Governing Body Spotlight

I am a versatile and global CIO with a proven track record in driving results across a wide range of disciplines. I have deep experience in roadside technology, CRM and Billing systems, core tolling, banking operations, business management, vendor management, diversity and campus recruitment.  

In addition to my 4.5 years at Transurban, I have more than 20 years experience in banking and capital markets including business and institutional banking, equities trading, trade finance, securities lending, clearance and collateral management and global custody.  

A fun fact about me, I just completed my first multi-day through hike and have now totally caught the bug!

Learn more about the Sydney CIO community here.
 

Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.

I began my career as an economist working for the Australian Federal Treasury and then took a leave of absence for 12 months to travel and work overseas. Twelve months turned into 16 years living and working in London, New York and Hong Kong. On the way, I found my passion for all things IT and have never looked back!  

I love leading large teams and the continuous learning that comes with our field. After a couple of decades(!) in banking, I had the opportunity to try something completely different with Transurban. I was surprised by the transferability of so many of my skills as well as energised by the opportunity to learn a completely different (and tangible) space. I love seeing all of our work come to life.
 

What is one of your guiding leadership principles?

Be curious in your career and always be learning and trying new things. I ask lots of questions and I make sure it is clear to my team that I am trying to learn, not questioning their decisions.  This curiosity will only become more important given the speed of change in our industries.  I am also a big fan of the Stephen Covey principle – seek first to understand and then be understood. Once you understand where someone is coming from, it makes it easier to communicate in language that matters to them and to drive a better business outcome.
 

What is the greatest challenge CIOs face today, and how are you addressing it?

The speed of technology change, how to embrace it and decide which areas you will lead that change and where you will be a fast follow.
 

What is the key to success for someone just starting out as a CIO?

Think deeply about how you can bring the most value to your organisation and how you partner across the C-suite to ensure success.
 

How do you measure success as a leader?

I measure success by how clearly my team understands their priorities and our direction of travel. I also judge leadership success based on how many obstacles I can move out of the way of my team to allow them to focus on their core work as well as how cleanly we execute on our delivery.
 

What is the value of being a member of Gartner C-level Communities?

I truly value the ability/opportunity to reach out to like-minded peers who are facing the same challenges to seek their ideas and counsel.
 

Gartner C-level Communities Governing Body members share their insights and leadership perspectives to shape the agendas and topics that address the top priorities impacting business leaders today.