娇色导航

Cathy O'Sullivan?

Hello and welcome to 娇色导航Leadership Live Australia. I'm Cathy O'Sullivan, Editorial Director for Foundry in Australia and New Zealand. And my guest today is Leeanne Chau. Leeanne is the Chief Information Officer at Water New South Wales, and it's a pleasure to have her on the podcast today.

Welcome Leeanne, thanks for being with us. ? Leeanne Chau?

Thanks for having me. Cathy, it's great to be here. ? Cathy O'Sullivan? Excellent.

So look, I love to hear about CIOs' origin stories. So tell us about how you got your start in technology, and what have been some highlights of your career to date? ? Leeanne Chau?

Well, Cathy, I would love to say that where I am today was the result of having a really clear vision, but the reality is, I never knew what I wanted to do.

And so I guess I did just what any enterprising, ambitious person would do, and I just kept an open eye out for opportunities, and I was lucky enough to land a role with Deloitte as a cadet, and then I moved into consulting, and this is where I really started my passion for data and technology.

So through consulting, I've been able to work across many industries and also work with many different clients. And so although I am a CIO, I see myself as a business leader, first and foremost.

Some of my career highlights are at Ausgrid I led the data and technology transformation following privatisation, and I think this is almost like a once in a career opportunity to drive long term strategic change for an organisation really driving forward a clear technology vision.

And even looking back at my time there today, I can see how some of the transformational programs that we led really helped to set them up for long term success.

I also worked at the ATO as an assistant commissioner in the smarter data group, which really helped to satisfy my thirst for delivering value from data at scale. The ATO has one of the largest data and analytics teams in the whole country.

They've got really sophisticated data sets and incredibly intelligent people. It's such a fantastic place to work with amazing programs and really wonderful leadership. And then, most recently, at APA Group, I'm really proud of driving capability led operating model refresh and uplifting the leadership capabilities.

But on reflection, one of the things that I really love about my career to date is building those lifelong friendships. And some people think the phrase, which is a phrase that I use quite often work, is like a home away from home.

Some people think it's quite controversial, but to me, it doesn't mean unconditional love. It means showing support and genuine care and concern and having fun, and sometimes that means some tough love as well. ? Cathy O'Sullivan?

So your home from home now is WaterNSW, and you've been the 娇色导航there for a few months now. So give us an overview of the organisation, its mission and purpose, and how you and the team support it. ? Leeanne Chau?

At WaterNSW, our purpose is water delivered when and where it matters. We look after the state's dams and deliver two thirds of all the water used in New South Wales.

We also build and maintain and operate essential infrastructure, and we also own and operate the largest surface and groundwater monitoring network in the southern hemisphere. But in reality, it's actually a really complex business, and it's also a complex sector that we work within as well.

And a lot of my background is in energy. And whilst there are some really strong parallels with the water sector, this sector brings a whole new dimension, which I'm really loving in my own learning journey.

When it comes to the work that I do and my responsibilities I look after the digital portfolio here, and this is we could break this down into four main categories. The first category is we provide core IT services to WaterNSW.

This is your sort of traditional applications, infrastructure, networks, cloud data, cyber security. We also run digital transformation pro programs and ensuring that we provide a fit for purpose, lean and efficient IT service.

Also look after operational technology, where we provide statewide OT support encompassing SCADA telemetry IoT, we support real time data collection and monitoring to support reliability across the state.

We're also a digital solutions provider to New South Wales water agencies who are tasked with water resource management and compliance, and we are a data provider of water data for New South Wales government agencies, research, research institutions and the general public as well.

We've got some really clear strategic priorities. We're doing a huge amount of digital transformation, which is a core part of delivering operational excellence throughout our organisation.

We're also uplifting our digital operating model, which is all about being clear about who we are, what we do, why we do it, how we do it, so that we can be really clear about our capabilities and our service levels expectations, so that we can make really good business decisions.

And I think the really great thing about how Water New South Wales views digital is we are valued as a core enabler of driving value and also realising the ambition of our corporate strategy.

And we know that using digital it's really the way that we make it easier for our people to do their jobs and for our customers to self serve, water data licensing and access information to be able to access our services at any time and also from anywhere.

? Cathy O'Sullivan?

So you mentioned there some of the areas that you're looking at. So overall, how is that digital journey tracking? And you know, you mentioned your strategy there, what are some areas of focus for you and the team in the next year or so? ? Leeanne Chau?

So a big focus for us is on business transformation. It's it's really a focus for our entire organization. We've got a number of cross portfolio forums with strong executive involvement. We're really focused on becoming a more efficient organisation.

This is all about doing things as efficiently as possible, aligning our digital initiatives with our core strategic objectives and here, digital isn't something that you just that you do on the side or you bolt on it really is embedded. We are embedded as a key enabler.

To some people transformation is a dirty word for reducing costs and people. Here at Water New South Wales, it is about doing things as efficiently as possible, but it's also about genuine transformation.

So how do we change the way that we think, the way that we operate, the way that we work together, so that we can genuinely shift our business models, and it's also a key driver behind improving our employee and customer experience.

And just on customer it's always a huge focus with us, with any initiatives or outcomes that we want to drive forward, it's a question that we always test ourselves on.

So ultimately, how does this benefit our customers, and are we doing the right thing by our customers as well?

So like our employees, we're always aiming to improve our customer experience so that we're making it easier for them to run their business and for a price that they see value in. ? Cathy O'Sullivan?

So you've mentioned that data is also a huge area for you and the team, and indeed, you have your own background in data. So talk to us about that importance of data to the organisation and your overall approach to data management? ? Leeanne Chau?

Sure, so many people don't realise this, but we are a really big provider of data to New South Wales. I mentioned earlier to other agencies, research institutions, the public. So we're a massive data hub. We're a source of vital information.

We give our customers and communities access to the information that they need. So things like river flows and dam storage levels.

And just on a personal note, like it's amazing how many people I know outside of work who take a personal interest in our dam levels and love to look up our social channels.

And so it's really great to see the vital role that we play in providing this vital information for our communities. We we've got an amazingly talented team who ingest data from a myriad of sources.

We curate the data, then we make it available for use in our digital platforms and also for self service use by our customers. This is available through our website.

We're also doing some really exciting water and operational modeling with our data so that we can leverage it for innovation opportunities.

And from an IoT sense, we're expanding the use of our IoT devices for things like dam surveillance and asset monitoring, and this helps us improve the way that we manage our dam safety and leveraging the data in our IoT hub, which we then use for innovation use cases in the way that we manage our work.

We also leverage our data and use advanced video analytics with our CCTV. We're always introducing new models and finding new use cases so that we can perform monitoring and inspection purposes, and doing that in a smarter way as well.

And we are scaling our use of AI in the form of predictive models by our engineers and our modelers, which also draws out a different challenge from a technology and data perspective.

We need to make sure that we're keeping up with demand and also improving our performance in safe and secure manner. ? Cathy O'Sullivan?

So Leanne, what role do partners then play in that IT strategy? And what does a good partnership, you know, with the MSP or an IT vendor? What does that look like from your perspective? ? Leeanne Chau?

So ultimately, for me, it's about having clarity in what services you provide, what capabilities you need to then deliver on those services, and then deciding what you insource, what you outsource, and then where you might flex using partners.

One thing to be really clear about, though, is never, you should never, ever outsource your thinking. This is absolutely something that you always should retain in-house.

And for me, when I work with partners, and where I've gotten the best outcomes in partnerships is where you find that you've got those really strong values alignment, where you know the partner organisation makes a genuine attempt to really understand your business objectives and then do everything they can to help you achieve that.

I find that not only do you get the best outcomes, but you also get the most satisfaction and joy out of working together, because you feel like you are in this together, and you got this as well. ? Cathy O'Sullivan?

So look, technology is often an enabler and driver of change, you know, in any organisation. So from your experience, from your career, what are some kind of effective strategies you found for driving and managing change? ? Leeanne Chau?

This awesome question, so I often say that technology is the easy part of a project, and the most challenging aspects are the real change components, so across your people and across your processes, and really, no one likes change unless they can see the benefit in it.

t's really the What's In It For Me factor. So a good strategy is to involve your stakeholders really early in the process. And one of the techniques that I like to use is, is the fast forward visualization.

So let's say you fast forward two, three, four years down the track, whatever time horizon you please, and you then reimagine what the experience you want, what you want it to look like, and also what you want it to feel like.

And it's a really great way of envisaging and creating clarity around what success looks like in the future. And how do you create a clear North Star?

I also think that keeping people at the centre of everything that you do, you can't go wrong there, having really strong values based leadership.

I think that if you it's like it's like a relationship really, if you can strive for alignment of values, then typically you can work most things out, having an enterprise mindset, considering the end to end view of the change that you're trying to drive.

So moving away from that siloed focus and also working hand in hand with the sponsoring business areas, all technology driven change results in business change. So you need to have strong ownership and buy in from the get go. ? Cathy O'Sullivan?

So you mentioned the importance of people, and so how are you dealing? withsenior leaders and the board in your organisation tell us about your approach to building trust and engaging with them, for example. ? Leeanne Chau?

So at some at? WaterNSW, I feel like the value of digital, it's really well recognised and acknowledged. I sit on the executive team, which means that I get the opportunity to be part of the conversation at the table when we're discussing strategic matters or working through organisational challenges.

I find that when a portfolio like digital, or IT is reporting through to another executive, sometimes IT can be seen as just another cost centre, and you can really miss out on the biggest opportunity of digital being a key enabler of value for an organisation.

And if I reflect on a memory from years ago, an executive once said to me, it's really lonely at the top.

But if I reflect on my experience here at Water New South Wales, I've really got to say how remarkably contrary to this opinion, my experience has been to date.

I've been so incredibly fortunate to have executive peers who are so willing to collaborate, partner on strategic initiatives, be an ear to lean on when I've got like challenges to solve, bounce ideas off, and just generally feel like we are partners in delivering on our strategic objectives.

One of the things that I really love here is the strong leadership direction and commitment to a strong team culture, thanks to our CEO, Andrew George. We've got really similar philosophies around team sports and building high performing teams.

It's really all about role clarity and goal clarity and having a clear vision around where you want to go. When it comes to the board, I find that they're also incredibly supportive too.

So always be transparent, but I do feel like there's a genuine interest to help guide and support whilst ensuring the balance of risks and opportunities. So it's a really special operating environment here. ? Cathy O'Sullivan?

So then, how would you describe your own leadership style? Do you have any mantras for for leadership and your approach to it? ? Leeanne Chau?

I do have lots of mantras, and often find myself saying the same things over and over and over again, but my leadership style is probably the most similar to servant leadership where you know, in my mind, what this means is just creating clarity on your goals, or that North Star provide your people with the tools and the support, and then do everything you can to help them realise their potential and do the best job that they can do.

I picked up a great piece of advice from a previous leader, and he always used to say, I only want to do the job that only I can do.

I find that this is a really great principle for empowering and enabling your employees, and for myself, it's about lifting myself up and out of the day to day so that I can focus on the truly strategic matters that need my attention.

Sometimes I find that I want to jump in and make a captain's call, but I have to try really hard to refrain from doing this.

So what I what I aim to do is encourage my leaders to better inform themselves, and I might give them pointers, but ultimately, it's really important that they make their own decisions. And you know what?

If it's the wrong one, then sometimes these are the best opportunities to for them to learn and grow. ? Cathy O'Sullivan?

So just expanding on that further, then you know you've mentioned that importance of empowering your leaders to make their own decisions. What else do you think is important when it comes to getting the best out of the team, and how do you motivate, them keep them engaged?

Is there anything else that you do on that practical level to to keep them engaged? ? Leeanne Chau?

Sure, I do all of the usual things, like town halls and reporting and just just the standard stuff, but one of the things that I've also got into the habit of doing is every every few weeks or so, I'll record a really short, two to three minute video that I just do on my laptop, and then I'll send it out to my whole portfolio.

It. It doesn't take long. It's really raw and unedited.

There's a big disclaimer around there, but it's a great way of for me to push out quick messages, and it helps them to understand what's top of mind for me, sometimes it's work related, sometimes it's a little bit on the personal front.

And I have a really geographically dispersed team across the state, and I find that this allows them to be connected, like feel closer to what I'm doing.

And I've found that one of the positive side effects of these videos is that at things like town halls, when everyone is physically together, you know, I've had team members that I don't often connect with or even interact with, very frequently, they'll come up to me and and then they'll start a conversation with me about something that they've heard in one of my videos.

It could be like a holiday that I went on, or something that I'm doing. And so really great conversation starter, and it helps them to figure out things that we might have in common.

I've also got an open door or a virtual open door policy, so anyone can reach out and connect, and I find it's a really efficient way to get things done. ? Cathy O'Sullivan?

Now at the start of our conversation, Leanne, you mentioned your own entry into technology, and you didn't really know what you wanted to do when you started out.

So what's your thoughts then, on how we attract you know, more minds of all kinds, more people from diverse backgrounds to consider IT as a career.

Is there anything that you can think of on the practical sense that needs to happen to ensure we have more diversity in IT, and also more diversity at that top level, in 娇色导航roles? ? Leeanne Chau?

Absolutely, I am a really passionate supporter of encouraging more diversity in technical fields like digital data and technology, and I always get involved in mentoring programs, and occasionally I might speak at some conferences, and it's usually a women in technology sort of conference.

I find that this helps the next generation of leaders to feel more connected with their own challenges and know that they have got a support network, and it helps them to feel less alone.

I'm also really supportive of university programs, and I think that looking earlier in the pipeline, when our kids are making choices about what to study and how do we make STEM choices more attractive and visible.

I also think, well, for me, personally, I had the good fortune of having great mentors. It's important that we all pay it forward and be part of the community. ? Cathy O'Sullivan?

So what advice then would you give someone who was aspiring to be a 娇色导航now that you're in the role? What words of wisdom would you pass on to them. ? Leeanne Chau?

For me, it's it's all about people and partnerships. Technology doesn't solve problems. People solve problems using technology. So focus on understanding the business objectives and goals. What's the strategic context for your business? Work hard to build your stakeholder network and, most importantly, understand people.

So what are their motivations, their frustrations, inspirations, their fears, and devote energy into understanding people. This really helps to foster relationships, and if you can walk together with them in their shoes, then you can solve problems together.

This is really one of my favorite proverbs, actually, is "if you want to go fast, go alone.

If you want to go further, go together." So it's really people that drive and deliver the value and you can't do this in our space, like in the IT space, with an IT team alone, you always need to look to partner with your business stakeholders to get the best value for your organisation.

? Cathy O'Sullivan?

Absolutely, technology is indeed a team sport. Leeanne Chau, Chief Information Officer at WaterNSW. Thank you so much for your time today. ? Leeanne Chau?

Thank you so much. Cathy, that was a lot of fun.