Zenergy Insight Series – Gabrielle Curtin, Snowy Hydro
Interview with Gabrielle Curtin, Snowy Hydro by Garry Kelly
Gabrielle is a senior business and HR executive with a track record in delivering change in both complex and entrepreneurial organisations. With a reputation as a commercially focused, fast-paced, adaptable and straightforward leader, Gabrielle can simplify change and positively affect people and business strategy. Regularly navigating change and transformation in heavily regulated industries and working in companies undergoing significant industry and market restructuring; Gabrielle has been involved with Qantas Airlines, Shell Australia, Accenture, Repco Automotive, I-MED and is currently the Group Executive Safety, People & Services at Snowy Hydro Limited.
Snowy Hydro – Your Role
Gabrielle, great to sit down today, we appreciate you taking the time out to share your views with our readers. To get started, you are the Group Executive – Safety, People & Services at Snowy Hydro, what does your role involve?
I have an amazing role in a truly values-led organisation. I lead a great team of people across the areas of People & Wellness, Safety & Capability and Services which includes Fleet and Logistics, Warehousing, Inventory, Facilities and the beautiful mountain township of Cabramurra.
Career Challenges
Did you have any challenges getting where you are today, in terms of the balance of life and career?
In many ways only in my own head. I, like many women, have often thought, oh gee I couldn’t possibly do that. I definitely thought that when I first started at Qantas and I had to give myself a good talking to (change my self talk) and say to myself if others think you can you can. Us women are often our own worst enemy. They say that women will often only apply for a role if they think they can do at least 75% of it versus men who will have a go and apply if they think they can do 25% of a role.
Back to my career, I did have some challenges getting back into large business roles because I changed course when my kids were young. After spending 10 years at Shell Oil I decided to start my own consulting business to give myself more flexibility (work was less flexible then or, if it was, the job challenge was fairly limiting). Whilst I loved the actual consulting work, I hated having to find the work as in being a salesman and I missed the collegiality and genuine mateship that comes with being in a great big business.
Important Traits when Hiring
You have been involved with hiring hundreds of people over many years and industries. What are the most important traits you look for when making hiring decisions?
People who are:
• Grounded
• Straightforward
• Prepared to back themselves, though also open about their learnings – they show their strength and vulnerability in all its forms
• Authentic – know where they’ve come from and haven’t lost the essence of who they are along the way
Highlights & Learning
Can you share with Zenergy’s readers, key highlights or challenges you’ve experienced in your
working life and any learning that resulted?
Be straightforward, be clear, don’t mess people around, know when to take on issues and when to defer to another day, don’t be intimidated by what people think or say and especially the negative thoughts in your head. Enact a no surprises policy with everyone and remember it goes both ways, confess early and confess often when required (be accountable). It signals to people that there isn’t anything else you know lurking beyond.
Remember, as a woman, that at the age of 22 you are probably going to work on and off for the best part of 45 years so don’t sweat the ‘what will happen to my career’ if you take a career break for kids or any other reason. Every experience including having children does add to your life experience so value it. Value yourself, especially when returning from extended leave – don’t say I’ll do what I was doing before because I’m not sure how I’ll cope. We’ve all learned that we grow through extended leave periods, when you come back time is precious and often the last work you did can feel like ground hog day after one day back – to make this happen, you have to trust yourself.
Find a way to learn how to give constructive feedback. It’s a gift that people will appreciate and, in role modelling how to do it, others will follow your lead. It is freeing and makes for a productive and trusting workplace. And above all else, have fun, don’t sweat the small stuff and remember WHY you come to work – yes, to provide job satisfaction but it’s normally deeper than that – family, friends, your own health, always look after Your Top 3 or Top 4 or Core 4. Find a way to walk through the door when there is an opportunity, even if it is only slightly ajar. As Sheryl Samberg said ‘lean in’ regardless of how scary it is or you think it is on the other side. Remember the person who has opened the door thinks you’re worthy and ready even if you don’t think you are. But only you can walk through it, no one can do it for you. The other way I think of ‘leaning in’ is to lean into all that life can offer.. sometimes you give and sometimes you receive… she’s really saying ‘put your hand up’, have a go and back yourself. And I also think Julia Gillard in her recent book on female leadership hit the jackpot in terms of insights when she said that to be successful women have to have a balance of strength and empathy. Having one or the other isn’t enough for female leaders. She says women walk a tightrope – women need to be ‘man’ enough to do the job but feminine enough to NOT be viewed as unlikeable. Without the balance she says we’re viewed as being either too soft, too weak, too emotional or too hard, hamfisted and hostile.
Above all else, be yourself. Don’t try to be anyone or anything else. Leadership is not one personality or another, it is in how you lead, how you build trust, understanding and ultimately commitment to be part of the team.
Future HSE Leaders
Taking into consideration what you have learned over the years, what would your advice be for future industry leaders?
• Be brave and always stick to your values. If it does not pass the sniff test, stop, take a breath and don’t do it
• Learn how to collaborate across silos, organisations and industry(s) to build momentum for change
• You have to release control and involve managers in the solution to create line accountability and sustainable commitment
Downtime
How do you fill your time outside of work? Or do you have any passion projects that keep you busy?
I have a range of diverse interests in addition to catching up with family whenever I can both in realtime and virtually. My son lives in Sydney so we catch up with Nick and his girlfriend Cassie whenever we’re in town. My daughter Gemma lives in NYC so that is normally a weekly WhatsApp catch up by video and the same goes with my mother and various siblings and friends. I also have an additional member of the family, some of whom say, Bonnie our dog is the favourite.
In terms of sport and exercise, my husband Paul and I love playing a game called Pickleball, the byline of which is that ‘Pickleball is the fastest growing game you’ve never heard of’! Thanks to Brad Pamp I also love to run and when in Cooma I run three mornings a week with a Snowy running group. I ran by myself for many years which I thought was my preference, but I now love running with others and it certainly means I can and do run longer distances. I also love yoga and when I can, I attend a virtual class of a friend (who is based in Melbourne) on a Saturday afternoon.
The pandemic did have some silver linings, and being part of a collective yoga class was one of them. I started tap dancing in Cooma this year! It has been a bit hit and miss with me being in Sydney or in the regions from time to time meaning I’ve missed some of the classes… I absolutely love it but I’m a few tap steps behind!! And lastly, this year I set up a book club with some ladies from Snowy after enjoying reading so many good books over the Christmas holidays.
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