Could you tell us a bit about your significant successes in your role?

At Origin Energy, I deal with colleagues across the organisation, which provides me with a wide perspective and understanding of where legal challenges and risks arise. The strong relationships and trust I have built within Origin Energy have enabled me to support the business to make responsible and informed decisions and appropriately mange risks. I empower and support the legal team to take the time to really understand the businesses activities, priorities, and opportunities so that the legal advice we provide seeks to address the heart of the matter and rise above minutiae.

In your opinion, what are the qualities and skills needed to form a strong legal team?

A high-performing legal team exerts influence to ensure that the business’s objectives are achieved within an acceptable risk profile. To be effective, a legal team needs to keep a finger on the business’s pulse, understand its key priorities, goals, and opportunities to maintain a ‘risk intelligence.’ A strong legal team looks for ways to leverage their knowledge and expertise throughout the business so that an understanding of legal issues and risks is not simply confined to them.

What is the biggest risk to your industry or organisation and how are you contributing to prepare your organisation for this?

The energy industry is undergoing a period of enormous change and extreme volatility as Australia seeks to reduce its reliance on coal fired electricity generation and the energy transition accelerates. The energy transition brings with it an array of new legal challenges, regulation, and risks. I endeavour to help guide Origin Energy in aligning its priorities to lead the energy transition through cleaner reliable energy and customer solutions. Origin Energy, and the broader energy sector, must seize opportunities to accelerate investment in, deliver renewable projects, and develop new technologies enabling cleaner fuels for the future such as hydrogen.

What challenges have you overcome to get to the position you are in today?

A key challenge that I have faced in getting to this point in my career has been managing and navigating the delicate balance of work, life and family while remaining ambitious and eager to learn and grow both personally and professionally. As a mother of a young family, there is no silver bullet or infallible rule, and I have managed this ongoing challenge through hard work, resilience and getting it wrong in order to get it right. I have learnt to be flexible about when work gets done and to prioritise performance over hours at a desk. A strong work ethic, keenness to learn, and taking a glass half full approach to circumstances has allowed me to remain flexible and take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves. When times are challenging, I have learned to ask for help or seek advice and lean on different pillars of support, as having these in place allows me to feel comfortable during times of uncertainty.