CELM Women in Leadership Seminar an inspiration
The Engineers Australia Women and Leadership seminar opened with an inspirational life story from Tamara Sebire, Vice President of Reservoir Development, Woodside Energy. Her confidence and passion enabled her to work and travel all over the world with her family by her side.
Tamara’s advice included a Top Ten with “Don’t plan”, “Make the most of now” and “Speak your mind” coming in at first, second and third place respectively. There was one question, however, which lingered on the majority of attendees’ minds, “Just where did you find a man who is willing to follow you?” Tamara’s response led back to number 5 – Think your options through and compromise, and number 9 – Children can cope more than you think and always involve your family in the decision.
Di Pierce, the event’s facilitator, focused on leadership style and dynamic communication techniques and activities. This gave participants a fun opportunity to build their networks and learn about their own leadership and communication styles through role play.
The four speakers for the ‘Power Session with the Experts’ were Sue Murphy, General Manager Infrastructure, Water Corporation, who spoke about mentoring and role models; Parisa Bahri, Dean, School of Engineering and Energy, Murdoch University, who outlined the importance of influence and advised that preparation is key; Vince Santastefano, Executive Vice President Production, Woodside Energy Ltd, who presented an investment approach to networking; and Helen Pederson, Lead Civil/Structural Engineer, Calibre Projects, who addressed the challenges of work-life balance.
The seminar was a fantastic opportunity for women to reflect on their experiences and take the time to focus on career management. The outstanding attendance illustrated the commitment that women engineers make to personal and professional development.
By Ksenija Stanic-Colic, WIE WA, with thanks to Candice Young for contributing recollections.
