​Through the 'Our People Their Stories' series, Downer people are bravely sharing the experiences that shaped them and the lessons they have learnt which has led them to think, act and live differently.

At Downer we are proud of our multicultural workforce, and we are fortunate to experience the diversity and contributions of our people from all around the world.

This month, we spoke with Kerri-Anne Loring, Executive General Manager, Business Services within the Business Services Centre (BSC). 

Kerri-Anne leads one of Downer’s largest – and most diverse – teams at Downer.

The BSC team is spread across Australia, New Zealand and in India (TCS), consisting of more than 450 people who culturally stem from more than 50 countries. 

“The BSC epitomises diversity and inclusion at Downer,” Kerri-Anne says.

“The challenges we face and the outcomes we deliver, if we don’t understand and create a sense of belonging in the workplace and encourage people to be themselves and be the best that they can be, we will struggle to get to the outcomes we desire.”

Harmony Week is an important week for Kerri-Anne. A fourth-generation Australian with Chinese heritage growing up in a non-diverse area, she experienced racial discrimination growing up. 

Her grandparents and great-grandparents assimilated to the Australian culture to try to fit in, which meant that Kerri-Anne didn’t get to experience her heritage the same way that some others may. 

She says events like Harmony Week have led to many positive changes.

“The important message for what Harmony Day represents is that we can celebrate cultural diversity and be proud of our heritage – and there is so much more opportunity for that now than there was when I was growing up,” she says.

Kerri-Anne spent several years working in Asia before joining Downer and learning about various cultures and still travels when she can. These kinds of experiences have shaped her to become the person she is today, which is why Kerri-Anne has such a passion for inclusion and diversity and making sure the people within her team are comfortable and ensure a sense of belonging here at Downer. 

Kerri-Anne is dedicated to inclusion and belonging and makes an effort each year to celebrate the many cultures within the BSC during Harmony Week, an annual week-long celebration of Australia’s cultural diversity and the importance of inclusiveness, respect and creating a sense of belonging for everyone.

It is an important event in Kerri-Anne’s work calendar as well as many in her team. Each year the team holds events to help celebrate, including bringing a dish from their culture, sharing stories and traditions from their countries of heritage, and encouraging the wearing of traditional dress. 

To Kerri-Anne, Harmony Week is about making sure that people connect and understand what belonging means to them and those around them and is an opportunity to hear stories from different cultures and experiences. 

However, she also knows that while it is important to celebrate, it is also an opportunity to talk about the areas we need to improve in and it is a reminder that racial discrimination does still exist – and we need to provide the forums and platforms to make sure we help deal into that. 

Kerri-Anne has been at Downer for 17 years. She started in a finance role with the previous Engineering Division, and since then has moved into more strategic roles in different areas of the business, before taking the role leading the BSC. 

“I’ve been fortunate to have great leaders at Downer who have seen the opportunity to put me into roles and challenge and support me in areas I need to grow,” she says. 

Outside of work, Kerri-Anne is a mum of two teenage girls, 12 and 13, and her “very energetic” golden retriever who she walks and runs with everyday which helps her stay grounded. 

Kerri-Anne plays soccer year-round… but makes it known that it is not to the same level as Sam Kerr. 

She also volunteers with her children’s sports, saying: “after spending a week in the office, I love being outdoors and going on adventures”.