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Can you tell us about your career journey since graduating - and what inspired you to take this path?

I chose to study this path when I was in the RAAF as an Air Traffic Controller. In all honesty, it seemed like the thing to do at the time. I was responsible for incident management, and the “why do people make the decisions they do” really interested me. So being able to study so many elements of safety/law was a great outcome. I was in the United Arab Emirates towards the end of my study and wrote my thesis on the ‘Integration of the UAE National Culture into an ICAO based Safety System”. That paper positioned me to pursue operational safety full-time. My studies allowed me to become an accident investigator (and full member of ISASI), have involvement in the first endorsed SMS in the UAE, represent at ICAOs inaugural Global Gender Summit, become an inspector and work on the integration of drones into civil airspace and head up systems safety for OMDW. Along the way, I was also the SME for a redesigned (my design) ICAO ATS Investigation Course. All of that led me to today, where I’m the Vice President of Safety, Security, Quality & Environment for Commuter Rail in the USA.

How has your science degree shaped your thinking or opened doors in your career?

Something that I notice often as a senior leader and is a constant topic of discussion amongst my peers, is that we have a ‘problem’ with thinking and the types of inquisitive thinking we need in safety to identify and solve problems. It comes naturally to me, and that is in large part to the papers I researched and submitted; as well as my thesis. Specifically, it has taught me to be evidence based and look to the data for verification.  

Reflecting on your work today, how do you see it making a positive difference?

Great question. I’m a transformational leader. The roles I’ve found myself drawn to are those that are seeking fundamental and foundational change in their safety approach. The conversations I have, and those I lead, I know are planting the seeds for the future - I drive cultural change - my team will change you think (and if we do it right, you won’t realise it was us). I like out of the box thinking, so I’m constantly looking for efficiency and innovation. We are shortly to launch a social media safety campaign for teens. I’m nervous and excited at the same time. I get to see that difference all the time in the conversations I have. I see it in the quality of the analysis, in the participation of risk activities and in the changed language use of the staff.  

What advice would you give to current science students who are unsure about where their science degree could take them?

Don’t sweat it and have caution in trying to map it out. I never thought I was creative, yet it turns out my creativity comes alive in the jigsaw puzzle of accident/incident investigation and that has led to amazing opportunities. Also, be open to possibility. If you had of said to me 20 years ago that STEM would lead me to work on 3 continents, have my work approved by Her Majesty, be invited to speak at multiple conferences/events, and represent at the ICAO level….I’d have told you, you were crazy. I grew up in Gladstone, Queensland, in a town of 13,000. How on earth would any of that become possible? And yet.    

Looking back, what skills or insights have been most valuable in your career and is there anything you wish you’d known when starting out?

I know you often wholeheartedly believe you’re right, but you don’t yet have expertise. Every 8-10 years you’ll look back and marvel at how you’ve grown – knowing that, be intrigued by what else you can learn/experience. Emotional maturity is absolutely vital to senior leadership – do the work to position yourself so that your insecurities don’t hinder you.

I’ve always believed competence wins out in the end – it’s a long game to play – and it works until you reach senior leadership. At that point, influencing and networks become vital. Learn how to authentically play nice with others from an early point.

Lastly, I say that I’ve never been one to go with the flow/crowd. There were times when all I wanted was to fit in. Now, I’d tell myself to lean into and leverage the ‘square peg, round hole’.

Have there been any pivotal moments or unexpected turns in your career and how did you navigate them?

There have been many. I gave in to the emotion behind closed doors; and then I looked for the opportunity. Every step has ultimately led to the next, even when I didn’t think something was working out, within 12 months, it completely had – but maybe in a different direction than I expected.

I’ve also at times been incredibly spontaneous – I moved to Boston not realizing how much it snowed here! I take it one day at a time, I know what I actually have control over.

What change or innovation in your field are you most excited about for the future and what role do you hope to play in it?

I’m currently leading the development of Youth Safety Campaign for rail that targets the 12-19 year old demographic with the social media platforms as the delivery mechanism. It’s a series of shorts trying to make a very boring topic ‘relevant’. The last major one worldwide was ‘Dumb Ways to Die’ by Metro Trains Melbourne. My role is launch it nationwide in the US and then use our international arm to springboard it into the global market.

The other change I would love involvement in is training a new generation of safety professionals with a completely different approach / way of thinking - I’m in discussion with a colleague on what this could look like.