In the lead up to International Women's Day (March 8th 2019) we will be interviewing inspirational women about their journey in the business world. We want to recognise and share the achievements of these women; share their stories with others and encouraging other organisations to #BalanceforBetter in their businesses.
Our fifth interviewee is Veronica Tang | Manager Network Performance | Yarra Trams
Please tell us a little about your current mandate
My role is to look after network operations, performance and manage contracts, and manage the franchise agreement with PTV. They are my main deliverables. I support all of network planning and these contracts, with analytics and reporting to lift overall performance.
What has been the biggest challenge you've faced?
Coordination and alignment in a big team can be challenging. As a manger, I need to get others on board, to be on same page and working as a team. I need to engage people and get them to follow through and communicate with them how this aligns with performance and with our culture. There are a lot of different characters in my team that need to work cohesively together.
What advice would you give to women looking to forge a career in your industry?
It’s easier for women to get into the Transport industry than it used to be. I’m lucky to work in an organisation where employees are offered flexible hours, can work from home and there are initiatives to attract female drivers for Transport. It’s a good industry from a funding perspective, so it’s a great career but you have to come prepared to be open minded and prepared to grow, and most importantly, know how to communicate to cross certain bridges!
Who has been your biggest influence professionally?
My CEO of Metro Trains. He is a real leader. He not only managed me but was able to inspire, there's certainly a difference in those two skills. You can see he has a particular vision, which is very clear. I learnt a lot from him and he provided me with opportunities to grow, with his support, which is amazing in the Transport industry. He is very supportive of women growing their careers.
What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing gender equality in the workplace?
The presentation of senior female managers is still low, compared to the junior to mid level female leaders. In my opinion the biggest challenge facing gender equality in the workplace is to provide continuous support, including training and mentorship, to women who want to be successful in their careers. Provide female leaders with the framework to structure their career path and achieve their career goals. Organisational culture change is definitely required to support a gender balanced workplace.
What do you believe women uniquely bring to the table in senior positions?
I believe we are more flexible, open minded and very communicative. I bring more consideration, and as I manage a team, it’s a key factor to work and effectively listen to all opinions for good work flow and outcomes.
What does International Women's Day mean to you?
Well it’s a great day, I like that it is global. Australians have only celebrated loudly in recent times. I come from China, so we have always celebrated it and even get the day off to show respect and acknowledge women's work and home life challenges. Women are under pressure frequently, so it’s understanding this difficulty and showing your respect and not about what is stereotypically expected of them. It’s a fantastic day that I am very proud to be a part of. There is still along way to go for more women to secure leadership positions and be actively encouraged to strive for those roles.
Thank you for your time in answering our questions, Veronica.
You can follow Veronica's success at:
