Recap: AusIMM WIMnet NSW leadership lunch
Another successful event was hosted by KPMG Sydney for AusIMM Women in Mining (WIMnet) NSW on 18 October 2018.
Attendees gathered to hear from an inspiring trio of female leaders in the resources industry.
Joining the panel discussion – facilitated by Catherine Dean, Partner in tax advisory at KPMG – were Phaedra Deckart, General Manager, Energy Supply and Origination, AGL; Cassandra Hogan, National Sector Lead Power and Utilities, KPMG; and Dr Mary McGeogh, Associate Director Management Consulting, KPMG. The panellists shared with the audience their career journey and the driving factors to their success. They also shared the various challenges and adversity they encountered and provided valuable insights as to how they overcame those challenges to become successful leaders.
Resilience was at the heart of the panel discussion. Throughout their careers, Phaedra, Cassandra and Mary were faced with challenges such as transitioning from one industry and work environment to another, meeting expectations from various stakeholders (CEOs, clients), being pushed out of their comfort zone, working in a male-dominated industry, traveling overseas for work, and maintaining a work-life balance.
They highlighted the importance of self-belief, curiosity, being kind to one’s self, networking and leadership. For them, a team leader’s role extends to active listening and a strong dedication to building one’s team, ‘build your people, build their skillset, know their strengths and focus on them’. Phaedra Deckart quoted Joseph Campbell: ‘The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.’ Whilst acknowledging their experiences of self-doubt, fear of failure or the fear of not being good enough, our panellists revealed that perseverance, self-belief, and a ‘go-for-it’ attitude are what helped them make a difference.