As Group Manager, Portfolio Delivery & Digital Transformation I’m responsible for delivering our IT projects here at Coates, but it goes broader and deeper into how we work as an organisation, with our customers and as a team. To put it simply: I help bridge the gap between a strategic vision and the technology which can enable great things to happen. I’ve been with Coates for almost 5 years now and have been firmly in our transformation space throughout. As an experienced leader I really value the culture here which supports me in creating high performing teams within a healthy workplace environment. Working at Coates isn’t just about a ‘can do’ attitude, it’s also about truly caring for one another, being considerate and professional in every interaction.
We’re innovative, creative and adaptive, and I’m really proud of the team we are here in the IT space.
We have some truly amazing talent, with expertise and capabilities that make a difference to all of our stakeholders each and every day.
Say hello to Kate, Sales Coordinator in Darwin. She’s here to tell us about her impressions and goals for LEAP, a program designed to empower and develop future female leaders at Coates.
“I think what made the LEAP program so exciting is that I would be able to be in a room with like-minded women who would understand what it was like to be a female in a male-dominated industry.
We have a mix of women in different roles, from Branch Managers to Assistant Managers to Mechanics, so we learn a lot from each other, and gain new perspectives from the challenges that each woman faces.
My goal for the LEAP program is to come away with skills that will help me provide better customer service to the wide range of people that we help everyday. I’ve already started to adjust my language and techniques. I really look forward to improving at work, as well as within myself.
I love my job, I think I've got the coolest job in the world.”
“I’ve been lucky enough to be at Coates for over 17 years. I've been offered different opportunities, from account manager with the sales team to branch manager roles to my current position.
Leading the team for the inaugural Supercars event in Newcastle in 2017 has been a highlight. It was very challenging to bring such a huge volume of equipment into a small part of our city in a scheduled and safe manner, so it was very satisfying to see the project go so well. It was a massive event, not just for our business, but for the city of Newcastle too.
Organisations like ours, that give you on-the-job experience, career progression and support you through education, are rare. I think that’s the real reason I work here and why working at Coates is seen as a career as opposed to just a job.
But for me, it’s the people who make Coates such a great place to work. Working for an industry leader which values its people and customers is what continues to drive me as a leader.
I hope in another 17 years I'm still as energetic, motivated and engaged as I currently am.”