Ian Williamson, Professor of leadership at the Melbourne Business School is the Helen Macpherson Smith Chair of Leadership for Social Impact at the Melbourne Business School. He currently serves as the Associate Dean of International Relations at MBS and is also the Director of the Asia Pacific Social Impact Leadership Centre.

“Every day my mental toughness is challenged. Once I step outside my front door I have to not only be focused on what I am doing, what is going on around me but also the conversations or the many comments thrown my way. We all experience situations in life which can either put a smile or frown on our faces and therefore for me mental toughness often gets me through some of these situations.”

Losing her eyesight at the age of 22, has not stopped Majella from well….anything! Symes Group met Majella at Westpac in 2016 delivering the Communicating and Presenting with Authenticity and Impact. It was a remarkable experience for us as facilitators as Majella’ s perception and ability to engage with the audience was extraordinary. An intuitive, warm and ambitious woman Majella talks to Barbara Harvey about staying fit, mental toughness and a 300km bike ride for charity.

Tell me about yourself and your role at Westpac?

I grew up on a rural property, 30 minutes north of Albury. My childhood was great living on the land however my health wasn’t. My teenage years saw me in and out of hospitals due to numerous autoimmune diseases especially Lupus which impacted on my kidneys. To boot, I am a type 1 diabetic, I have had a kidney transplant and I have had a heart attack (after which I was told I had 2 years to live) that was 16 years ago. Amidst all my health challenges at 22 I started to lose my eye sight, by 25 had completely lost all sight.

I am an IT project / release manager in the digital mobile space. In addition to my day role I get to work with numerous projects across business units for the Westpac Group about the importance of ensuring our products and services are more accessible for our customers.

What do you like to do outside of work?

As many of us know we spend lots of time inside at our desks or in meetings so when it comes to outside I want to get out and do stuff. Outside work my day includes visiting the gym 5 times a week, walking home from work 2 nights a week. Weekends include getting out and walking, cycling on my tandem catching up with friends, weekends away visiting family or heading a few hours out of Sydney just to get away from the busyness of Sydney.

How important is physical fitness to you?

Physical fitness is very important to me. Growing up on land in rural NSW, running around and riding horses on the property was what our weekends were filled with. After leaving my parents property in my mid 20’s I moved to Melbourne to attend university. Exercise became even more important for not only physical and mental well- being but an escape from the stresses of essay writing and exam studying. I feel like my day is missing something if I don’t exercise.

What does Mental Toughness mean to you?

Living life. Mental toughness is embedded in nearly everything I do in life. For me mental toughness is pulling on my resilience and therefore confidence to be successful in all aspects of my life including my career, physical activity and life in general.

Tell us about the bike charity ride you participated in lately?

In March, I, together with my front rider, Mike Ryan and 99 of our colleagues had the amazing opportunity to do a Tour de Cure ride to raise funds for pioneering cancer research, support and prevention projects. We were each placed in pelotons depending on experience and fitness. Our peloton rode 328 km over 3 days starting in Panania to Bowral to Wollongong back to Sydney. What an awesome experience and to do it on a tandem (well that was not only awesome but extremely tough). It is interesting as many people think if there are 2 riders it is much easier. this might be true riding down hills outside a peloton but not so when you are riding up hills with a gradient of 12% and the hills go for ages. I had numerous people ask what was the highlight of the ride and it was completing day 1- wet weather most of the day (i.e. rain and more rain) 1600 metres of climbing and 117 km of riding. I had never ridden in such weather climbed so high and ridden so far in one day. There were times when I was questioning myself as to why I was doing this. It was about my family and friends who have suffered with cancer or looking after someone going through treatment.

How do you stay mentally tough when completing a sporting challenge?

Focusing on the end goal and the feelings of accomplishment and achievement once you cross the finish line or complete an event- there is not much that beats those feelings. During an event you may want to quit or keep asking yourself why am I doing this but at the end of the day the majority of us want to fail in anything we do including sporting challenges. And for me I am never doing a sporting event solo- every event I have a guide who has given up their time to do the event with me so there is no way I am going to quit.

What role does mental toughness play in your day to day life?

Everyday my mental toughness is challenged. Once I step outside my front door I have to not only be focused on what I am doing, what is going on around me but also the conversations I have or comments thrown my way. We all experience situations in life which can either put a smile or frown on our faces and therefore for me mental toughness often gets me through

some of these situations.

***

Majella and Mike raised over $15,000 for Tour de Cure www.tourdecure.com.au

Despite incredible capabilities, on the whole, many women in the workplace present a lack of confidence in their perceived ability to be leaders in their organisation. For many women, confidence is drawn from their life outside of work which is a life that is often not discussed. I believe that confidence can be learned and built upon. To help unlock your confident self try practicing my....

7 steps to building confidence

When you are lacking confidence, sometimes it feels like you are standing outside a room of confident people, looking in, and you can’t get in. You are locked out. Sometimes it feels like you have become a passenger of life and not a driver. Sometimes it feels like you are turning up for life but not living it.

I would like to share with you an overview of the 7 Steps to Building Confidence which, if followed all the way through, will start your journey towards becoming a more confident version of yourself. If you would like the full version of these steps with exercises click below:

Step 1: Know yourself:

The first step in the journey of developing your own confidence, is to know yourself. Techniques of understanding yourself include self-reflection exercises, strengths spotting, personal brand work and identifying your core values. It’s a good idea to write these down and keep them at hand.

Step 2: What do you want?

This is one of the hardest steps in the piece. Many people searching for confidence are living a life not aligned with who they are and the values that they hold. So it’s important to identify and articulate: What life do you want to lead?

Step 3: What's holding you back?

Now that you have a sense of who you are and what you want, you need to recognise what is holding you back from getting what you want. What perceived obstacles are in your way? What story are you telling yourself that holds you back? Is it true? Is it relevant today? Is it useful? Can you put aside that story and get a new one? The story that holds us back is also known as a self-limiting belief.

Step 4: Goal setting

Now you are at the point where you have to start turning thoughts into action. Goal setting is the pivotal point in building confidence. Articulating what you want and making a commitment to achieving it, is the bravest step and more often than not people get stuck on step 3 and return to step 1 for more self reflection.

Step 5: Build a strategy

So how will you achieve those goals? Now it’s time to be realistic about your strategy. Make a list of personal and external resources at your disposal that are going to be useful in working towards your goal. Personal resources could be: Courage, bravery, exceptional people skills, languages spoken, technical skills. External resources could be: Time, support, connections and access to industries.

Step 6: How will you acheive it?

There’s no avoiding this step, there’s no quick fix. The only way to stick to your plan and achieve your goals is to work very, very hard. There are no free lunches in life, and there is no easy road. So once again, the only way to get there is to work, work and work. Now you are going to revisit your goals armed with what you do have and what you are going to have.

Step 7: Celebrate when you get there

It’s not enough in life to achieve and move on without stopping for a moment to acknowledge and celebrate what you have achieved. When you celebrate achievement you are actually telling your brain to recognise that self-efficacy has increased and that then sets in motion the increase in self-confidence. It is only with this final step, that the self-confidence boost will kick in.

Malisa Mlinaric is the general manager Australia at WOBI, Australia. WOBI (World of Business Ideas) helps senior-level executives and companies throughout Australia and New Zealand by updating and improving their management knowledge across key topics. Symes Group caught up with Malisa to find out more about what she does and what we can expect from the World Business Forum 2017.

What was your career path to get here? Was this an expected career journey for you?

Growing up in a small country town near Wagga Wagga, I spent most of my spare time working in my parents' mixed business. I was also fascinated by hotels, so I studied business management at the International College of Tourism & Hotel Management in Manly, Sydney (now known as ICMS). I went on to work in hotels briefly, then I spent most of my career in sales roles within training centres, publications and up until four years ago, healthcare events. When I was offered the opportunity to work on launching the World Business Forum Sydney with an incredible business program containing Michael Porter, who I studied at college, it was like any business students' dream come true.

Who have been the most inspiring speakers?

I couldn't specify just one, they have all been extraordinary. One thing that I have learned after meeting most of these incredible speakers is that sharing your success and failures with like-minded peers helps each other grow, by acknowledging key learnings from our experiences, in order to forge your own path forward.

What can the delegates expect from the World Business Forum 2017?

Our theme for this year is Be Beta. In the Beta era, change is accelerated and transformation is constant, and reinvention, innovation and risk form a part of our routine on a day-to-day basis.

The content, lessons and new way of thinking you will receive from Daniel Goleman, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Mohanbir Sawhney and Ian Williamson will blow you away. Most delegates walk away with three to five key takeaways which they will be able to apply to their organisations. It is one thing to read their books, but next level to see them live and if you're fortunate, to hear their thoughts on your challenges.

How can our corporate clients engage with the forum?

We tailor opportunities to suit each individual client as everyone has different goals. In addition to attending the World Business Forum, we offer customised industry-exclusive sponsorship and the opportunity for organisations to host private events for their executive teams and clients with our speakers whilst they are in the country.

As Einstein’s final theory of gravitational waves has just recently been proven to be true, we find that one of his most famous statements to be enduring: “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”

(Albert Einstein).

As we move towards 2020 there is no doubt that the entire workforce and organisations need to be more adept in the skills of critical thinking, creativity and complex problem solving in order to grow, thrive and survive. Sir Ken Robinson, a global expert on creativity, argues that creativity is the crucial 21st century skill we’ll need to solve today’s pressing problems. And according to a report produced by the World Economic Forum, creativity will become one of the top three skills workers will need by 2020.

Symes Groups' TOP 5 creativity

guidelines for boardroom brainstorming

1. Lean into difference…

2. Never apologise for ideas

3. Don’t start with a question, start with a statement

4. Embrace metaphors and abstract representations

5. Say yes and…

A lack of diversity and the presence of monoculture in an organisation will disable any

potential creativity and innovation in that organisation. Symes Group has built a

framework and methodology around the creative process and has defined a set of

behaviours and capabilities connected to each step. The process is tangible and practical and can be applied by anyone.

It is our belief that the creative process needs to be the process by which businesses

do everything. From big to small decisions The Creative Process should be the new, modus operandi of innovative organisations.