In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

The dynamic nature of my role ensures that no two days are alike, ensuring there is never a dull moment. Throughout each day, I engage with internal colleagues, external partners, and valued customers, fostering meaningful connections that drive our collective mission forward. My primary responsibility each workday is to diligently assess how I can put my best foot forward to fulfilling our organization's purpose- ' providing opportunities to individuals from rural background'. While ensuring this- my core area of focus remains to cultivate strategies aimed at elevating our brand's visibility on a global scale- Marketing, Branding, and Communications.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

I think navigating the right balance between immediate results and sustainable growth and adapting to the ever-changing technological market.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

I find immense joy in reflecting on a question close to my heart. To answer this- it is every time a woman chooses BCS for her career forward. This expression is not merely tied with International Women's Day but because this was my dream when I joined BCS in 2019 after my career hiatus- building a woman workforce within BCS- a platform for all those girls and women alike who want to start/restart their careers fighting all barriers - empowering them. Today, as we march forward, I am filled with pride to see our progress- from 1 in 2019 to 66 in 2024 - This achievement reaffirms my belief in our collective journey as an organization and fulfilling the purpose.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

1 motto- You are way stronger than you think. Do not compromise because of your gender. Stand up and speak with utmost humility. Be empathetic and an encourager in this world.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

Placing BCS at the forefront of CloudTech innovation and leadership and opening doors to more opportunities that would help us serve the community. Navigating the market dynamics and multifaceted challenges while ensuring my organization's purpose and values are fulfilled will likely be the most interesting and rewarding aspects of my role.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

I am an SAP HXM cloud Sales and Delivery Lead for Australia. Therefore, I am developing and growing business across sales and revenue, helping clients to move to the cloud, rethink and redesign their HR Processes and HRIT landscape.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Meeting sales target and delivering against aggressive timelines, performing in a client facing high pressure job.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

I am from a little city from Easter Europe. After working and paying for my HR Masters' degree in the UK, I built up my career from scratch in an area that was never my strength (IT consulting). By being persistent, diligent, resilient and having a never give up attitude helped me to build deep expertise and experience, resulted in receiving offers from all over the world that were the highlights of my career (US and Australia especially). I worked and lived in 7 countries and 3 continents overall that helped me to build high interpersonal skills, resulted in an international career that I am very proud of.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Be fearless and persistent. Don't be afraid to go the extra mile. Focus on the target, believe in your dreams and most importantly in yourself. Never accept inappropriate behaviors or treatment, you can be strong and stand up when needed.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

I am new to ANZ and therefore it is very exciting to me to connect and build relations in this place with different people, partners and stakeholders. I am very much looking forward to growing teams, adding value and be part of the greater ANZ community.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

As the Managing Director at Accenture focusing on SAP SuccessFactors and S/4HANA Public Cloud, my typical day is marked by a diverse array of activities spanning across solution architecture, project delivery, strategic planning sessions, client meetings, SAP engagement, provide quality assurance to project teams, navigating complexities and mitigating risks to ensure successful project delivery.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

I rather call it my greatest challenges - and that is to continually push the boundaries of innovation and excellence, while also navigating the complexities of a dynamic industry and meeting the diverse needs of our valued clients around ANZ.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

One of my proudest and most enjoyable moments in my career was leading a team through a particularly challenging project that demanded innovative solutions and unwavering dedication. Despite facing numerous obstacles and tight deadlines, we collaborated seamlessly, leveraging our collective expertise to overcome every hurdle. Witnessing the project come to fruition and witnessing the tangible impact it had on our client's business was immensely fulfilling. The sense of accomplishment and camaraderie among the team as we celebrated the successful delivery of the project remains a cherished memory. It reinforced my belief in the power of teamwork, resilience, and creativity to achieve extraordinary results, and it serves as a constant source of inspiration in my continued journey as a leader in the industry.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

My advice to any woman who wants to pursue a similar career is to:

1. Embrace your strengths,
2. NEVER be afraid to ask for help,
3. Advocate for yourself.
4. Believe in yourself and never stop learning.

and MOST importantly (Sharing my personal motto)

4. Sit higher than anyone in a meeting room, both figuratively and literally, owning your presence and contributions with confidence

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

Exploring more innovative solutions and strategies to drive greater efficiency.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

Having recently taken on the role of president and managing director I travel quite frequently, visiting our people, customers and partners across Australia and New Zealand. I spend a great deal of time with our customers where I seek to understand what’s impacting their worlds, their priorities and challenges, and how technology can help them navigate change and future-proof their organisations. When I’m not with our customers, I also meet with our ecosystem partners on similar topics and try to regularly head into one of our offices where I enjoy catching up with our people as nothing beats sitting down for a face to face chat. When I do have a spare half an hour, I catch-up on emails, plan the time ahead with my team, and share a laugh. When home in Melbourne, preparing a meal to share with my family is often my way of winding down (when Richmond is not playing of course).

What are the biggest challenges you face?

The technology sector has always been characterised by rapid change and you only need to look to the last year to see this in action through the transformative impact of generative AI. A key challenge for me is balancing this pace of change and innovation with the immediate needs of our customers who are increasingly focused on driving organisational efficiencies and productivity in a world characterised by high inflation, high interest rates, ongoing supply chain disruptions and a changing climate.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

That’s simple, being asked to lead SAP ANZ. This is without a doubt the proudest moment of my career and something all my previous experiences have been building to. I actually started in Customer Services for one of our larger customers and then moved through accountancy into technical solution presales and sales world getting to work with some wonderful teams of people helping our customers to transform their businesses.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

There is nothing that comes close to working with a team of smart, passionate and caring people. My advice is to seek that out with a fierce determination as you start in your career, create the opportunities that take you into their orbit and then find ways to make them stick with you and vice versa as you move through your career. This applies not only to the organisation you are working in at the time, it’s the scaffold of good people that you form relationships with across your working life. Also don’t be shy about taking up the opportunities that present themselves to you. You might not think you are the perfect fit but say yes to the new experience and trust in your innate ability to learn. Be Bolder.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

I’ve just started in the role of President and Managing Director this year so it’s a perfect time to consider this question! I am passionate about our people and helping them evolve our workplace into becoming even more engaging and rewarding. The way we conduct ourselves is the bedrock of energising the people around us and leaders are critically important to creating and sustaining this especially with the pace of change around us. What our customers are experiencing in their own worlds and what problems they are trying to solve is another priority focus of mine. This is a mindset that demands empathy and curiosity which I want to drive to a new level. I fundamentally believe that AI will be at the core of helping our customers when it comes to technical solutions. It will be a massive productivity gamechanger as our customers work to drive growth in uncertain market conditions coupled with skills constraints. SAP Business AI offers an incrementally positive way forward for organisations especially those that can elect to see this as a whole-of-business strategy. Our role will be to help them see how the data that sits in their SAP and non-SAP systems can be harnessed step-by-step to deliver the productivity gains they need.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

• Overseeing executive stakeholder involvement for major events
• Project management of tasks related to upcoming events/productions,
• Communicating with customers, sponsors, vendors, and internal teams to ensure alignment on event/program objectives, timelines, and deliverables.
• Developing and implementing marketing demand generation programs to promote events/programs, attract attendees, and drive engagement through various channels such as social media, email campaigns.
• Communicating, promoting, and activating global sponsorship activities in regional
• Brand ambassador for region; point of contact for any brand related enquiries

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Balancing the requirements of various stakeholders while remaining aligned with the program's core purpose and objectives.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

Launching Effect in 2019, SAP Australia's first large scale innovation event.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Leverage SAP's extensive network; connect with experienced folks, and if you're stuck, there's always someone who is willing to help. My lesson is to not shy away from delegating tasks and making the most of available support, the winning formula to amazing brand experiences is the team behind it!

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

In the future, the most interesting aspect of my role will be around the integration of emerging technologies such as virtual reality and AI for more immersive and personalised experiences.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

My day typically involves collaborating with clients to understand their HR needs, mapping out business processes, configuring SAP SuccessFactors modules, and ensuring seamless integration with their existing systems. I often conduct workshops, manage stakeholder expectations, and troubleshoot any issues that arise during implementation.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

One of the biggest challenges is aligning the software’s capabilities with the diverse and complex needs of our clients, all while managing change within their organisations. Keeping up with the rapid pace of technological change in the field of HR systems is also demanding.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

I am most proud of being a part of a pioneering team that executed a ‘no-fail’ implementation for a high-profile client—the first of its kind in their history. We delivered a robust SAP SuccessFactors solution that transformed their HR operations, marking a milestone in both our client’s journey and my own career.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Believe in your unique perspective as a woman in tech. Embrace continuous learning, seek out mentors, and advocate for yourself. Your work in tech not only shapes careers but also influences the fabric of workplace equality for years to come.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

The integration of technology like AI to foster more equitable and unbiased HR practices is interesting. As we enhance analytical capabilities, we’ll better understand and improve the employee lifecycle, making a tangible difference in workforce diversity and inclusion.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

Leadership, architecture, and advisory

What are the biggest challenges you face?

• Creating an innovative environment for my team where talented resources can thrive
• Assessing technology candidates focusing on quick and tangible results
• Prioritising business outcomes in uncertain economy

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

Two proud moments:

1. Receiving a letter of recognition from a multinational company early on in my career for my achievement in delivering a global program of work on time and on budget in a time of economical uncertainty (GFC).
2. Speaking at an IT forum about our experience as a team and how we overcame challenges in our transformation journey.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Be persistent, assertive and trust your knowledge and abilities. Look for opportunities to build your network. Think strategically and be proactive.

As a leader coach your team and motivate others for success.

Be committed to your career whilst maintaining work-life balance.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

Keeping a sharp focus on innovation investment, cloud platform consolidation and generative AI.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

Leading spokesperson for analyst, press and community engagement. Storytelling to clearly convey SAP differentiation. Define direct & adjacent supply chain growth opportunities. Determine best GTM for product innovations to maximize SAP growth, cutting across product teams as needed. Responsible for the quality and completeness of content, programs and resources used across the customer journey of awareness, perception, eval/trial & adoption – spanning both digital and in-person engagement. Define new programs & resources to maximize customer engagement. Ensure hero customer stories for key product areas and launches.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

The biggest challenge I face is getting middle managers to think outside their individual silo and look at the broader supply chain process to maximize effective supply chain transformations. This combined with convincing supply chain practitioners SAP is not just an ERP/ back-office solution provider but instead a leading supply of innovative and intelligent supply chain solutions.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

My proudest accomplishment was being named as CRO of SAP's Digital Supply Chain. I worked for over 25 years in the industry is getting to the point where I would be leading a billion plus business in a business I love and the board at SAP trusted me to do so based on both my leadership skills and deep domain expertise in supply chain. I am absolutely passionate about my company, my industry and what I have the privilege of doing every day.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

First you must enjoy supply chain. Passion is important in this industry. Really understand the technology that can be apply to supply chain. Finally, find great coached and sponsors to guide you on your journey.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

Working with senior executives and companies and governments to transform their supply chains to be risk resilient and sustainable. This makes the world a better place and I find making a difference is exciting.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

Working with our customers around transformative SAP solutions, guiding our SAP Business Group on delivery and building capability, supporting and mentoring internal and external team members on their day to day concerns.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

This past year - recession supporting our team through this. This new year going forward, not enough talent in our market.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

Growing my SAP SuccessFactors team - I am immensely proud to have grown them from a small team to the large kick-arse team they are today. They easily take top honors in delivering SAP SF HR/Payroll solutions in NZ.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Be yourself, don't listen to your inner critic - you do know what you are doing and you do deserve to be at the table so lean in.

And don't take yourself so seriously. Have a laugh!

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

Overcoming the last year, building up, thinking differently for our customers (and taking them on the journey).

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

• Influencing internal teams and clients on the benefit of the SAP AppHaus method that combines design thinking and architecture thinking
• Negotiating deals for design and build
• Delivering deals with our clients end to end from design and prototyping all the way to UAT and in-market launch - working closely with my technical BTP and S/4HANA colleagues.
• Running/facilitating AppHaus innovation session internally within Accenture and with our clients

In short, solving complex business problems everyday starting with the users first and leveraging SAP technology stack- bringing passion and an accent from my French background!

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Having to explain the value of the AppHaus method in 2024 when DT has been around for the last 20 years :-)

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

1. Negotiating and delivering end to end FMCG customer portal (React) and admin portal (Fiori) on BTP to transform the way business customers do business with our clients - supporting their whole journey from product purchase, to pay to invoice, to claim etc...
2. Representing Accenture AppHaus at the 10 years anniversary of SAP AppHaus in Germany in 2023 and practicing my German!

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Do not be afraid to have your say as long as you can articulate the value of change - doing things a different way. And surround yourself with colleagues who can advocate for you about what you bring to your organisation and its clients and who you can also learn from.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

AI as part of Design and how this changes how we approach solving client problems.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

My day starts with a trip to the gym, coffee and working on my daughters hair. Once done , I am ready for work. I work from home when needed and I meet people when required. I enjoy working with different teams solving different challenges and providing a great outcome for the clients

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Lack of senior female role models/ mentors, ‘acceptance’

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

The proudest moment is when a client calls to talk about the fondest memories and the outcomes achieved for them. Every program has its flavour, everyone is valued and cherished.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

My suggestion is to ‘go for it’. Follow your heart and your purpose

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

Interacting with people across the world ,learning from the experts, working towards contributing for the greater good.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

I lead a high-performing team of Industry Account Executives who deliver mission-critical value-based solutions across 26 of the top 100 customers in Australia.   We drive cloud sales growth, high customer satisfaction, and digital transformation programs across various industry sectors and regions with direct and indirect selling motions.

My core daily competencies include executive engagements, complex cloud solutions sales, participation in programs of large transformation natures, governance structures, and commercial negotiations, legal and contracting.

Keeping across the customer base with the extended virtual support team covering account executives, lines of business, management, services, support, bid teams, pursuit teams, legal and commercials is daily - local and international resources are involved.

Leading Executive engagements that are planned wherever possible via the Account Planning exercise and then managing escalations as they arrive in the business. This includes Marketing within the local customer base and Melbourne.

Additionally, in 2021-2022 I was the SAP Melbourne Branch Manager focusing on the cultural aspect of the branch, health and well-being, and sustainability practices for the 350+ employees. This also included being nominated as the Melbourne program lead to support the business case with the SAP facilities and project team for the new branch relocation to Freshwater Place in Melbourne.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Leading multi-layered matrix teams, supporting my direct and indirect teams by mentoring, coaching, and leveraging the generational divide when transforming the way we engage and encouraging the diversity that brings.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

The team I manage is made up of high-performing individuals, and working alongside them and seeing their growth has been an incredible outcome for me. Having conversations about "what's next" based on their skill set, attitude, passion, and energy to go further without limitations or perceived barriers I feel proud about.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Stay curious and continuously learning no matter what your age or current stage of your career path is.

Now with 23 years of experience in the ICT industry, I am currently pursuing my MSc in Professional Practice Leading Sales Transformation from Middlesex University. Focusing on how to optimise transformational practices, sales performance, and strategy using best practices, tools, and frameworks.

Never too old to learn :)

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

Within ICT sector, one thing is constant and that is Change. Our business, industry, and customers are leaning into the Cloud models which come with new exciting advancements such as Gen AI, and then also new challenges such as Cyber.

I believe that Coaching is a mechanism to unblock barriers to these future Changes, as often we do not have the experience of being able to know the answer.

Mentoring and training are based on what we know already or the guidance we can provide based on previous experiences.

Coaching is for the unknowns we are entering - being the Change agents.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

• Customer Success
• BTP Consumption & Adoption
• Customer Success adoption events

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Collaboration between business & IT

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

Successful go-live/ transformation project

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

• Be open, Be Bold
• Take seat at the table

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

AI

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

I manage the marketing for SAP ANZ so that involves primarily pipeline generation, brand and reputation build and customer advocacy.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Changing customer requirements and the need for heightened customer experience.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

Being applauded as I walked into the room by the executives in ANZ for a series of marketing activities we ran in 2019.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Go for it! Marketing is so varied that you touch all aspects of the business and importantly you are in front of customers and hearing it all for yourself as to how to make a difference.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

AI definitely is going to have a massive impact on marketing from the way we write to the way we book advertising and develop creative to most importantly the way we analyse what we do and what works.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

My role is intricately aligned with Quality Assurance and Risk Management within the SAP ecosystem. This specialised area is crucial for ensuring the reliability, performance, and overall quality of SAP implementations and integrations across various business processes.

A significant part of my role is to foster a culture of quality and continuous improvement within the team and across the organisation. This includes leading a team of skilled testers, providing them with guidance, training, and mentorship, and ensuring they are equipped with the latest testing methodologies and tools specific to SAP environments.

We focus on both manual and automated testing techniques, leveraging industry-leading tools to streamline testing processes, improve accuracy, and accelerate the delivery of SAP projects.

Furthermore, I am involved in staying abreast of the latest trends in SAP testing, including the adoption of agile and DevOps practices within SAP projects. This continuous learning enables me to innovate our testing practices, ensuring they remain effective and relevant in a rapidly evolving SAP landscape.

By leading the testing practice, I contribute to minimising risks, ensuring high-quality SAP solutions, and supporting business resilience and efficiency. This role is instrumental in building confidence among stakeholders that SAP systems will perform as intended, supporting critical business operations and strategic goals.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

One of the biggest challenges is ensuring the alignment of testing strategies with diverse and complex business processes across different industries. Each business has unique processes and requirements, making it essential to customise testing approaches to accurately reflect real-world scenarios. This complexity requires a deep understanding of both the technical aspects of SAP systems and the business contexts in which they operate.

Moreover, managing the balance between thorough testing and project timelines is a constant challenge. There is often pressure to accelerate testing phases to meet project deadlines, which can risk the quality and comprehensiveness of testing. Ensuring that testing is both efficient and effective, without compromising on quality, requires meticulous planning, effective resource management, and sometimes, tough negotiations with stakeholders to underscore the importance of quality assurance in the project's success.

Additionally, promoting diversity and inclusivity within the team and broader SAP community presents its own set of challenges. Despite efforts to increase representation, women remain underrepresented in many areas of technology, including SAP. Fostering an environment that not only welcomes but actively supports diversity involves challenging existing biases, implementing equitable practices, and providing mentorship and growth opportunities to ensure that everyone has the chance to succeed.

Lastly, the shift towards Agile and DevOps practices in SAP projects introduces challenges in integrating traditional testing roles within these methodologies. Adapting testing practices to fit into shorter development cycles and ensuring continuous testing and integration without disrupting the workflow requires a shift in mindset, processes, and tools.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

One of the proudest and most enjoyable moments in my career as a Testing Practice Lead within the SAP ecosystem came from a project that presented significant challenges, both in terms of technical complexity and the tight timeline. The project involved implementing a new, highly customised SAP for a client operating in a niche industry, which required extensive, specialised testing to ensure the system would support unique business processes without disrupting existing operations.

The moment of pride came when, after months of meticulous planning, collaboration, and execution of a comprehensive testing strategy, the project was successfully launched with no major issues. Seeing the client's satisfaction and the positive impact the new solution had on their business operations was immensely rewarding. It was a testament to the effectiveness of our testing practices, the hard work and dedication of the team, and our commitment to quality assurance.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

For women looking to forge a career in SAP, my foremost advice is to embrace continuous learning with open arms. The SAP landscape is dynamic, with new technologies, methodologies, and best practices emerging regularly. Invest time in understanding the core SAP modules, as well as emerging technologies like SAP S/4HANA, cloud solutions, and integrated business planning. Certifications and courses can be invaluable in building a strong foundation and demonstrating your commitment and expertise.

Networking plays a crucial role in navigating and thriving within the SAP ecosystem. Engage with the SAP community through forums, LinkedIn groups, webinars, and conferences. These platforms are not just for learning; they're also invaluable for connecting with peers, mentors, and industry leaders who can provide guidance, insights, and opportunities. Don't hesitate to seek out mentors, both men and women, who can share their experiences, offer advice, and support your career development.

Developing a problem-solving mindset is key. In roles like testing, you'll often face complex challenges that require innovative solutions. Cultivate the ability to approach problems systematically, breaking them down into manageable parts, and applying logical and creative thinking to find effective solutions.

Lastly, believe in your unique value and voice. Diversity in thought, perspective, and experience is crucial in technology and business process optimisation. Your unique background and approach are assets that can drive innovation and efficiency in SAP projects. Be confident in your abilities, and don't shy away from expressing your ideas and taking on leadership roles.

Remember, your journey into SAP can be as unique as you are. There's no one-size-fits-all path, so be open to exploring different areas within SAP to find what truly resonates with your interests and strengths.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

Considering the evolving landscape of the SAP ecosystem and the role of a Testing Practice Lead, the future holds several fascinating prospects that promise to reshape not only the approach to testing but also the broader impact on business processes and innovation. Aspects that I find particularly intriguing:

1. Integration of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
2. Shift towards Continuous Testing in DevOps
3. Increased Focus on User Experience (UX) Testing
4. Expansion of Testing Scope due to SAP Ecosystem Diversification
5. Greater Emphasis on Security and Compliance Testing
6. Collaboration and Cross-functional Teams

Each of these aspects presents its own set of challenges and opportunities, but collectively, they point towards a future where the role of a Testing Practice Lead in the SAP ecosystem is more dynamic, impactful, and integral to driving business innovation and success.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

• lead generation
• deal origination
• content creation
• event management
• event marketing
• story telling
• relationship building
• partnership management

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Adjusting to a rapidly changing environment, with the latest breakthroughs in technology and the introduction of AI.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

Becoming an expert in the field of SAP, being a part of an exciting team making Accenture the SAP Partner of choice.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Build your network. Reach out to industry leaders and build your relationships, everybody in the industry is here to help you succeed! Take every learning opportunity you can.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

I look forward to embracing the exciting parts of my role, which will include exploring new technologies, understanding how consumer behaviors evolve, and building strong partnerships to create groundbreaking solutions that fuel long-term growth in our digital era.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

On a typical day I have a mix of meetings with customers, partners, my sales team, and the broader SAP team. We are typically discussing customers' business problems and how we can solve these with our SAP solutions, and a plan to work with the various stakeholders to come to an outcome.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

My biggest challenge is undoubtably time! There are only so many hours in the day so I need to wrestle with tactical issues and pursuits and then also saving time for being more strategic. And layered on top of that I am a wife and Mum with 3 busy teenagers, so I'm also very conscious of achieving work / life balance and trying to be present and engaged for everything.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

The proudest and best moment of my career was when the SAP NZ team entered the Dancing with The Stars contest at our global kick-off in Singapore. We spent 3 months training with the most unlikely dance team including our MD, and ended up doing an amazing performance and winning 10,000 EURO for our charity.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Back yourself and sell your strengths! Be ready to take chances and do things that make you uncomfortable,  and seize every opportunity that is put in front of you. And set precedent to make sure you have guard-rails around your time and what you commit to - you can't be everything to everyone at all times.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

I think it's never been a more exciting time for anyone in the IT industry, with all the changes and evolution coming with AI, and customers still journeying to the Cloud. It will be really interesting to see how both customers and employees are affected in the way that we work.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

Morning activity for me is doing household work and then going to work and evening taking kids to sports/activities, cooking dinner, and watching TV. Before going to bed, I usually check my emails and be prepared for the next day.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Challenges keep changing:) sometime managing both personal and professional life while working from home.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

Accenture is like my family, as I grew in my personal life, I eventually moved up the career path too, and enjoyed every movement of it.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

I would advise them to be vocal and speak out about their aspirations to leadership and would also recommend having empathy and being a people person.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

Growing with a company where I can continue to learn, take on additional responsibilities, and contribute as much value as I can. I am looking to get into my next career path and would like to see myself challenging the role of managing projects.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

• meet with customers to discuss their business challenges
• challenge the status quo and propose innovative solutions to our customers
• lead teams and ensure that value is at the heart of everything we are doing and delivering.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Some organisations don’t take the opportunity to challenge enough the status quo and adopt the best industry practices.

I found extremely challenging when the client is asking to almost replicate the as-is and customisations without considering the best practices.

Found that this is not where we are at our best.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

A rapid S/4HANA implementation in 9 months for a client in the Resource Industry.

Client, Accenture and SAP were fully aligned and working together to achieve a common goal.

Strong commitment from the client to keep the Core Clean.

Great collaboration and support between SAP and Accenture teams to overcome challenges in the Joint Ventures Accounting area where we faced technical challenges.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

The last few years have been exciting with a lot of innovations in Public Cloud, Data and AI, Joule….

Customers need support to understand the latest solutions and innovations and be advised on what in it for them and best for their business.

We need a diverse workforce to talk to our customers and collaborate with our Partners.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

• keep supporting clients on their journey to business transformation
• keep bringing value to our customers through rapid / compressed transformation
• identify use cases and implement AI to generate value and solve business issues.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

Managing team who look after the SuccessFactors modules, Contractor Mobilisation and Training for our business. Coaching them and helping them to trouble shoot issues related to SF. Leading system improvement projects. Meetings, meetings, meetings.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

I am trying to manage a team and be the technical expert. Being a female leader in a male dominated industry. Juggling multiple projects and tasks.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

Winning the SAP Best Run award in the category of Industry Disrupter and coming runner up in the Human Experience Management category. I loved working on that project with the SAP lead and our SAP partner. It was exciting to be part of an innovation project. It was a real boost to my confidence, energised me to continue working on further system improvement projects and led to some great opportunities that pushed me out of my comfort zone.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Firstly, I would say educate yourself. You don't have to have studied what you do to be successful in an area. Highlight transferable skills to demonstrate your ability to contribute. Find a mentor; I have been so lucky to a have a great mentor at CPM these last couple of years, I wish I had done that sooner. Network, attend conferences and reach out to people in your industry. Be flexible and say yes to opportunities outside your comfort zone. I went to a Mastering SAP event in 2022 and the next year I ended up presenting. It never crossed my mind that that was even a possibility. Lastly believe in yourself! as women we are rarely the loudest people in the room, often get talked over, many of us have experienced having our ideas presented as someone else's, but I would say don't let the knocks hold you back. Be confident, be resilient and be persistent until you achieve your goals.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

Within my business area, we are continuing to automate and digitalise as much as possible, understand how we can leverage AI to improve efficiency, data accuracy and contribute to a safer work culture. I look forward to seeing more growth for my role and where it takes me and my team this year.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

Leading large SAP based transformation programs

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Finding great people

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

• building outstanding teams
• explaining tech trends to executives

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Back yourself to understand technology and share your knowledge with others.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

GenAI will change how we go to work. it's up to us to shape that future.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

I get involved in projects as part of the delivery team, presales, sales discussions, delivery, resource management, escalations, and also do your usual team manager activities, looking at the skill, shape, breadth, strategic development and position of the team for key development topics;BTP, modern SAP development, App development, Security, User Experience, etc. When time allows, I still try and keep my hand in SAP user experience related things, which is my passion.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Keeping up with the scale and pace of change can be difficult at times, we are at a tipping point for technology and innovation and the challenge is about not only keeping up with technology myself, but also figuring out how to bring along colleagues, team, and customers on the journey with us while delivering in a timely, cost effective, efficient manner with great customer outcomes.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

My most enjoyable moments happen when I can see other people getting inspired to come along on the journey; be that in the value discussions that SAP User Experience can bring them, or when my team make magic happen for our customers.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

The best piece of advice I can give is what I've been given myself. That is if you're unsure or worried, but want to, step out of your comfort zone and go for it. Then try your best, support your people, and keep saying yes to opportunities when they arise, you never know where they will lead you. Very apt for me, I left school and got a diploma in fashion and design, so my start, and career journey to the role I have now is not something I would ever have planned when I was doing that first piece of study.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

Innovation and change are key, I get to work with some really clever people and it's exciting to see what they create. Being part of that innovation and helping people build cool stuff to improve the world is what it's about. Also, it's always exciting to see where those opportunities lead.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

• Client delivery
• People management
• Understanding client issues and solutions

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Finding time for everyone, prioritising, and never feeling like there is enough time in the day.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

Any time my client is delighted or anytime one of our employees is seen, recognised and feels valued.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Say yes to everything (at first) - learn where you get your joy in the day to day and what brings happy moments at work.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

Finding time for more chats - whether it’s clients or employees or ecosystem partners, I learn something from every conversation. So I hope to have more of them!

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

My day starts with checking Emails from clients and making sure queries are responded to on time, attending Business and IT workshops to gather Financial Planning & Analytics requirements, collaborating with stakeholders to review and discuss AS-IS and TO-BE processes, then working with the project manager and guiding consultants to achieve the build, deploy, and testing in the cloud-based system such as SAP Analytics Cloud for financial planning and data analytics solutions, for clients across Public Sectors, Real-estate, Utilities, and FMCG.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

To be able to understand the domain knowledge from clients across sectors efficiently through industry research, client workshops, and expert chat, hence could provide the most suitable IT solutions to fit the business needs, in the FP&A area, supported by my 5 years of SAP consulting delivery experience.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

The proudest moment of my career was successfully delivering the winning pitch and solution for the 2022 SAP APJ Hack2Build Business Technology Platform Hackathon. The whole engagement lasted for 3 weeks, during which our team was able to prototype a sustainability initiative to track, report, and plan on greenhouse gas emissions for business travel, and meet the sustainability reporting requirements aligned with ESG targets using SAP Analytics Cloud with the design thinking methodology. The most exciting part was to identify a business opportunity from scratch, fine-tune the solutions with prototyping, and realize the solution in an agile manner.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Participating in case competitions or hackathons at the early stage of your career or in the universities would help you to polish your structured way of problem-solving and how to pitch your ideas. Also trying to connect with industry professionals through networking events or mentoring programs would provide you with insights about future roles and figure out your interests.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

The most interesting aspect regarding the future of my role could be fast learning of the evolution of technology, and connecting business needs with IT solutions to drive workplace efficiencies and realize social impacts, such as achieving the net zero target in 2030.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

You mean besides being the kick-arse finance negotiator within the company?!

I am usually involved in the operational side of the organization, aka, advising on budget, expenses, troubleshooting issues in our financial platforms and introducing new technology which enable us to be more efficient!

My normal BAU include deep diving into the financials, talking with my beloved stakeholders for budgeting and forecast. I master in the art of financial analysis to provide valuable insight for my stakeholder, whilst also making it fun and actionable. I truly believe finance does not need to be dull :)

I am an avid tech geek and embrace the current trends for digital automation and AI in the world today. This has allowed me to be involved with many amazing projects! Taking on the reins to merge tech with Finance has been passion projects and one that I see continuing on in the long run.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Merging the old and new organization cultures and values, working to discuss how to best proceed with large scope financial controls, introducing new processes and technology.

Whilst embracing the era of technology, we must also remember to focus being customer - centric. It's important to work alongside WITH departments instead of enforcing platforms without their input. I strive to work with a department rather than enforcing particular processes. The trick is to find that middle ground where organization values are still the epitome of the transformation whilst working in a new technology efficiency.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

I was involved in the project roll out for the SAP Concur platforms, across all 4 platforms, Expense, Purchase invoice, request and travel. Not only did we win the Australian 2022 Best Run awards for digital automation, but we also won received an Honorable Mention award that year!

It's an amazing feeling when you are able to share these achievements not only with your organization, but also with likeminded people who are also on their automation journey. It's a thrilling sensation when you are able to provide insight to the highs and the lows of the transformation journey. .....Also doesn't hurt to make new friends along the way!!

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Have passion, in both professional and your personal life. Aim for goals!!!! even the smallest step forward is a win in my books. As women., we usually aim to resolve everything in every direction and of our life! that can be exhausting and to say the least, overwhelming.

Find a happy place in your workspace (mine was coffee break with coworkers), simply your priorities, take one step forward, you will find that new ideas pop up in the most unexpected way along your timeline.

Remember to always celebrate your wins, and also celebrate your losses. Losses bring to attention what rectifications can be done in the future, and also a lesson learnt. Hence making this a win in my books!

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

There are so many! Robotic Process Automation (RPA)& Generative AI seems to be the buzz word these days!

But you need to take a step back and think about what technology, what platform work efficiently to the ethos of your company. Technology should enhance the experience of the user, processor and viewer from beginning to end.

I find that too many organizations read up on the latest trend and leap too fast. Whilst automation is a way forward in the future, organization need to be aware how they are utilizing AI for this. Automation tools should benefit an end-to-end process rather than a singular task. This distinction is sometimes lost in the illusion of AI capabilities for automation.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

Helping customers with digital transformation strategies and ideas using SAP technology to drive business transformation and achieve statutory outcomes.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Customers belief and sometimes doubts in new ways of working and willingness to adopt technology to help.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

Winning an award with a customer for an outstanding transformation.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Invest yourself, be authentic, don't subscribe to fluffy and intangible approaches, they may trend, but they never last, be curious.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

In the short term, watching the world change under the heading of sustainability. Seeing how customers adopt AI, and observing new business trends and models not previously seen.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

We are in the midst of embarking on the transformation project to S/4 HANA and what my day entails, is a mix of tasks: reviewing functional specifications on the to-be process, diving into the as-is ECC system to understand the logic in customizing of the as-is set up, supporting the business on data cleansing activities.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Current challenges are mainly on trying to fathom how and why the SAP ECC system is set up the way it is as there is minimal documentation.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

The start of this year marks 20 years as an SAP Functional FICO Consultant, so every go-live felt like the biggest achievement at the time. And I have enjoyed every single moment.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

There is always something that needs to be learnt, therefore keep searching for knowledge and acknowledge not knowing everything. Confidence is key to a woman in my role and that confidence can be attained only when we go in search of the unknown.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

Working on S/4 HANA is my short term goal. And my long term goals are to be able to manage an SAP FICO team and I would love to be a speaker for SAP.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

Month End activities like month journals and Group Consolidation. At Year end I contribute to building the Year End Annual report.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Intercompany and Reporting; having the correct data in the system was huge once we changed from ECC to S/4HANA.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

Working with a diverse group of people who helped implement S/4HANA and being able to trouble shoot and fix issues.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Keep learning and upskilling, becoming a Chartered accountancy is a great career option and opens up many opportunities for you.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

AI is very interesting, it will be so good to automate things that currently take a long time to do so we can focus on those relationships with people. Digital Transformation is always evolving so to be skilled in this area is what I am excited about.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

As one of the leaders in SAP Analytics space my responsibilities are as follows:

• Client Engagement
• Project Management
• Team Management
• Solution Implementation
• Collaboration

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Scope Management- Managing client’s changing requirements is one of the key challenges. This requires clear planning, communication and change control processes.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

Proudest Moment is when the client’s end user come and appreciate the outcome.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

• Continuous learning
• Seek Mentorship
• Embrace Challenges

Never be afraid to speak your mind. Reach out for help if you need, don't just assume people will know that you need help. Set clear boundaries on what you can do in the time you have. Close of work when u are with family.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

As an Analytics Practice lead the most interesting aspect will be to manage people’s aspirations and helping them achieve their goal alongside helping our client reach their Analytical Goals.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

As the Business Development Manager for SAP Services in the ANZ region, my days are anything but ordinary. Teaming up with my trusted colleagues, we coordinate a range of events to promote awareness of SAP services and offerings, as well as to facilitate end users' adoption of SAP technology. Additionally, I provide valuable data insights and reports to support our sales team in building and maintaining a robust sales pipeline. It's a busy and dynamic role, but with careful planning and collaboration, we're able to effectively drive business growth and customer engagement.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

One of the most demanding aspects of my position is the constant struggle to manage my time effectively, staying organised and planning ahead particularly when faced with the simultaneous pressure of impending customer events and internal deadlines. Another significant challenge lies in maintaining team morale and ensuring strict adherence to timelines and schedules to ensure the success of each event. It's a relentless balancing act that requires meticulous attention to detail, organisational mindset and unwavering dedication to meeting objectives despite the repetitive nature of the tasks at hand.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

I envision a sense of accomplishment when SAP services are seamlessly integrated and embraced by all teams, both within and outside of SAP services. This includes fostering inclusivity within our partner ecosystem and ensuring that our customers feel fully included in the process. It's about creating a collaborative environment where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute towards our collective goals.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Embrace boldness and curiosity. I firmly believe that every woman possesses the inner strength to rise above the challenges inherent in this role. Rather than simply cultivating resilience, I encourage you to venture beyond your comfort zone, to fearlessly ask questions and explore new possibilities. It's through this daring spirit of inquiry that we uncover our greatest potential and pave the way for transformative growth.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

Looking ahead, the future of business development holds great promise with the widespread adoption of digital strategies. Leveraging digital tools and platforms offers opportunities to streamline processes, expand reach, and foster collaboration on a global scale. From data analytics to virtual networking, businesses are reimagining traditional methods to drive innovation and growth. Ultimately, embracing digital modes of business development opens doors to new possibilities, allowing organizations to thrive in an increasingly interconnected and dynamic marketplace.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

Workshops for designing solutions to add value to customers and end users.

Writing functional specifications, configuring and testing those solutions.

Troubleshooting and fixing errors.

Not two days are the same.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Earning respect from the client. It's still a man dominated industry and it's more difficult for women to probe their knowledge and capability.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

Project go lives are the proudest moments as you can see how the team's hard work has paid off and how the customer is benefiting from using the system.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Consulting is incredibly interesting as every day involves different tasks or activities. You get to know different industries and meet different people.

You will need to adapt to change easily.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

Keep on learning, seeing how SAP evolves and meeting new people.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

Marketing - organising events for WA, NZ and the Energy and Natural Resources Sector.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Knowing our audience.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

The events I've delivered where we've really connected people and created communities.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Build your network and always seek out opportunities.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

Digital and the impact of AI.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

Advising global and local organizations on the most suitable SAP EAM strategy and tools.

Implementing SAP EAM target solutions for asset intensive industries.

Coaching junior consultants and EAM practitioners globally.

Influencing SAP EAM product roadmaps to drive innovation and facilitate market adoption.

Constantly keeping up to date with market trends and looking up the next challenge.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Keeping a project implementation rhythm for the past 15 years, while maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Being approachable while maintaining healthy boundaries, which can be harsh in project environments due to their accelerated pace, industrial sites due to the strenuous nature of the work, and remote locations due to the isolation, deprivation, and diverse risks that follow.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

Concurrently deploying projects involving different industries, maturity levels, business priorities, systems, languages, time zones, and implementation phases successfully.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Be patient, consistent, genuine and stay true to your values always. Do not let anybody question your integrity or your choices, be it by providing unwarranted feedback or by engaging in any form of toxic interaction. Be open. Protect yourself when necessary.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

The ever growing opportunities provided by connectivity and mobility.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

I play two roles in Rizing APAC:

SAP Architect Perspective:

As an SAP Architect at Rizing in the APAC region, my primary focus revolves around project design, delivery, and quality assurance within SAP implementations. I am responsible for translating business requirements into technical solutions, designing system architectures, and overseeing the implementation process to ensure alignment with best practices and client objectives. Additionally, I play a crucial role in quality assurance, conducting thorough assessments to guarantee the reliability, scalability, and performance of SAP systems. My expertise lies in optimizing SAP landscapes, leveraging advanced functionalities, and mitigating risks to ensure successful project outcomes.

Senior Professional Manager Perspective:

In my role as a Senior Professional Manager at Rizing, I am deeply involved in people management and strategic leadership within the professional services practice. I oversee a team of direct reports, guiding their professional development, and ensuring their alignment with organizational goals. Additionally, I play a pivotal role in strategic planning, business development, and market analysis. I contribute and support initiatives to identify market trends, capitalize on growth opportunities, and develop strategies to win new projects. Furthermore, I am actively engaged in talent recruitment, estimation processes, and fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within the organization. My focus is on driving team performance, enhancing client satisfaction, and contributing to the overall success and growth of Rizing in the APAC market.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Challenges as an SAP Architect:

Being an SAP Architect comes with its own set of hurdles, one of which involves grappling with complex business requirements. Often, these requirements are multifaceted and need to be translated into scalable and efficient SAP solutions. Moreover, keeping abreast of the rapid evolution of SAP technology poses another challenge. Staying updated with the latest features and best practices is crucial to ensure that the architecture remains robust and future-proof. Integration issues also loom large, as integrating SAP systems with other enterprise applications and third-party solutions can be fraught with compatibility issues. Additionally, ensuring optimal performance of SAP systems, particularly in large-scale implementations or high-transaction environments, demands meticulous planning and constant monitoring. Overcoming resistance to change and managing stakeholders' expectations throughout the project lifecycle further compound the challenges faced by SAP Architects.

Challenges as a Senior Professional Manager:

As a Senior Professional Manager overseeing Rizing's professional services practice, navigating the talent landscape presents one of the most significant challenges. Recruiting and retaining top talent in a fiercely competitive market, especially for niche skill sets required in SAP consulting, demand strategic planning and robust retention strategies. Balancing resource allocation across multiple projects while considering skill sets, availability, and project priorities also poses a considerable challenge. Furthermore, managing client expectations and ensuring alignment between project deliverables and client objectives can be daunting, particularly in scenarios involving scope changes or unforeseen obstacles. Navigating the competitive landscape and differentiating Rizing's professional services offerings from competitors requires continuous market analysis, innovation, and refinement of the value proposition. Lastly, developing and nurturing leadership skills within the team to empower them to take on increased responsibilities is an ongoing challenge that necessitates mentorship and structured development programs.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

The proudest and most enjoyable moment in my career thus far has been the journey I've undertaken at Rizing since joining as a principal consultant in 2021. Over the years, I've continually grown into larger and more strategic roles within the organization. My aspiration has always been to operate at the enterprise level as an architect, and I am thrilled to share that I recently achieved my SAP Enterprise Architecture certification. This accomplishment not only marks a significant milestone in my professional development but also reaffirms my commitment to driving impactful change and innovation within the industry.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

If a woman aspires to pursue a career or role similar to mine, I would offer the following advice:

Firstly, believe in yourself and your capabilities. Recognize that you have the skills, knowledge, and determination to succeed in this field. Don't let any preconceived notions or stereotypes hold you back.

Secondly, seek out mentors and role models who can provide guidance, support, and inspiration along your journey. Networking with professionals already established in the industry can offer valuable insights and opportunities for growth.

Thirdly, invest in continuous learning and skill development. Stay updated with the latest trends, technologies, and best practices relevant to your field. Pursue certifications or advanced degrees to enhance your expertise and credibility.

Fourthly, be proactive in seeking out opportunities to gain hands-on experience and demonstrate your capabilities. Volunteer for challenging projects, take on leadership roles, and showcase your problem-solving abilities and innovative thinking.

Lastly, prioritize work-life balance and self-care. Balancing career ambitions with personal well-being is essential for long-term success and fulfillment. Surround yourself with a supportive network of friends, family, and colleagues who uplift and empower you.

Remember, the path to success may have its challenges, but with determination, resilience, and support, you can achieve your goals and make a significant impact in your chosen career.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

In considering the future of my role, I find several aspects particularly intriguing. Firstly, I anticipate that driving the success and growth of professional services within Rizing will continue to be a dynamic and fulfilling endeavor. Expanding our market reach and customer portfolio presents exciting opportunities to leverage our expertise and solutions to meet evolving client needs.

Additionally, I foresee leading end-to-end big transformation projects as an enterprise architect to be a significant aspect of my role. Guiding SAP transformation initiatives to deliver tangible business outcomes and solve complex challenges for our clients is both rewarding and intellectually stimulating. It allows me to apply my skills and experience to drive meaningful change and innovation within organizations.

Furthermore, as technology continues to advance and business landscapes evolve, I anticipate that my role will involve staying at the forefront of industry trends and emerging technologies. This will enable me to continually refine and adapt our approach to delivering transformative solutions that address the evolving needs of our clients.

Overall, I believe the most interesting aspects of my role in the future will revolve around driving growth, leading transformational projects, and staying agile and innovative in a rapidly changing business environment. These challenges present opportunities for personal and professional development while making a significant impact on the success of our clients and Rizing as a whole.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

Master data, maintenance planning, data analytics

What are the biggest challenges you face?

HR

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

Being head hunted from master data to take on maintenance planning single-handedly and excelling!

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Believe in yourself

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

Gaining more knowledge and expanding my horizons.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

I am in a team that provides training and support to our power station workers in their use of S/4HANA for Generation.

I spend a lot of time familiarising myself with business processes to see if they are optimal for our configuration of S/4HANA or to see if there is a need for a system enhancement. I help set the requirements, perform testing and implement the change and update the end users.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

I am relatively new to using S/4HANA so I often don't have the answers to many of the support questions up front. But the staff are great and are now used to bringing me questions knowing that I might need to get back to them within a short period where I've done some checking in the meantime.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

I genuinely enjoy being able to help but the best part of my role is being able to implement a process change or system change that positively affect many people. Being able to take away peoples frustration gives me so much joy.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Find what gives you joy at work, and seek a career within that. For me, I started as an administrator and found that I liked Excel because I have an analytical mind. That led me to a reporting job where I was able to implement a new reporting system. And I found that I really enjoyed this even more than Excel as I got to use my analytical mind but I also got to help improve a process and I found that I really understood systems. I then took any opportunity to follow this path. Follow yours, don't be afraid to seek what gives you joy at work.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

We have a number of exciting enhancements to develop for S/4HANA that I'm excited to start working on and to present to the power station workers.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

I own and am responsible for the domain SAP Security ensuring compliance, regulatory requirements and best practice across our SAP ecosystem.

I own and am responsible for the product and technology roadmap for IGA, CIAM and PAM by working closely with Product Owners, IT, HR, Commercial and the business.

Responsible for audit compliance for SAP, IAM and PAM.

Work closely with partners, vendors and SAP to address non-compliance with IAM expectations.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

The biggest challenge is managing all the changes being introduced by SAP like FIORI, Migration of S/4HANA, Cloud SAP system integrating with legacy systems, Cloud Security etc on the Fonterra environment.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

A successful S/4HANA migration, no out support systems in our landscape and having a clean IT audit report for security.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

The road is not always easy and there are always challenges like everything in life but my journey has taught me to:

• Never stop learning
• Plan my career
• Project confidence
• Find a mentor

Be true to yourself, belief in yourself and surround yourself with positive people.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

How technology will integrate and whether it’s going to simplify or complicate our environment and looking at the influence AI will have on our IT environments.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

Each day is never the same, never typical. A day can include implementing and embedding CERPASS for our clients, delivering consulting services, managing operational items, contributing to business planning and strategy, directing marketing and sales effort, attending events, speaking about our product and services, evangelising and supporting women in tech and neurodiversity. To sum it up - no one day can be deemed as 'normal".

What are the biggest challenges you face?

As a neurodivergent CEO of 2 successful businesses every day is a challenge. The biggest challenge was at the very early stages, when I was still trying to figure out my own voice and didn't have the professional reputation to position myself. It was extremely challenging as a neurodiverse woman in tech and still is today but on recognising that my neurodiversity is a superpower it has helped get me to where I am today. As a thought leader in the SAP Security and Compliance space, it is a challenge as a small company to have a voice especially trying to make its mark in a still largely male dominated industry and with the overlay of my neurodiversity challenges it makes it even more difficult. Trusting myself and my passion, listening to my intuition and being my authentic self no matter what has got me to where I am today. Besides all this, balancing life as a mum of 3 children, wife and business woman is another of the biggest challenges but I wouldn’t change it for the world.

 What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

My proudest accomplishment and most enjoyable moment was last year when our SAP Partner BTP GRC product, CERPASS, won Australian Business Awards for SAAS Innovation 2023 and now this year as a finalist in the Australian Small Business Information Security Awards 2024. Equally proudest moments for me in 2023 was when I was inducted as a Fellow for the Australian Computer Society as well as being a finalist for the Women in Technology Award as a Future Focused Leader.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Find your passion, believe in yourself, build your credibility and above all else, be your authentic self.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

Continuing to support women in tech, through attending events and mentoring programs, freeing up my time from consulting to focus on bring market leading compliance solutions to the SAP ecosystem. In addition, raising awareness of how neurodiversity is a "superpower".

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

Strategic planning and execution of all people related functions including workforce planning, talent acquisition and retention, and maximising performance and capability.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Talent acquisition and retention are the biggest challenge across the sector.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

Growing a capable team and driving a successful business over the past ten years.

Being recognised as Australian HR Director of the year for 2019.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Do not let fear of failure stand in the way of your hopes and dreams. Align your values to those of the organisation you choose to ensure a good fit. Work hard, remain focused on your goals, stay curious and ensure that you continue to learn and develop both professionally and personally.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

Navigating AI and how that enhances the employee experience and workforce. Seeing the impact of greater gender equality and flexibility in the workplace.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

BAU support, Enhancement prioritisation, Functional Specification and Design, Project Delivery.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Currently an S/4HANA 1809 upgrade to V2022.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

Stakeholder alignment on a four-year strategic ERP system landscape plan presented to a board.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Be curious, take every opportunity to learn and lean into challenging problems.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

With rapid advancement in technology, it will be very interesting to work with aligning stakeholders to ensure we manage to leverage opportunities while bringing people along for the journey and maximise the value our company get from SAP.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

Develop and execute Managed services strategy for the APAC region. Champion a customer-centric culture, driving value-focused service delivery and business outcomes. Manage customer relationships, lead customer QBRs, and accountable for client retention.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Ensuring that our services not only meet the customer' needs but also add value to the ever-evolving business requirements, especially in HR and Payroll space. I also want to acknowledge the scarcity of the talent and tough competition in the APAC region.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

There have been a lot of enjoyable moments but the one that stands out the most is when Rizing hired me as the Head of Managed Services, knowing that I was 7.5 months pregnant. I can't stop praising the fair and transparent hiring process at Rizing which cared about my capabilities and did not discriminate at all due to pregnancy. Proud to say that the World is changing, mindsets are evolving and as a woman in suit, I have personally witnessed that Aha moment.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Dare to dream big and no matter what, believe in yourself. Stay determined, do whatever it takes to convert your dream into reality. Remember, if you manifest, the universe with come together for you. And when your dream does come true, don't forget to create the snowball effect.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

The future of Managed Services will play a key part in utilizing AI to meet the customer' demands in time and beat the resource crunch.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

People Systems Governance, analytics, integrations, security, training.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Trying to find connection points that help me understand people so I can add that context when I am analyzing people data, and design business processes that will support future needs.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

Completing a Master's degree in Business (ERP Systems) whilst working full time and raising three boys under 5 years old. I graduated with the highest GPA and was awarded the Medal of Excellence. My boys came to the graduation ceremony and sat in the VIP section with my husband and parents. It was an award that I felt we collectively earned together because of the sacrifice we made as a family, and the way we supported each other for the three years that I studied.

Having the opportunity to speak at conferences and events to share my experience. I am still refining my skills and am encouraged by feedback and response received.

Teaching at Victoria University and RMIT Online - I am proud of my students and grateful that they continue to share their journey with me.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Explore opportunities, even if they are outside the industry you are working in or studying for, that is how you discover what you enjoy. Don't be afraid to say what you want. I got knocked back twice when I asked Linfox to sponsor my master's degree. But got a yes upon asking the third time.

Learn to understand yourself, what your strengths and weaknesses are. Do your best to overcome that thing that holds you back. Don't stand in your own way. Be your best cheerleader.

It is OK to accept support. My highlight is the community of people I have around me to share ideas, to troubleshoot, and share learnings.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

Delving deeper into what my customer's needs are. Understand how I can contribute and continue acquiring skills that will help me drive change for the better. Continue to share the possibilities with my students and people around me.

I sold used elastic bands in Indonesia, when I was 7 years old to survive. The life that I live today was completely unimaginable. I want others to see that where they start does not have to be where they finish. Anything is possible.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

A typical day evolves connecting with internal and partner teams across NA, EMEA and APAC regions to strategize and execute programs that connect customers with SAP Solutions that will solve challenges and drive value to their business. My favourite activity is engaging with existing customers to discuss how they are deriving value from their solutions, and working with them to capture and amplify their transformational success stories.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

For me, b2b marketing is not just about making the apple look shiny, it’s about helping create the crisp crunch. Arguably the most important, challenging and rewarding aspect of my role is working cross functionally to ensure that the value of our offerings and brand are not only designed and communicated effectively but also experienced authentically by our customers; allowing them to recognise value and inspiring them to become advocates. This can be particularly challenging in a competitive and ever-changing global landscape, with evolving customer journeys and expectations. Addressing these challenges requires fostering a culture of innovation, customer-centricity and a continuous improvement mindset.

Also, our focus on SAP growth/mid markets requires new and creative approaches to partnering, solutioning and commercial modelling that allows for greater market agility, accessibility, and approaches to value realization.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

I really enjoy participating in the SAP Regatta for Redkite! It is a fantastic opportunity to engage with the amazing SAP Partner ecosystem, and raise funds for a very special cause. Plus, with my competitive nature it’s the one time I’m happy to come last… because it means more time to enjoy sailing Sydney Harbour!

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Keep your chin up (be confident), but your nose down (stay curious).

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

I think that harnessing the potential of AI and automation to augment human capabilities rather than replace them will be an interesting aspect. Additionally, the focus on sustainability and ethical business practices in the global marketplace will create exciting opportunities for innovation and leadership.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

Strategic discussions around HR Digital transformation including HRIS, HR Technology, Master Data, Data Integrity program, and data-driven decision support.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Building convincing business cases to let go traditional way of doing things and utilize the technology to full potential.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

Connecring with SAP community and representing Nutrien as a speaker at MasteringSAP conference.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Keep advocating for smarter and happier workplace through technology.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

Implementing global solutions, and changing traditional mindset to innovative mindset.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

Design workshops, testing, migration and solution escalations.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Helping team members look at end to end design requirements, ensuring what we build is sustainable for the client.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

It's when clients have their lightbulb moments. Every project has that.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Never not ask questions, and learn as much about downstream and upstream systems.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

Product development.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

My day to day activities are many and various, so never a dull day!

My typical week would include aspects of strategy, management and technical activities such as: team leadership, mentoring, and coaching; resource management and prioritisation; delivery governance and leadership; stakeholder management; business development; strategic planning and financial management.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Maintaining 'balance' particularly when working across multiple aspects of my role, and with teams across multiple time zones.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

I get the most satisfaction from helping people grow and achieve their goals, whatever they might be; learning a new skill, getting a promotion, achieving a successful go-live, or rewarded e.g. winning an SAP Best Run Award. When our team grow, we all grow.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Be curious, have courage to take the first step then keep going, dare to be bold, be kind and stay true to yourself.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

I love the opportunities I have to develop and grow our people, enable our customers to shine, and achieve our growth ambitions; bringing talent and technology together to change the game. it's an exciting future to be part of.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

Strategy, budget planning and execution, hiring, negotiations, customer interactions, people management, governance.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Getting good quality, enthusiastic resources in a tight SAP labour market.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

Each role I have done has allowed me to stretch and grow which I have loved. I am proud of where I am now as I am using the sun of all of my career experiences to fulfil my current roles.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

1. Know your own strengths and weaknesses and own them.
2. Be curious and open to opportunity
3. Make time to network and promote your individual and unique personal brand

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

AI will automate some of the more mundane elements of admin or proposal writing. That will free time for more human interaction and ability to provide greater insights.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

SAP System Support, Document Business Requirements, Build SAP Training Content, Review Functional Specifications, Work with External Vendor to run sessions on current processes, Work with the Change Team on capturing training needs and change impacts.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Sometimes I feel that my expertise goes against me.

The more challenges I accomplish the more I get dragged into.

Increased workload.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

The most enjoyable moment in my career was working with a super team on a SAP project.

The proudest moment was when I was nominated as Manager of the month 3 times in a row.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Must have an open mind and enjoy every moment of your work environment no matter what role. Have a positive and a can do attitude.

Ensure that you complete what you start and continuously challenge the status quo.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

Waiting for the project to go live and to see what the next role will bring for me.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

Developing FMCG roadmap and strategy for supply chain technology systems and cyber security, translating the technical requirements into simple business language to align the ideal operating model for companies as they build their technology strategies for now and the future.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Ensuring cyber security is sustainable for operations and the evolving supply chain technology requirements not being an after thought of business strategy.

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

Representing women in STEM at an Executive level and mentoring new generation engineers to become their best self.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

Aim big and do not let anyone tell you, you can't!

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

I have just started my own consulting business, so continuing to see manufacturing companies continue to invest and build plant locally means I have the ability to help them plan and execute their strategies and see them grow into successful businesses.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

I lead the SAP Public Sector marketing activities for our Australian and New Zealand market so there is no such thing as a 'normal' day. The most exciting days are when we are out in the field running events and engaging, face-to-face, with our customers.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Marketing teams are often the place that other teams bring their curliest challenges, which means my biggest challenge is being ruthless in prioritising and therefore sometimes having to say no to requests. It's doubly hard when you are a people pleaser!

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

My most enjoyable moment last year was working at the SAP Now event in Sydney. It was so rewarding to see the excitement on delegates faces as they arrived at the venue and then equally rewarding to see their happiness as they left, thinking about new ways SAP could help them innovate their own daily work.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

My advice to anyone wanting to be involved in the tech marketing space make sure you buckle your seat belt before you step onto the rollercoaster. Be ready to roll up your sleeves and tackle everything from strategy to packing merchandise for an event or budget management. There will be ups and down, fast and then even faster speeds and the environment is high pressure so expect high G forces on the turns. But as the ride draws to a close, usually around mid-December, no doubt you'll be hopping off and racing around to join the queue to do it all over again.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

In the future, it will be so exciting to see how generative AI will continue to change our marketing roles. Content creation is already becoming much faster but the need for tight editing skills has not gone away. Business AI will certainly help with productivity but will not replace the human element so needed for many customer-facing activities.

In a normal day, what kinds of activities are you involved in?

My day-to-day activities involve; coaching and guiding people as I am passionate in connecting with people, and helping them "bring out their best", I help clients solve challenges and pursue opportunities; and I make provide direction and make business decisions.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

I am my biggest challenge. I learnt a technique from a leadership program about "catching" the stories I tell myself e.g. "I am not as smart as person x" or "I don't think I could do that" and re-framing my stories e.g. "wow that person is smart, I wonder what I could learn from them".

What would be the proudest or most enjoyable moment in your career?

My proudest moment in my career was being promoted to Managing Director in 2014. I had been focused on this goal for some time, and achieving this was such a sense of accomplishment and gave me a sense of stewardship, looking after our people, our clients and our business.

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to get into a similar career or role?

My advice would be to understand your strengths so you an perform roles that make the most of your strengths, because when you are using your strengths this is when you are motivated and enjoy what you are doing, because you are good at it! That does not mean there is not plenty to learn, it's about shining a light on your strengths and understand the strengths of others, to complement and collaborate.

In terms of the future of your role, what do you think will be the most interesting aspect/s?

The most interesting aspect/s of my future role is (1) solving problems with new technology like Gen AI and (2) coaching people - this is where my passion lies!