1. Can you please tell us a bit about your current role?

In my General Counsel role, I’m the head of a team of 11 lawyers who provide a wide and fascinating array of services for the Nine business – everything from working on what’s going on the 6pm news tonight, to acquiring rights to sports events and commissioning excellent shows such as Married at First Sight, Doctor Doctor, and Australian Ninja Warrior (to name a few current personal favourites), working with senior executives to explore new business ideas, and a myriad of other “how do I solve this problem” questions that come up across the business. In my Company Secretary role, I work closely with the Board on all matters related to the board and good governance. Attending and participating in Board meetings is one of the really interesting parts of my role. I’ve learnt a lot through that. I’m also a non-executive director of Gateway Lifestyle Group, an ASX200 listed accommodation provider for the over 55, affordable housing market. It’s an interesting mix to swap between an executive role, where I have to provide the answers and make things happen, and a non-executive role, where the role is much more about asking the right questions.

2. How did your role at Gilbert + Tobin help prepare you for your future career?

G+T sent me on secondment to Nine Entertainment Co. in 2007 and 2010, and I subsequently did a huge amount of work for Nine so that paved the way for Nine to offer me a role in-house in late 2014. In my 16 years at G+T, I worked across a very wide range of industries and transaction types. That breadth of experience, and the level of responsibility lawyers at G+T were given (particularly in my early days when the firm was growing so quickly) has made me adaptable and given me confidence that, even when I have no idea about the technical legal answer, my instincts about the appropriate immediate response are pretty good.

3. What has been your greatest career highlight to date?

It’s difficult to pick just one. Becoming a partner of Gilbert + Tobin and being part of the growth of the firm was very special. I was proud to receive the Association of Corporate Counsel In-House Lawyer of the Year award in 2017. The formation of the Cement Australia joint venture which was an enormously complex transaction that took around 18 months from start to finish, was one of the first big transactions I was the lead partner for – I still love seeing their trucks driving around.

4. What is the best piece of advice (personal or career) you have been given?

Regret is a waste of emotion. Applies across my life – I can’t change things which have happened or mistakes I’ve made, but I can take control of how I respond and what I do next.

5. What is one of your funniest memories of your time at G+T?

The Litigation Group contributions to G+T’s Got Talent were always fabulous – highly choreographed dance numbers, across a range of styles (classical ballet, Riverdance, hip hop …), with lots of the team, perhaps not all natural dancers, joining in.