Women at the table transformed loyalty and leadership

For me, International Women's Day is a promise for a future where every woman and girl is heard, seen and valued. 

I didn't come into the industry with a grand plan. It was more a case of following interesting opportunities. Early on, I worked in roles very close to customers across marketing, partnerships and commercial teams at Telstra, Suncorp, Australia Post, Sapient Nitro and Myer. I have always loved anything related to customer loyalty and engagement, where you really see how strategy, data and human behaviour come together.

I've always been curious about what makes people stick with a brand. Loyalty sits in that space between psychology, technology and creativity, and I love the idea of building experiences that feel genuinely rewarding rather than purely transactional.

The most important piece of advice I've received is to believe in yourself and learn to separate feedback that comes from a genuine desire to see you succeed from feedback that is a veiled attempt to destabilise you. Be reliable, honest, and hardworking. Do what you love, because you spend an awful lot of time at work. Don't just agree with people, especially those with the loudest voice. As a female leader in loyalty, having a growth mindset is critical.

The changes in loyalty innovation

A lot has changed in loyalty because women have had a seat at the table. Loyalty used to be much simpler. When I started, mobile phones were hardly in operation. Now it's about understanding the complex customer journey, commercial modelling, relevance, data, personalisation, emotional connection and AI. 

The most important mentor I had was my last boss at Telstra, Peter Swaddle. He truly understood how to cut through the noise in big companies, get rid of barriers, and let his staff shine. Cut through complexity, simplify the problem, make a call, and trust your judgement. Without him, I'm not sure I would have been able to succeed in the way that I have. And he got me through some very tough times. 

What accelerates real, tangible change?

Real, tangible change comes from backing women to trust their judgement, giving them space to shine, and removing systemic barriers. Our business is like a rollercoaster. Hang on tight or jump off. I choose to hang on to see the next chapter of this wonderful journey and to work with the exceptional women and people on our team.