Magdalena Roel (EMBA 2011) and Rebecca Warren (MBA won the Young Executives of the Year 2011 award. The annual prize is awarded by Australia Financial Review’s BOSS magazine in partnership with global talent management consultancy firm DDI.
The prestigious award recognizes the achievements of aspiring leaders, selecting six young Australians each year. These six are interviewed by a panel of business leaders having completed a case study, a one-day business simulation exercise and in-depth psychometric testing.
Magdalena Roel has an EMBA from AGSM and is now manager of lubricants marketing for Caltex Oil Company in Australia. Magdalena fast-tracked her EMBA and finished it within two years. She spends her spare time learning languages: she is currently on language number nine, Mandarin.
Magdalena Roel has an EMBA from AGSM and is now manager of lubricants marketing for Caltex Oil Company in Australia. Magdalena fast-tracked her EMBA and finished it within two years. She spends her spare time learning languages: she is currently on language number nine, Mandarin.
Magdalena says she has an “ingrained” global perspective due to her background: she is Spanish by nationality, went to high school in Germany and university in England studying Business and European Studies at the University of Hull.
Prior to working for Caltex, Magdalena was working for BP in London as their strategic marketing manager. She also acted as a policy advisor on World Trade for HM Government’s Department of Trade and Industry in Whitehall, London.
Her time at Whitehall was “a completely different environment, coming from a very commercial world to being immersed in an environment that doesn’t necessarily have short-term objectives”.
Magdalena made her career choice because “working in the international oil and gas business was exhilarating and provided me with a multitude of international opportunities.” Magdalena and her team have helped expand Caltex’s market share from 14% to 23% and she says the secret to always meeting her superiors’ targets is to always have a contingency plan.
On being an effective boss, Magdalena says: “As long as you have got highly capable, intelligent people…and you give them the freedom to work and be creative and you reward them afterwards, you have a recipe for success”.
Rebecca Warren has an MBA from AGSM and is Head of Metro North and Coast for St. George Bank Limited, covering 33 branches and 250 members of staff.
Rebecca has worked at St. George Bank for 12 years but spent the first 10 on the corporate side in institutional and business lending. Moving into retail banking in 2009 meant a new approach to people skills. Rebecca had rarely had to address team engagement levels as corporate banking is so much more target-oriented.
She says she now understands the importance of motivating her team and describes a situation where she arrived at work and rushed to answer the phone before greeting a member of her team.
“Sometimes I don’t realize the impact that may have had on them. It may have offended them or may have made them think I was angry. You have to take responsibility not only for your intentions, but also the impact you can have on a wider team, which sometimes doesn’t necessarily correlate”.
At school she was voted “most likely to become a CEO” and did indeed start early on her career ambitions. But as the mother of two children she says she tries to keep her home and work lives separate, because she wants to be “just as energetic and committed at work as when I walk in the door at night”.
Once she has put the key in the front door all thoughts of St George Bank are off limits. However she admits “that’s not to say work things don’t creep into my mind. I might be watching TV or changing a nappy and suddenly I’m thinking about someone’s performance review”.
On success Rebecca says “I think passion and energy are required… I don’t think there’s a mould, I think it’s about being the best that you can and adapting to your environment and driving the best possible outcomes”.
To read the original story and have a look at the other four winners click here.
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