Career Stories

Career Stories

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Career Stories episodes

  • Critical Thinking, Biases & AI Cognitive Offloading - Bethan Winn


    "Hold your values tightly - but hold your beliefs lightly." - Bethan Winn


    We're drowning in information and starving for judgment. Every scroll, every AI-generated answer, every "trust me" from an institution that used to earn it - it's all pulling us toward outsourcing our thinking to someone, or something, else.


    Bethan Winn, critical thinking specialist and author of The Human Edge: Critical Thinking in the Age of AI, joins Dr Luella Forbes for this bonus edition to make the case that the antidote isn't more information. It's a skill we can actually build.


    In this episode, Bethan breaks down what critical thinking really means (hint: it's not criticizing), why courage - not intelligence - is the piece most people miss, and how to tell what's true when Google itself can't be trusted to tell you anymore. Along the way: the "frog in boiling water" trap at work, why confirmation bias is the enemy of good decisions, and a simple model you can use to think more clearly under pressure.


    In this episode:


    00:00:00 - Welcome & Introduction:
    Luella introduces this bonus edition with critical thinking specialist Bethan Winn.


    00:01:00 - What Critical Thinking Actually Means:
    Bethan breaks it down into skills, knowledge, and attitude - and why courage is the one we forget.


    00:02:05 - What Should You Actually Think Critically About?:
    Why it depends on your values, and why there's no judgment in what you choose to care about.


    00:03:12 - The Frog in Boiling Water:
    How we normalise bad job situations simply because we're already in them.


    00:05:00 - Why Critical Thinking Is Getting Harder:
    Noise, busyness, and the quiet influence of AI-driven recommendation engines on our "free will."


    00:07:21 - Comfortable vs. True:
    Bethan's Venn diagram for the real question behind every hard decision.


    00:09:38 - Overthinking & the Education System:
    Why young people struggle with ambiguity - and who's really to blame.


    00:10:17 - Fact-Checking in the Age of AI:
    Fabricated references, mangled sources, and what happens as Google shifts to AI-chat search.


    00:14:31 - Confirmation Bias & Holding Beliefs Lightly:
    Why changing your mind shouldn't feel like losing.


    00:15:16 - Brené Brown, Adam Grant & The Courage to Be Wrong:
    What it looks like when experts model intellectual humility in public.


    00:18:26 - How to Actually Check What's True:
    Credibility, source, and asking what the writer wants you to think.


    00:21:41 - Where to Start Building the Skill:
    Curiosity, rigor, and Bethan's PZZNT decision model.


    We would love to hear from you. Share your thoughts on recent episodes or questions you would like Luella and Michelle to answer to [email protected].


    Connect & Subscribe

    Subscribe to Career Stories wherever you get your podcasts. 

    Follow Career Stories on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.


    Career Stories is brought to you by The Career Library.


    23 min
  • From Teacher Dreams to Running HR at Mission Australia - Mandy Cann


    “On average, people have three to five careers in their life. And I’m certainly one of those people.”


    What does HR actually do, and why does it matter so much in organisations that change lives? Mandy Cann is General Manager of Partnering and Employee Relations at Mission Australia. She leads HR partnering, employee relations, remuneration and organisational design for a national charity of around 2,700 employees and 1,500 volunteers.


    Mandy’s path to the top of HR wasn’t a straight line. She dreamed of being a teacher, then worked through finance, marketing, local government, her own consultancy, a criminology degree and the Royal Flying Doctor Service, before returning to Mission Australia in a bigger role. If you’ve ever wondered whether a winding career can still lead somewhere you love, this one’s for you.


    In this episode


    Mandy and Luella talk about what HR business partners actually do day to day, and how HR supports frontline teams working in homelessness, mental health, aged care and youth detox services. Mandy explains how she approaches employee relations as a collaborative relationship with unions rather than a battle, and why Mission Australia hires people with lived experience of addiction, knowing the risks that come with it. She also shares the hardest moment of her career, what being a middle child taught her about ambition, and why she went back to an organisation she’d already left.


    Episode highlights


    00:34
    - Who Mission Australia is and the communities it serves


    07:02
    - Do you need to be Christian to work at a Christian charity?


    08:05
    - What a General Manager of Partnering and Employee Relations does day to day


    09:46
    - What HR is really there for: walking alongside managers


    13:31
    - HR in high-risk frontline services, from aged care to youth detox


    16:38
    - Why Mandy’s role is all about managing risk and giving leaders options


    18:45
    - A childhood dream of teaching (and a blackboard from Santa)


    20:12
    - From finance and hotel reception to HR at Brisbane City Council


    21:29
    - Finishing a Master’s in Employment Law with a six-month-old


    23:55
    - Employee relations, enterprise bargaining and working with unions


    30:02
    - Building a lived expertise workforce


    31:29
    - The hardest time: leaving government and starting a consultancy


    33:00
    - A criminology degree and a career crossroads


    33:54
    - Working at the Royal Flying Doctor Service during COVID


    38:08
    - The strengths behind her success: strong women and middle child drive


    42:56
    - The best career advice she’s ever received


    Resources


    Mission Australia: missionaustralia.com.au


    Mandy Cann LinkedIn




    New episodes on a Wednesday, with interviews with leaders or experts every week and a monthly discussion episode at the end of the month.


    We would love to hear from you. Share your thoughts on recent episodes or questions you would like Luella and Michelle to answer to [email protected].


    Support this podcast by becoming a member and get access to bonus episodes containing work related advice from Luella, Michelle and expert guests as well as a monthly newsletter with access to tools and guidance from this week's advice episode.


    Join here


    Connect & Subscribe

    Subscribe to Career Stories wherever you get your podcasts. 


    Follow Career Stories on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.


    Career Stories is brought to you by The Career Library.


    46 min
  • The Career Nobody Grows Up Wanting - Glen Moloney


    "You make your luck, take some risks, have a go."


    Did you know what you wanted to be when you left school? Most of us didn't, and plenty of the most interesting careers are ones nobody ever told us existed.


    Procurement is one of them. It's the work behind the poles, wires and contracts that keep the lights on, yet almost nobody grows up dreaming of doing it.


    In this episode, Dr Luella Forbes reconnects with Glen Moloney, General Manager of Procurement and Supply at one of Queensland's largest energy providers, who she met during their MBA. Glen unpacks what procurement actually involves, from sourcing and negotiating contracts to managing the supply of everything a big energy network needs, and why commercial acumen and storytelling are so important in the role. He shares a career built by saying yes: a TNT scholarship that took him to the UK, a visa mix-up in Amsterdam he calls "a comedy of errors", helping set up the procurement arm for the Ford Mazda joint venture in Nanjing, China, and building a centralised procurement function at Virgin Australia before running Virgin Cargo. Along the way he reflects on transferable skills, why the right environment changes everything, leading people through change, and the values that have guided every big decision.


    In this episode:


    00:00:40
    - What a general manager of procurement and supply actually does
    00:03:57 - Supplying infrastructure across a state the size of Queensland, from poles and wires to vegetation clearing
    00:08:23 - The skills procurement needs: commercial acumen, contract know-how and storytelling
    00:16:47 - How AI is reshaping procurement and where humans stay in the loop
    00:19:12 - "Nobody grows up wanting to be a chief procurement officer" and how Glen picked his degree
    00:21:37 - A TNT scholarship and six months studying in the UK
    00:26:07 - Moving to Amsterdam and an unexpected visa story
    00:28:02 - Helping set up procurement for the Ford Mazda joint venture in Nanjing, China, and what it taught him about culture
    00:33:44 - Moving to Brisbane and taking transferable skills into financial services at Suncorp
    00:37:15 - Joining Virgin Australia to build a centralised procurement function
    00:41:15 - Same skills, different environment: why support and mandate change everything
    00:43:04 - Leading people through change with honesty and time to decide
    00:47:09 - Airport negotiations and running Virgin Cargo, a full-circle moment
    00:49:12 - COVID, stepping away and knowing when you've given all you can
    00:50:28 - Looking after himself: the gym, Pilates and learning to meditate
    00:57:39 - The best career advice Glen ever received
    00:58:35 - What Glen is proudest of, and why it isn't about his career


    Resources mentioned:

    • Melbourne Meditation Centre - https://melbournemeditationcentre.com.au/
    • Connect with Glen on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/glen-moloney-bb95a89/?isSelfProfile=false


    New episodes on a Wednesday, with interviews with leaders or experts every week and a monthly discussion episode at the end of the month.


    We would love to hear from you. Share your thoughts on recent episodes or questions you would like Luella and Michelle to answer to [email protected].


    Support this podcast by becoming a member and get access to bonus episodes containing work related advice from Luella, Michelle and expert guests as well as a monthly newsletter with access to tools and guidance from this week's advice episode.


    Join here


    Connect & Subscribe

    Subscribe to Career Stories wherever you get your podcasts. 


    Follow Career Stories on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.


    Career Stories is brought to you by The Career Library.


    1 hr 1 min
  • Pigeonholed at Work? How to Get Work Famous - Leanne Hughes


    "It's about being famous for your ideas and for your contribution."


    Ever felt like you're doing great work but nobody's noticing? Or that people only see you as "the IT person" or "the change person" when you know you can do so much more? You're not alone, and the good news is you don't have to wait for someone to tap you on the shoulder.


    In this bonus episode, Luella sits down with Leanne Hughes to get practical about her new book, Work Fame. Forget paparazzi and red carpets. This is about building a reputation that attracts the good stuff: cool projects, great people, promotions and more money, all without the ego or the cringe of self-promotion.


    In this episode


    Following on from Leanne's main episode, this conversation is all about the how. Leanne shares her three spotlights for getting work famous, why a CV is really a list of things you don't want to do anymore, and how to break out of being typecast. Luella and Leanne dig into why times of change are the best moment to step up, how to stay visible when you work remotely, how leaders can help their teams shine, and the simple "walk of fame" practice you can try tomorrow.


    Timestamps


    00:39 What work fame really means (and what it doesn't)


    01:47 Deciding what you want to be famous for


    03:47 Breaking out of being pigeonholed


    07:03 Why no one cares about your career as much as you do


    08:19 Seeing a gap and filling it: tell people, then do it


    10:21 Why change is the best time to step up


    17:16 The three spotlights: contribution, conversations and coverage


    18:54 Talking about your wins without feeling boastful


    22:13 When the most dependable people get loaded up with more work


    25:59 Building visibility when you work remotely


    29:52 How leaders can help their team get work famous


    31:29 One thing to try tomorrow: the walk of fame


    36:04 The hierarchy in your own head


    37:44 The story you tell yourself about who you want to be



    Resources


    Work Fame by Leanne Hughes, out now wherever you get your books here


    Connect with Leanne on LinkedIn here



    New episodes on a Wednesday, with interviews with leaders or experts every week and a monthly discussion episode at the end of the month.


    We would love to hear from you. Share your thoughts on recent episodes or questions you would like Luella and Michelle to answer to [email protected].


    Support this podcast by becoming a member and get access to bonus episodes containing work related advice from Luella, Michelle and expert guests as well as a monthly newsletter with access to tools and guidance from this week's advice episode.


    Join here


    Connect & Subscribe

    Subscribe to Career Stories wherever you get your podcasts. 


    Follow Career Stories on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.


    Career Stories is brought to you by The Career Library.


    42 min
  • Privilege in the Workplace and Comparing Yourself to Others

    What does privilege in the workplace really look like? In this September Career Advice episode, Dr Luella Forbes and Associate Professor Michelle Gander unpack networks, money, time and access, why privilege is so hard to talk about, what you can do with it whether you have a lot of it or a little, and why comparing yourself to others rarely tells the full story.


    Ever scroll past someone who seems miles ahead of you and wonder what you're doing wrong? This month, Luella and Michelle unpack why the answer is often about starting points, not effort.


    "You actually can't compare yourself either way, right? Good or bad. Because you actually have no idea about where people have started from." Michelle Gander


    Episode highlights:

    00:00 - Introduction

    01:30 - What Luella and Michelle have been up to, from a career workshop at Flinders University to a Brisbane trip

    06:09 - Luella's storytelling for change talk and how you can join

    07:34 - Recapping Angela Bliss, Sally Richardson and Leanne Hughes

    10:17 - Why privilege? What sparked the topic

    11:21 - What privilege means, from nepotism to meritocracy

    13:20 - Networks, money and time: the hidden advantages in careers

    16:34 - Class, schooling and the idea of "inheritocracy"

    20:26 - The equity picture: why the right help looks different for everyone

    22:01 - Layers of privilege and intersectionality

    24:25 - Why representation matters and "you can't be what you can't see"

    27:32 - Looking at inputs as well as outputs, and the privilege walk exercise

    32:08 - Networking in smaller cities and what it means for new graduates

    33:53 - Working with what you've got, and borrowing influence

    36:29 - Building inclusive workplaces and giving everyone the same chance to plan for change

    41:25 - Comparison and starting points: why it's not worth measuring yourself against others

    43:44 - Finding a role model instead

    44:31 - Book of the month: Work Fame by Leanne Hughes


    Resources and links


    Episodes mentioned:

    Angela Bliss: youtu.be/SqOnFnxltww

    Sally Richardson: youtu.be/REvc2Toutps

    Leanne Hughes: youtu.be/EHJzjVbxhRc

    Elizabeth Shaw on diversity and inclusion: youtu.be/cZ34gflZiYY

    Fadzi Whande on diversity and inclusion at the UN: youtu.be/m0M4m1CIr0Q


    Books mentioned:

    Work Fame by Leanne Hughes

    Inheritocracy by Eliza Filby


    Luella's Storytelling for Change webinar, 7 October: luellaforbes.com/webinar-storytelling


    All opinions are the guest's own.


    New episodes on a Wednesday, with interviews with leaders or experts every week and a monthly discussion on what we've heard in the last week of the month.


    We'd love to hear from you. Share your thoughts on recent episodes or questions you'd like Luella and Michelle to answer at [email protected].


    Career Stories is hosted by Dr Luella Forbes, who works with organisations on leadership, change and storytelling. To find out how she can support your leaders and teams, visit luellaforbes.com/services


    More about the podcast: luellaforbes.com/career-stories


    Watch Career Stories on YouTube, and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.


    Help other people find this podcast by subscribing in your podcast app and leaving a review.


    47 min
  • How to Get Noticed at Work: Leanne Hughes on Work Fame

    How do you get noticed at work without waiting for luck? Speaker and author Leanne Hughes shares the mindset behind her new book, Work Fame, and the career that took her from Wicked Campers to running her own consulting business.


    Everyone tells you their big break was luck. It wasn't. It was a habit of showing up with your head up instead of your AirPods in.


    This week Luella sits down with thought leader, speaker and author Leanne Hughes to unpack the real story behind her new book, Work Fame - out 30 September. Forget the highlight reel of stages and airports. Leanne breaks down what actually got her noticed in a big organisation, and why the same mindset now powers her solo consulting business.


    From a childhood dream of playing netball for Australia to a corporate role that inspired an entire book, Leanne's career story is a masterclass in creating your own momentum instead of waiting for a conveyor belt to move you. She and Luella talk through the reality of solopreneurship, the "walk of fame vs walk of tame" concept at the heart of her book, why being hard to explain might be your biggest asset in the age of AI, and the Canada workshop disaster that accidentally launched her first podcast.


    "I think the world doesn't reward intent, you know? It rewards action." Leanne Hughes


    Episode highlights:

    00:00 - Introduction

    00:36 - The reality of being a "thought leader" - what Leanne's week actually looks like behind the Instagram highlights

    05:01 - Why being "unexplainable" is a strength, not a weakness, in the age of AI

    10:38 - The idea behind Work Fame and how one piece of blunt career advice sparked it

    13:36 - The "walk of fame vs walk of tame" - the mindset shift behind getting noticed

    18:20 - Her formative years at Wicked Campers and the "seek forgiveness, not permission" lesson

    24:38 - The workshop that went wrong in Canada - and accidentally launched her first podcast

    34:03 - What success actually looks like to Leanne (and why she talks openly about money)

    37:59 - Quickfire round - coffee order, WFH vs office, and the best career advice she's ever received


    Resources:

    Leanne Hughes Linked In - linkedin.com/in/leannehughes

    Work Fame by Leanne Hughes: getworkfame.com

    Leanne's Work Fame newsletter on Substack: workfa.me

    Tim Ferriss's fear-setting exercise

    Jim Rohn's advice: work harder on yourself than you do on your job


    Episodes mentioned:

    Bethan Winn on critical thinking in the age of AI: youtu.be/lEr0Onb4qQw

    Dr Mia Carbon: youtu.be/0cEmeCbQpXk

    Elizabeth Shaw on sponsorship: youtu.be/cZ34gflZiYY

    All Career Advice and guest episodes: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQ2uiJbm7wluvT39bLBd7ZKMU1US0Qonf


    All opinions are the guest's own.


    New episodes on a Wednesday, with interviews with leaders or experts every week and a monthly discussion on what we've heard in the last week of the month.


    We'd love to hear from you. Share your thoughts on recent episodes or questions you'd like Luella and Michelle to answer at [email protected].


    Career Stories is hosted by Dr Luella Forbes, who works with organisations on leadership, change and storytelling. To find out how she can support your leaders and teams, visit luellaforbes.com/services


    More about the podcast: luellaforbes.com/career-stories


    Watch Career Stories on YouTube, and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.


    Help other people find this podcast by subscribing in your podcast app and leaving a review.


    43 min
  • What Is Corporate Affairs? From Law to the UN with Sally Richardson

    Most people think corporate affairs means writing press releases. Sally Richardson's version of the job means coordinating with state governments during a live incident, running on what she calls the "no surprises doctrine," and keeping 3,500+ staff aligned when a transport network is in the headlines.


    Her path there wasn't linear. A commercial lawyer who moved to New York for what was meant to be one year and became ten, did a masters at Columbia, then joined Australia's diplomatic mission to the UN - working the campaign that got Australia elected to the Security Council, then serving on it herself. She came home, worked in Victorian state government, then jumped to Tennis Australia just months before COVID, ending up deep in the biosecurity and border coordination that got the Australian Open delivered safely. Corporate affairs at Yarra Trams, then Keolis, followed.


    In this episode, Sally Richardson, Chief of Corporate Affairs at Keolis, joins Luella to unpack what corporate affairs actually involves, how a "no surprises" relationship with government clients holds up under pressure, and how staying open to unplanned opportunities took her from law to the UN to national transport leadership.


    "Sitting behind the nameplate and thinking what an extraordinary privilege to represent Australia on that world stage." Sally Richardson


    Episode highlights:

    00:00 - Introduction

    01:48 - What Corporate Affairs actually covers at a national transport operator

    13:18 - Wanting to be a paediatrician, coming from a family of lawyers, and Arts/Law at Monash

    15:50 - Starting out as a graduate lawyer

    16:47 - Moving to New York for one year and staying ten

    19:52 - Joining Australia's Mission to the UN and the Security Council campaign

    29:26 - Luella's Aristotle framework on trust, and doing what you say you'll do

    31:59 - Joining Tennis Australia weeks before COVID, and delivering the AO through border restrictions

    40:56 - The strengths behind her career, and how she looks after her wellbeing

    47:52 - The best career advice she's been given: be open to opportunities

    48:53 - Her proudest career moment


    Resources & links:

    Sally’s LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/sallyweston


    All opinions are the guest's own.


    New episodes on a Wednesday, with interviews with leaders or experts every week and a monthly discussion on what we've heard in the last week of the month.


    We'd love to hear from you. Share your thoughts on recent episodes or questions you'd like Luella and Michelle to answer at [email protected].


    Career Stories is hosted by Dr Luella Forbes, who works with organisations on leadership, change and storytelling. To find out how she can support your leaders and teams, visit luellaforbes.com/services


    More about the podcast: luellaforbes.com/career-stories


    Watch Career Stories on YouTube, and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.


    Help other people find this podcast by subscribing in your podcast app and leaving a review.


    51 min
  • What Is Behavioural Science? Angela Bliss on Her Career at NAB

    In this episode, Dr Luella Forbes talks to Angela Bliss, Head of Behavioural Science at NAB, about a career that's moved through art history, gallery direction, web design and freelance consulting before landing in a discipline built on one idea: it's easier to change someone's environment than to change their behaviour. They cover why personality predicts behaviour better than demographics, the very ordinary origin of her career (she wanted to be a police officer at eight), and the hardest lesson of her career - learning that being right isn't the same as being heard.


    Ever gone from being the outside expert everyone wanted in the room to being the person who actually has to live with the decision - and noticed people stopped listening to the exact same advice?


    "I was telling them that their baby was ugly and that's the last thing they wanted to hear." Angela Bliss


    In this episode:

    00:00 - Introducing Angela Bliss, Head of Behavioural Science at NAB.

    00:47 - What behavioural science actually means, and the ATM story that explains it best.

    06:15 - Why personality traits predict behaviour better than demographics.

    08:29 - Studying behavioural science at the London School of Economics.

    13:25 - Childhood ambition: wanting to join the Queensland police at age eight, and the winding path through Japan, London and art gallery direction that followed.

    19:35 - Reimagining a NAB bank branch as a design studio.

    22:01 - Leaving NAB, going freelance, and being invited back to work on romance scams.

    25:04 - The hardest period of her career: moving from consultant to insider, and why the same advice landed differently once she was "inside."

    29:23 - Wellbeing, upbringing, and how both shaped her approach to career.

    31:11 - Quick-fire round and the best career advice she's ever received.


    Resources & links:

    Angela Bliss on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/angela-bliss-behavioural-design

    Take the Big Five personality test: openpsychometrics.org/tests/IPIP-BFFM


    All opinions are the guest's own.


    New episodes on a Wednesday, with interviews with leaders or experts every week and a monthly discussion on what we've heard in the last week of the month.


    We'd love to hear from you. Share your thoughts on recent episodes or questions you'd like Luella and Michelle to answer at [email protected].


    Career Stories is hosted by Dr Luella Forbes, who works with organisations on leadership, change and storytelling. To find out how she can support your leaders and teams, visit luellaforbes.com/services


    More about the podcast: luellaforbes.com/career-stories


    Watch Career Stories on YouTube, and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.


    Help other people find this podcast by subscribing in your podcast app and leaving a review.


    34 min
  • Read Your Own Leadership Habits Before Your Team Does at Work


    "On their worst day, the shadow kind of looms over everybody and stops them being able to do what they need to."


    Ever walked into a meeting already flat, distracted, or just not yourself - and wondered afterwards why the room felt off?


    Turns out your team feels it too. And there's a name for it.


    In this month's Career Advice episode, Dr Luella Forbes and Associate Professor Michelle Gander unpack the "leadership shadow" - the idea that what you say, measure, prioritise and how you act on your best and worst days shapes your team far more than you realise. Sparked by a listener email and a comment from August guest Ron Christianson, it's a practical framework for turning self-awareness into better leadership, plus a look at why big organisations seem to grow leaders differently, and Luella's exciting news about a brand new chapter in her own career.


    In this episode:


    00:00 -
    Michelle's quiet winter of reading (including her ongoing octopus obsession) and Luella's trip to Melbourne.


    03:23 -
    Luella shares the new change leadership services she's launching today - training for middle managers and senior leaders, keynote sessions, and a methodology built from her doctoral research. Full details below.


    07:06 -
    Quick take-aways from Ron Christianson, Asha Bhat and Janette O'Neill's episodes.


    08:45 -
    What McDonald's, Mars and Mercedes get right about talent development - and what gets lost for people who've only ever worked in one place.


    20:22 -
    A personal story about applying for - and not getting an interview for - a role, and what it revealed about how leaders are chosen.


    24:48 -
    Luella breaks down the four-part framework - what you say, measure, prioritise and how you act - and why your bad day doesn't have to become your team's bad day.


    32:29 -
    Michelle shares an example of a leader whose emotional, honest town hall speech landed better than a polished one would have.


    Resources mentioned:


    • Dr Luella Forbes' new services - Lead Better Change at The Narratologist
    • Gravitas by Dr Louise Mahler 

    All opinions are the guest's own.


    New episodes on a Wednesday, with interviews with leaders or experts every week and a monthly discussion on what we've heard in the last week of the month.


    We'd love to hear from you. Share your thoughts on recent episodes or questions you'd like Luella and Michelle to answer at [email protected].


    Career Stories is hosted by Dr Luella Forbes, who works with organisations on leadership, change and storytelling. To find out how she can support your leaders and teams, visit luellaforbes.com/services


    More about the podcast: luellaforbes.com/career-stories


    Watch Career Stories on YouTube, and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.


    Help other people find this podcast by subscribing in your podcast app and leaving a review.


    39 min
  • A C-Suite View on Adaptability Over Resilience with Janette O'Neill

    "I think what I'm most proud of is the relationships that I've built along the way." -  Janette O'Neill

    She built a global sustainability function from the ground up, led people and culture transformation across Australia, the UK and Ireland, and was named interim Chief HR Officer for North America right as Covid upended everything about the role. Thirty years in, people still ask her the same question: how do you actually make sustainability work inside a business, instead of it just being a slogan on a slide.

    Along the way there's a New York apartment lined up in the West Village, a view of the Chrysler Building, and Billy Joel tickets for Madison Square Garden - and then, as she puts it, "the Covid happened."

    Janette O'Neill is a former Global Head of Sustainability at QBE, with a career spanning strategy consulting, culture and HR transformation, and sustainability leadership across Andersen Consulting, PwC, NAB and QBE in Australia, the UK, Ireland and the US. In this conversation, Janette talks with Dr Luella Forbes about how she built a global sustainability function from scratch, her interim posting to New York and the Covid timing that upended it, what she's learned about resilience versus adaptability, and what it's like navigating a workplace that assumes childless employees have nothing else pulling at their time.

    Timestamps


    00:01:06 - Meet Janette: Global Head of Sustainability at QBE


    00:03:09 - A Deliberate Pause: Stepping Away On Her Own Terms


    00:09:10 - Decoding Sustainability: Beyond the Paper Cups


    00:13:44 - AI's Hidden Cost: Convenience vs Consequence


    00:16:19 - From Art Curator to Andersen Consulting: How It All Started


    00:32:07 - The New York Dream That Covid Cancelled


    00:35:14 - Redefining Resilience: Why Adaptability Wins


    00:38:54 - Success, Wellbeing and Life Without Kids at Work


    00:44:34 - Quickfire Round


    00:45:42 - What She's Proudest Of

    Resources Mentioned:

    Janette O’Neills LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/janette-o-neill-a60343/

    All opinions are the guest's own.


    New episodes on a Wednesday, with interviews with leaders or experts every week and a monthly discussion on what we've heard in the last week of the month.


    We'd love to hear from you. Share your thoughts on recent episodes or questions you'd like Luella and Michelle to answer at [email protected].


    Career Stories is hosted by Dr Luella Forbes, who works with organisations on leadership, change and storytelling. To find out how she can support your leaders and teams, visit luellaforbes.com/services


    More about the podcast: luellaforbes.com/career-stories


    Watch Career Stories on YouTube, and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.


    Help other people find this podcast by subscribing in your podcast app and leaving a review.


    42 min

About Career Stories

From the publisher's feed

The podcast that shares other people's career stories, to help you with yours. Career Stories is a podcast for people who want a better working life. Hosted by Dr Luella Forbes - consultant, researcher and founder of The Career Library. Each episode features an honest conversation with a leader, entrepreneur or expert about the real story behind their career: the transitions, the setbacks, the decisions that didn't go to plan, and the lessons that shaped where they ended up.