‘Thriving through Illuminate:’ Sandra

Story by: Sandra Sim - Business Performance Senior Manager, GBU Technology??????????????? Publish Date: Thursday November 14

I was really surprised when I got an email saying that I had been selected for Westpac Women’s Leadership program, Illuminate. I had been selected by my General Manager, Miranda Ratajski, and I was really honoured. I was also actually in a state of disbelief! I do my work to the highest possible standard, but I am a quiet person, and I never announce it to the world or anything. It meant a lot to me to be selected.

The year-long program kicked off a month later with curated career development workshops. These are hosted by Westpac partner WeQual, who is a global leader in developing executive female talent. We were provided with toolkits, coaching and online resources, and there were also some fantastic guest speakers. The program really forced me to step outside of my comfort zone. I’ve developed skills in presenting and public speaking, and our conversations have made me think deeply about the difference between confidence and courage: courage is doing something because you know it’s right, and confidence is having faith in your abilities.

Just thinking about these kinds of things has been a learning experience for me. Up until I joined Westpac three years ago, I’d never had an employer invest in my professional development. I spent the first part of my career as a contractor, so my work always had a short-term view. I would deliver a project and meet certain objectives – and then I would move on to the next project. Career development was never mentioned, and it never came about.?

Taking part in the year-long Illuminate program has been amazing.

For me, the most important part of the program has been the one-on-one sessions with my General Manager and Illuminate sponsor, Miranda Ratajski. Every month, Miranda and I sit down and work out an action plan for my personal and professional development. She has asked me some thought-provoking questions – ‘What is my purpose and what are my values?’, ‘What do you want most from your career?’ She says that everything stems from working this out.

Taking part in the Illuminate Program has been hugely beneficial. Recently, I started a new role in a different area of Westpac. I moved from program delivery to business performance management, because that is where my interests lie. I was ready for a completely fresh challenge and I’m loving it. Miranda helped create a pathway for me to seize this opportunity and I’m very grateful for it.

This program has given me an opportunity to undertake a lot of valuable self-reflection, and it has created a new network to support me on my next journey.

Aligned to the “We Advance” pillar of our People Promise, Westpac supports employees to reach their full potential through personal and professional growth. We offer a range of programs enabling our people to have every opportunity to be their best selves.