To celebrate International Women's Day, UQ Business School sat down with four inspiring female researchers to learn more about their career highlights, their personal definitions of success, and the advice they have for women looking to progress up the career ladder.
A decade ago, Dr Nicole Hartley had no idea she would end up as a mover and shaker in the academic world. This vivacious corporate climber was working at a big agency in the UK and had just landed what she thought was her dream job at a glamorous multinational firm.
It wasn’t until her boss retired after years of loyal service and only received a token gold watch that Nicole changed direction in search of having a bigger direct impact on people’s lives.
Fast-forward to now and Dr Hartley works as the new Master of Business Administration (MBA) Director at the UQ Business School. She has worked on a variety of impactful research projects in areas including telehealth, consumer psychology and virtual services.
Dr Cle-Anne Gabriel isn’t one to let a glass ceiling get in her way. The UQ Business School strategy expert is driven by a passionate and urgent need for global sustainability. As the School Director for the United Nations Principles for Responsible Management Education, Cle-Anne says she has overcome a steep learning curve to bring her own style and approach to the rewarding leadership role.
However, the corporate consultant who turned to academia says she doesn’t recall a conscious decision to focus on sustainability.
“I think in many ways sustainability chose me – there were some environmental issues I was passionate about in my youth, so I decided to pursue those and never stopped.”
Self-described as passionate and determined, Cle-Anne founded and ran her own sustainability consulting business, working as a policy advisor and external counsel to industry and government internationally, before making a career-changing move to become a researcher.
Dr Ida Asadi Someh is no stranger to gender imbalance, experiencing it first-hand in her own career and breaking down barriers in the process. This courageous and celebrated researcher urges other women to challenge the status quo to achieve their own version of success.
Now working as a female academic in the previously male-dominated area of Business Information Systems at UQ Business School, Dr Asadi Someh’s first job in her home country was advertised only for male applicants.
She was very keen to get the job and insisted on talking to the manager. After a few days of interviews and conversations, she got the job. The position helped her to build the self-confidence she needed to forge her career.
Working in professional sport, where women’s participation and audiences are rapidly expanding, Professor Sarah Kelly still observes gender inequality at all levels and questions why women’s sport is not commercialising as quickly as it is growing.
She describes the biggest ‘pinch me’ moment of her career as seeing the launch of AFL Women’s team in Australia, and the Brisbane Lions Women’s team as grand finalists in the inaugural year.
Having completed her PhD while raising four young children, Sarah has overcome many challenges to get where she is today as an Associate Professor and Discipline Leader of Marketing at UQ Business School.
