Meet Anna Leibel
Anna Leibel: The Secure Board
Anna Leibel talks to us about her career in Tech - and how she switched it up in her forties.
We don’t need to stay in a career or job these days. In fact, with the experience, energy, confidence we’ve built up over the years, our forties might just be the best time to change things up.
Anna Liebel can tell us a lot about working in Tech. She has worked for SEEK, Telstra and UniSuper. Working mostly in the infrastructure and cloud side, she was often one of the only females in the team. However, Anna points out her male colleagues were always very supportive.
“People ask me how I have managed being discriminated against as a woman, that’s not been been my experience at all and for decades I was the only woman”.
Anna is passionate about getting more women into Tech.
“My Goddaughter said IT was boring. So I said what about Mecca [the online Beauty Retailer], what about their website? How about their personalised offers and content? That is all data, and all Tech”.
Tech is in every career now, but work needs to be done on correcting the misperception.
What does it take to move into Tech?
For older women, she recalls the careers of previous colleagues - one went from being a chartered accountant to running the office of the Chief Information Office. Another from studying social services to switching roles in the business she worked in to educate departments on Cyber Resilience.
Anna believes the most important skills for a career in Tech are the below, and all of transferrable:
1. Project Management - “I live my life like a project”. Running a critical path, to time, this is paramount.
2. Problem Solving - “Women tend to be more collaborative, which put’s a fresh take on finding solutions”
3. Decision making - You need to have the confidence to make a call. “I ask myself what is the worst that can happen in this scenario?”
Taking Risks Move you Forward
Like Anna’s move from IT into Sales. Although out of her comfort zone, the role was life changing.
“I’d go into sales calls with 200, 400 people talking about sales, I had no idea. I had a $80 million budget to hit but was googling terms they were using, not knowing what they meant. Plus, as it was sales, no one was in the office, they were out, so I had no one to show me”.
“Nothing I’d do differently although I’ve had challenges in my career”
The risk paid off when the global professional services PWC called Anna for a job. “My initial response was ‘Wow, they want me?!’ I’d not have moved into that role if it wasn’t for doing the sales role.”
Tackling Imposter Syndrome
Anna’s approach to her new sales role is a great guide to what to do after we make the big leap, and risky decision. In reality, we will feel like a fish out of water, but can take action to find out way.
“I had a huge sales budget to hit. For 3 weeks, I’d go for walks with the dogs thinking, thinking. I invested in a coach. I got into problem solving mode”.
Anna came up with an approach that took her knowledge of IT and love of educating people into a sales strategy. She would train stakeholders across the region and in return, get sales leads. She hit her sales budget, in her unique style.
No one is better than you
It was Anna’s mother who instilled in her a sense of worth that would avoid comparison. “She taught my sister and I that no one is better than you. I never think someone is better than me just because of where they sit in the organisational structure. I respect them, but I just think they have taken a different path, they’re not better than me”.
A great tip for anyone as they approach senior stakeholders, do presentations or pitches, or attending meetings.
Achieving Work Life Balance
Switching careers of course can be for any reason. A fresh challenge, a better work life balance.
Yet Anna’s career change wasn’t planned, but the outcome of writing the Secure Board book at 45, meant setting up her own business and leaving her busy corporate role. “That book changed my life”. What began as an item on the Bucket List, encouraged by her friend, co-author Clare Pales, became the catalyst to Anna building a life of meaning.
“I picture my life as a pie. One part Board roles, the next running the business (The Secure Board), the next Mentoring & Studying. But crucially time to spend on me - yoga, walking the dogs, reading a book. Its taking a lot of practice. But I am clear now on the compromises I won’t make now”.
Anna you give us all hope of the many way’s we can live this life, using our skills and experience. Hopefully to better the world, as well as get time for us.
Anna Leibel with Dame Quentin Bryce - the first woman to be Governor-General of Australia - and the Secure Board book
Out Now: The Secure Board
“No one is better than you”
It was Anna’s Mum who taught her and her sister ‘No-one is better than you”.
