Chaminda: Natalie, what’s something from your time at RMIT that has stuck with you to this day?
Natalie: Just because you can do something, it doesn’t mean you should. And I’ve actually used that a couple of times in business, where I’ve questioned whether or not just because we could do something as a business, should we actually? Is it in the best interests of our customers or our clients?
Chaminda: So we all wish we could go back in time every now and again, if present-day you could give a message to yourself, when you were studying at RMIT, what would it be?
Natalie: In all honesty, there is nothing I would have done differently. I chose RMIT for location and for flexibility, I wanted an Executive MBA that didn’t rush me through it and RMIT was one of the ones that said you have 5 years, and you don’t have to do 2 electives every semester. I was working at ANZ at that time and I was looking after a bunch of markets and I didn’t know where I was going to be at any point in any semester, so I loved the flexibility. I had friends that got rushed through their executive MBA and ended up not enjoying the experience.
Chaminda: What did you see as the most important experience during your time at university?
Natalie: The first thing is the connections that I made, I’m still really good friends with the people that I met in my first class.
And the second thing I’m really grateful for in terms of that course is the breadth of the electives that I was able to choose from to undertake my course.
Chaminda: Natalie, you would have seen the rise of sustainability in business over the last decade when issues like climate change have gained global focus. How do the future leaders of business embrace this path of social responsibility, while also meeting traditional business needs such as shareholder value and driving profit and growth?
Natalie: I don’t think you have a choice, as leaders. I don’t think there is one or the other: there is sustainability, CSR, environmental, ESG, whatever you want to do, responsible investing, responsible business. Whatever it is you want to call it, I don’t think you have a choice. The next generation coming through now, they’re just not going to accept it if you don’t have a purpose that is grounded in ensuring sustainability, not just for our environment but for our people and our culture and for diversity, so I don’t think it’s a choice that you have Chaminda. Leaders need to have both the mindset, and you know, it’s a cliche but growth will come from the fact that your purpose is grounded in being able to create a sustainable business model that looks after the communities in which we work and live.
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