The Alumni Society’s Post

Sometimes, a challenging career moment can be transformative. By navigating that bumpy road, we emerge stronger, more confident – and one step closer to becoming the leaders we’re destined to be. Tracy Armstrong, TMX Transform’s new Director of Portfolio Management, readily admits that she is no stranger to pressure. And with an impressive career journey, she’s got plenty of inspiring advice to share 👇 ‘The industrial sector is a new and exciting chapter in my career. Prior to this, I worked across various property sectors, spending a significant period of my career as Director of Property at Aldi Australia. ‘I’ve also worked in aviation with Sydney Airport Corporation, in telecommunications with Vodafone Australia, and in property services for Sydney Water. ‘So, how did I move across to industrial? By making the most of my highly transferable skills. ‘Since joining TMX, my experience in aligning business and property strategy, risk mitigation and development has been particularly valuable. ‘So if I could offer advice to someone considering a move into the sector, it would be this: Take the leap – and trust in your skills! ‘The industrial sector is undergoing fascinating changes, and your diverse property industry experience will be highly valuable. ‘When it comes to career challenges, I’ve faced a few! But one stands out more than others. ‘Early in my journey, I was thrust into a large organisational restructure and assumed the new property leadership role. ‘At first, it was overwhelming. But with the guidance of an excellent mentor, I navigated the challenge and emerged stronger and more confident. ‘This experience helped to shape the leader I aspired to be and who I am today. And it solidified my belief that good mentors can have an enormous impact on a person’s career.’ Want to take the next step in your career in industrial? Browse opportunities here 👉 bit.ly/4eJ7bY8 #WomenInIndustrial #FemaleCareerStories #CareersInIndustrial #IndustrialAndLogistics #CareerAdvice #TMXTransform #PortfolioManagement

Try Something New, Seek Discomfort These themes have been at the forefront in our household this summer, and it's been an incredibly enriching experience. This spring, I seized the opportunity to step into a new role as a Strategy Lead for Pricing and Promotion COE alongside my current responsibilities. I found immense satisfaction in this experience for several reasons: Supporting Others: It allowed me to cover a crucial area, giving a new mom peace of mind to enjoy her time away knowing her work was in capable hands. Personal Growth: Exploring an unfamiliar area that I was initially uncertain about turned out to be eye-opening. I not only embraced the challenge but discovered a new passion in leading, strategy, and teamwork. Enhanced Focus: Taking on this new challenge compelled me to sharpen my focus on my current tasks, boosting my performance and productivity. Additionally, stepping out of my comfort zone has reinforced the importance of expanding my network. Building relationships and learning from others have been instrumental in navigating new opportunities and broadening my perspective. I'm eager to continue embracing new challenges and learning experiences as I grow both personally and professionally. Thank you to all of you who made it possible. Tiffany Horan & Nick Stark for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to seek discomfort and try something new. Melanie Gatewood-Hall & Lindsay Spooner for not only your mentorship, but also your continual push to dig deeper and challenge myself. Meredith Swimmer for allowing me the opportunity to cast a bigger net. #TrySomethingNew #PersonalGrowth #EmbraceChallenges #CareerDevelopment #ExpandYourNetwork

A week ago, I finished my experience at Macquarie; here are my takeaways. ❤️ Culture One of the most fulfilling aspects of my experience at Macquarie was witnessing firsthand the genuine commitment to customer well-being and ethical practices. Every project and every decision is driven by a deep understanding of how our work impacts individuals and communities. I saw how people rallied behind the mission of empowering customers and ensuring their financial journey was not just sound but genuinely transformative. From partnering with the Default Management Transformation team to streamline processes and improve internal efficiencies to conducting market research within Deposits and Personal Banking, it was terrific to speak to people of all financial disciplines, especially in this uncertain economic climate. 💪 Leadership At the heart of this exceptional culture were leaders like Angela Meyer and Jen Brown, whose vision and dedication shaped our design practice into a powerhouse of creativity and collaboration with some great design thinkers. Their leadership fostered an environment where ideas were welcomed, collaboration was encouraged, and excellence was the standard. 🎓 Takeaways What stood out was the eagerness with which everyone embraced the opportunity to integrate human-centred design practices into existing workflows. It wasn't just the domain of designers—I saw how our work created a shared responsibility and opportunity to elevate our work to new heights. 🎯 What's next As I embark on the next chapter of my journey, I am eager to tackle my next big challenge head-on. If you're looking for a passionate and innovative team player who thrives on pushing boundaries, let's connect and explore how we can create something extraordinary together. 📣 Extra shout-outs Dany Jabbour, Samantha Domagala, Sue Khoo, Jake Causby, Manfred Ng 伍永滙, Aviram Vijh, Michael Vogelpoel, PhD, Gianni F., Uta Wolf, Ann-Maree Chua it was great jamming with you all.

As we wrapped up an incredibly busy and eventful Q1, I've taken a moment to reflect on the journey our company, my team, and our operations have embarked upon. It's been a period marked by significant challenges, immense projects, and, yes, exciting developments. However, it's important to acknowledge that 'exciting' doesn't always mean positive. It's a testament to the unpredictable and often demanding nature of our work. The projects in front of us are monumental, not just in their scope but in their potential to shape our future. This reality brings to the forefront the critical role of leadership in maintaining our team's focus on the bigger picture. It's a delicate balance—steering our collective efforts towards the greater good of the company, even when it may not align perfectly with the immediate interests of my operation or myself. This is the essence of teamwork and sacrifice for a larger vision. In these times, the importance of planning and objectivity cannot be overstated. It's about making informed decisions that serve the long-term objectives of our organization, ensuring that we're not just reactive but proactive in our strategies. I share this reflection not just as a personal account but as a reminder of the common challenges we all face in our professional journeys. Whether it's navigating through complex projects, aligning individual goals with those of the company, or making tough decisions for the collective benefit, these experiences bind us. They remind us of the resilience, dedication, and vision required to not just survive but thrive in today's dynamic business environment. To my team, our company, and everyone pushing through their own set of challenges—let's continue to support each other, stay focused on our goals, and remain committed to the greater good. The road ahead is both challenging and promising, and it's the journey we take together that makes all the difference.

Reflections on my first week as a new Leader at Lanes group plc Stepping into a new role at Lanes has been a whirlwind experience. As I sit down to reflect on this past week, it's clear that while the journey has just begun, it's already been filled with valuable lessons and insights. Day One: Meeting the Team Walking through the doors on my first day, the mix of excitement and nerves was palpable. I was eager to meet the team and get a feel for the culture here. Introductions were a blur of names and faces, but what stood out was the genuine warmth and openness of everyone. There was an immediate sense of camaraderie, and I felt welcomed into the fold. Thank you! Navigating New Responsibilities Transitioning into a leadership role is never without its challenges. The sheer volume of information I needed to absorb was daunting, from understanding the intricacies of our projects to grasping the team's dynamics and workflows. However, taking it step by step, and leaning on my colleagues for support, has been instrumental. Setting the Tone As a new leader, I’m keenly aware of the importance of setting the right tone. I want to foster an environment where everyone feels valued and heard, where collaboration and innovation thrive. Creating a culture of transparency and mutual respect is a top priority for me. Challenges and Learning Curves There were, of course, moments of doubt and second-guessing. Was I making the right decisions? Was I communicating effectively? These questions are natural, and I’ve come to accept that part of leadership is continuously learning and adapting. Looking Ahead Reflecting on this week, I’m filled with a sense of optimism and determination. There’s a lot of work ahead, but I’m excited about the opportunities to grow both personally and professionally. The people are incredibly talented, and I’m confident that together, we can achieve great things.

I’m well beyond the first 100 days in my new role, but it’s an important time to reflect and take stock of the original intentions I had back in March when I sat myself down for a “personal workshop”.  There were three main areas I was concentrating on when I started – people, strategy and results - and I wanted to make a conscious effort to change also HOW I undertook these tasks in my first 100 days. Firstly, and most importantly, I needed to get myself completely oriented with the organisation, and the team. Get to know the people, to make sure I fully understood who was doing what, who I could learn from, and what skillsets our team had that we could harness as we grow. Secondly, we had a strategy to put together to take us beyond those first few months. Building the team was an important step to building out the strategy… (more on the strategy in due course…) We also had to be setting results. It was important that I paid attention to what is the status quo, and where I can add value. Especially in those deals that were urgent and already in the pipeline. I’m proud to say that we’ve delivered 3 deals already, and more are well underway. Overlayed on this, I decided on what sort of leader I wanted to be in this new organisation. Where in the past I might have been more directive, I had to ask myself whether I wanted to do that, or take a more “wait and see” approach. And where I landed was somewhere in the middle. In some ways you’ve just got to drive the conversation, in others you've got to sit back and listen a little bit more to understand exactly what people are thinking, and how you can add value. As I have gone through my orientation and evaluation phases, we’re now firmly in the implementation part of my journey. It’s come with a huge learning curve for me that’s been exciting whilst challenging. One thing I have come to appreciate is how lean family office organisations can operate swiftly. I’m grateful for the team for bringing me along this journey and for their openness for me to bring my experience to their table. I’m excited for the year ahead…

As of next month, I’ll have spent a year at Preqin and Colmore – and what a year it’s been! Navigating a challenging macroeconomic environment as a new Chief People Officer has been challenging, although incredibly rewarding. I’m fortunate to spend every day with inspiring peers, and a global team of leaders who are constantly pushing to make the employee experience as positive as possible. We went back to the drawing board on aligning the People team's programs to support in driving commercial outcomes, Total Rewards, People Services, how we strategically partner with the business, and how we drive an inclusive culture where every team member can thrive. Balancing that with being a single mum to two incredible little humans increases that pressure enormously. Last week, Nosheen Amir-Ebrahimi, our Chief Commercial Officer, and I had the opportunity to sit down with my long-time friend Terri Lecheva (née Wickett), to speak about how we balance these two areas. I often find myself struggling with imposter syndrome. I struggle with guilt about being at work, not home. I struggle with guilt about being at home, not work. Speaking about this openly to our people was both worrying and exciting – not knowing how our people would react to a new level of vulnerability and insight into my personal life. But the response that we’ve received makes it clear how important it is to be open about these experiences as a senior leader. I’m sure a lot of our team members at Preqin and Colmore have their own set of challenges and struggles, and I hope that by openly talking about the day to day balance of being a parent and a senior leader in a global organization, and how I have found the balance, we can make it easier for our team to discuss theirs. I know that I won’t have done everything right in my first year here. Having said that, I feel a huge sense of pride in the work we are doing at the Preqin Group alongside Christoph Knaack, our CEO and the other members of the Executive team: pride in my team who bring their all to work every day; pride in my work, which is driven by a desire to make the employee experience the best it can be; and pride in Preqin and Colmore, a place where I can stand in front of hundreds of team members, and share my story.  

“No one goes a Marathon without preparing”, this is what Beth told me 60 seconds to our meeting with Executives Director from JP Morgan today . I’ve learnt a great deal in the past months working with our team on pitches and presentations. If you’re a young person / student, leave no stone unturned. Everyone second in your pitch/presentation matters. Revise and mock practice your presentation deck as many times as you can. Ask colleagues and friends to proof read. Practice! Practice ! Practice. It’s painful, it’s boring , it’s stressful but practice. Usain Bolt said ,” I trained 4 years to run 9 seconds , and peope give up when they don’t see results in 2 month” I felt that Whatever you do, don’t quit. Start over , try again, readjust. regroup, refresh , but whatever you do don’t quit. Keep preparing. When no one is watching Keep preparing without any applause Keep preparing, without any notoriety Keep pressing Keep your eyes on the prize , and don’t quit At QS ImpACT we build young people and recognize them for their impact. Apply to start a council in any country /university. “An opportunity of a life time should be garbed in the life time of the opportunity “

May marks my last month with A&S as Director of Operations Strategy. Career transitions are bittersweet; we part with amazing people, yet gain a chance to reflect on our lessons and apply them to our next adventure. From diving into strategic planning to mastering operations with coffee-fueled brilliance, I've done it all. ☕️✨ Collaborating through strategic partnerships in Asia and the US, formulating strategy maps, and making critical decisions on strategic initiatives have been transformative experiences for me. Highlights reel: ✔ Crafting Strategic Decision-Making Processes 🎯 ✔ Strategic Alignment in Resource Allocation 💼 ✔ Assigning Accountability for Results in Strategic Planning 📊 ✔ Setting Up High-Impact Measurement Systems 📏 ✔ Pro-level Progress Tracking 📈 ✔ Embracing Organizational Learning and Adapting to Change! 📚🔄 It supercharged my skills in business strategy, sharpened my strategic thinking, and broadened my expertise in business analytics. It showed me how to convert competitive strategies into actionable steps for success. Always prioritizing learning and adapting, never shying away from improving and evolving our strategies. Forever grateful for the trust this company has placed in me! #NextChapter #StrategicPlanning #StrivingforExcellence #AdaptingtoChange #ContinuousLearning #ProfessionalGrowth

🎉 I know it's a small milestone but still one I'm super happy and proud of: Today marks my first 6 months at Chief!! 🎉 When I was considering what my next move was going to be last fall, I knew I *needed* to be an organization that I could really grow and learn with. I was beginning to doubt my potential and whether I could make a meaningful impact in a role I was passionate about. While I had a good feeling about Chief from the start, I never imagined just how amazing and impactful these past months would be. Reflecting on this little milestone, here's a glimpse into what the last 6 months have been all about: 🤝 Support and Growth: I've been fortunate to work alongside leaders and colleagues who truly invest in each other's success. After just a few months of being here, I feel so much more confident in what I bring to the table thanks to the overwhelming trust and encouragement throughout our teams--it really has allowed me to flourish both professionally and personally. The level of support and empowerment here has made learning and growth not just possible, but a natural part of our journey together. 🏆 Perseverance and Accountability: With a strong emphasis on integrity, we tackle challenges and inefficiencies head-on, propelling us towards our goals. The culture of support and collaboration empowers us to confront obstacles confidently, knowing we have each other's backs. It's this collective grit and determination that really sets us apart. 🌱 Adaptability and Curiosity: At Chief, curiosity is not just encouraged—it's celebrated! We know that embracing questions and diverse perspectives fuels continuous improvement and innovation. Our team's unique backgrounds and skills enrich decision-making processes and drive overall development, ensuring we're always evolving in a positive direction. 🎉 Celebration and Camaraderie: Amidst our hard work, we also know how to have fun and celebrate each other's successes. Whether it's hitting quota, sharing excitement over the new and amazing things coming out of Chief, or simply making it through a tough week, we're there to cheer each other on and enjoy the journey together. Shoutout to my Gumption Gals Anna Sacco, Sophia L., and Nina Buonarota 🤎 🫂 the best team ever!! Here's to the past 6 months of teamwork, growth, shared successes, and to the exciting adventures that lie ahead! 🥳