Talented females in asset management

17/10/2022

Thanks to a supportive and inclusive culture creating an environment where everyone can thrive, women in Downer kicking goals as contract, facilities and operations managers around the country.

Building a supportive and inclusive culture for women in an industry where a majority of roles have traditionally been filled by males is no mean feat, but it’s a challenge the Government & Integrated Facilities Management (G&IFM) team in Downer’s Facilities & Asset Services business are tackling head on.

They boast a large percentage of women in senior leadership and operational roles across their many sites and contracts. You might think it unusual, compared to the typical workforce mix for this sector, but combine a culture that supports training and creates opportunities for all people, with a group of ambitious and talented women, and that’s a recipe for success.

Operations Manager Kate McClelland leads a team of sixty-two, delivering hard and soft facilities management services for customers in the education, transport, and corporate sectors around the country. With years of experience in the mining and resources sector, she recently made the pivot into the G&IFM space.

She’s lucky enough to count a number of brilliant women as part of her team, including Contract Manager, University of Adelaide, Kristen Willis, and Contract Manager, Adelaide Metro, Amy Austin, who both work in FM operations in Adelaide.

So, what is it about the culture and team that has created an environment where women can thrive?

“I live my personal life and my work life with the motto – ‘be the woman who fixes another women’s crown without letting the world know it was crooked’. And I love that about the women on my team – we can lift each other up, we can drive for growth,” says Kate.

“It’s really nice to jump on my leadership calls and see some really strong women who believe they should be in the room, believe that they should be in the position they are in, and aren’t scared to ask for more.”

David Morris, General Manager – Government Facilities Management Services explains further: “I have always sought to build teams that focus on putting the right people, at the right time, in the right jobs. It’s really exciting to see women step up into operational roles and make an impact. Downer is a massive organisation, and the opportunities are there – you just need to find the people who are ready to take them.”

We spoke to Kristen, Amy and Facilities Manager Nona Stanley, who also works in the G&I team at Adelaide Metro, to find out more about their career journeys, what makes them tick, and the advice they would give others looking to crack into the industry.

Kristen and Amy have followed a similar career trajectory into their current positions, both starting life at Downer in the Spotless customer contact centre, before progressing through the ranks in various roles, from risk and compliance to operations management.

It’s one of the benefits working in a big business like Downer, that there have been opportunities for training, and the chance to take on more responsibility and new skills.

In an industry like FM, and without the advantage of a technical background, it hasn’t been without its challenges – but with business support and a lot of self-belief, these women have found no challenge unsurmountable.

Amy reflects: “In this industry (rail), I’m surrounded by a lot of people, usually male, that have been in the industry for a long time. And they know the industry back-to-front. “So it's sort of coming past or through that and believing, I don't necessarily know everything, but I deserve to be here. And Downer been quite supportive of that,” she says.

As more women take up opportunities in FM, there are things they can learn from those who have come before.

Nona’s advice is simple: “Just be confident in your own ability and your own knowledge. Know that a lot of people around you have been in the same position as well and been have all been there and have had those same struggles.”

Or, as Kristen so aptly puts it, it’s remembering that “you’re not there to fix the toilet, you’re there to make sure the toilet gets fixed”. “Play to your strengths. When you're in a minority group, whether that’s being a woman or young or otherwise, you're not going to win any ground or battles by trying to do something or be something that you're not,” she says.