She says the foundation of her success is firmly rooted in Western Sydney.
Growing up in the Campbelltown area, Siobhan went to school, worked in hospitality and retail in the area, studied at TAFE and university in the Greater Western region.
Her career journey though has taken her to Ireland, back to Australia and seen her take on some remarkable roles.
Some of her roles involved working as security guard, HR lecturer, manager of a menswear store and even as a martial arts instructor. So where did her incredible journey begin?
“When I was in school, I told my career counsellor that in my ideal career I would like to wear a suit, carry a briefcase and tell people what to do. Looking at my personality I was advised to go into the hospitality industry, so that’s where I started,” explains Siobhan.
Armed with this knowledge of herself, she took on odd jobs in school working in restaurants from the time she was about 15-16 years old.
“I knew after a few years that if I had a family I did not want to be raising children at the back of a restaurant.
“I had been doing martial arts since I was eight years old, so I continued teaching children and took a job managing a menswear store,” she explained.
It was a chance encounter with a parent at one of the martial arts classes who mentioned she would be good at Industrial Relations and encouraged her to apply for a role at Liverpool Council.
“I worked as an HR coordinator for two years and then took on a role at Armaguard. I took on a role from a 40 year old male and I was 24. One of the questions they asked me was if I had a gun licence and a security licence.
“I think they were surprised as a young female I had both. Strangely enough I had both the licences because when I was working at council I used to work as a female bouncer or security guard at private events,” she said.
In Siobhan’s career she has managed multi-million dollar projects at Woolworths, completed an MBA, managed the operations and recruitment for her a mortgage software firm, and worked in an entrepreneurial environment.
However since becoming CEO of MFAA she says one of the most commonly asked questions is about her being female in a largely male environment. Siobhan is also the first female CEO of the organisation. Seventy-five percent of MFAA is male participation.
“My strength is in my leadership and my capability to get things done. I don’t see success as a gender-based thing, but I see my role as a fantastic opportunity as a person,” she enthused.
With a strong strategic plan, under Siobhan’s leadership the MFAA has in the last 12 months improved its Net Promoter Score from 3% in 2014 to an incredible 30% in 2015.
“The most important thing about a member-based organisation is understanding who you represent and how you can reposition the organisation to meet their requirements. “
Siobhan continues to make positive changes to support MFAA members and bring great recognition to the organisation.
As a female leader she says it’s all about backing yourself, not being risk averse, being authentic and delivering on what you promise.
“The only difference with men and women is that men back themselves and they approach things with an entrepreneurial mind. They don’t wait until they are 100% ready, they take the opportunity when it presents itself,” she said.
- By Keiasha Naidoo
