'Don’t waste time or energy getting stressed by trying to address your weaknesses. Put your creativity and energy into building on what you do best, as this is the perfect foundation for success.'

Susan Williams developed a social conscience at an early age, which provided a platform for a diverse and interesting life. She and husband Alan made a ‘tree change’ ten years ago to establish a thoroughbred breeding and training property at Newbridge in the Central West of NSW. Life in the country may be quieter but is no less busy for this former teacher and Chief Executive Officer of Employment National (formerly known as the Commonwealth Employment Service or CES). Susan embraces rural community life while maintaining connections with her corporate past through mentoring executives. She has engaged in political campaigns, and up until the last council elections was the Deputy Mayor of the Blayney Shire. Susan now holds the position of CEO of the charity, A Start in Life, which aims to give needy young Australians an equal opportunity in life.

What gave you the motivation/inspiration to follow your dream?

I believe people are born with a drive to achieve, and if fostered in the right environment, the rest follows. I was fortunate to have the support of my parents to follow my dreams on whatever path they took me.

At what point did you realise that your dream was actually possible and what was it that made you think you could really do it?

From a very early age and over the years, I have had many dreams. The slogan ‘be the best you can be’ has stood me in good stead in realising that anything is achievable.
I have always had a social conscience. Throughout my working life I have mentored and been involved in educating people who are isolated, have a disability or are coping with other barriers in life. In the 1970s I taught children with special needs for the Endeavour Foundation and pushed through frontiers to assist children to realise their potential and be the best they could be. In a more recent role at Employment National, I had to lead 1600 employees through a torrent of change including downsizing and rebuilding. We succeeded in moving from a totally government-funded employment agency to an innovative, commercial recruitment business creating employment opportunities with an emphasis on social equity. We also believed in the values of ‘local’, and the company became the forerunner in marketing the concept of a ‘local business helping local people’ rather than a very large, national corporation. Today, helping children who are victims of family financial crisis or tragedy opens one’s eyes to the resilience and determination in our young to achieve, reach goals or simply ‘be the best they can be’.

When you were a child, what did you want to ‘be’ when you grew up?

Birth is not a free ticket to take what you want from life. At some point in my late primary school years, I remember very clearly deciding that I wanted to contribute something to my country. I know now that I wasn’t particularly clear on what that ‘something’ would be when I was growing up, but that was probably a good thing as I am still growing!

I studied in Brisbane and spent time working in special education and with School of the Air. When I was 18, I spent 12 amazing months with a family in a small Iowan town in the United States on an American Field Service exchange. This had a profound impact on me personally. As exchange students, we were very much expected to play an ‘ambassadorial role’ during our stay overseas and with this came an inner confidence that at the age of 18 and in the early ’70s I don’t think would have been possible without this experience. One of the best lessons I learned that year, and a principle that has held me in amazing stead since, was to make plans but always have the flexibility to change. I knew after that year that I felt totally comfortable with people from all walks of life and I wanted to have a career where I could help people to feel the joy of achievement or success.

How did your childhood influence you in later life?

I was raised in a very disciplined home and in an environment that fostered success. My father was an executive who was transferred to different locations a lot. I went to more than half a dozen schools and lived at times with aunts and grandparents, so I learned to adapt and make the most of where I was.

Who are your role models?

Quentin Bryce is someone I admire and respect. I rejoice and celebrate the success of women but don’t consider myself in any way a feminist. The last 20 years of my business life was spent in a ‘man’s world’. The industries that attracted me were dominated by male executives, and consequently I sat on boards with men. We owned an HF radio manufacturing company for many years and I remember clients being surprised that I knew how radios were put together and how they worked. I made sure I educated myself so that I did know. I never thought of myself as someone who had pushed through the ‘glass ceiling’ until my daughters pointed this out to me. I’ve always thought the most important thing in working life is to earn respect.

What does success mean to you?

Being an instrument in helping someone else achieve is very rewarding and a true gauge of one’s success. Mentoring young managers and seeing them achieve things they never thought they could do is a tangible success.

What has been one of the biggest barriers you have had to face, what happened, and how did you overcome it?

When I was with Employment National we were reduced from a $250 million budget to a $50 million budget through a change of contract. I was approached to take the CEO role to rebuild the company. This was certainly one of the biggest professional challenges I have had to tackle, especially when most of the previous executive management decided to leave. Getting the organisation back on course with massive staff reductions and dramatic workplace changes was enormous. Because it was my nature to do things ‘outside the square’ and often with a more maverick approach, there was some conflict to overcome. I expected this and accepted everyone would not share my views. I relied on establishing a clear vision and created a project plan so everyone could see why we were on a new path. Communicating that plan to the whole team also allowed everyone in the company to become familiar with the expectations and the strategies we were taking. Managing the media and Ministerial expectations was also an ongoing challenge. The team became very passionate about their company and succeeded in achieving our vision. For me personally, having a supportive family and a husband who was my anchor and soulmate was vital to balancing life at that time.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years time? What is your vision for the future?

The drought and equine influenza brought a new perspective, for both my husband and me, to our thoroughbred business and to work on our property. Neither of us is the retiring type, and these setbacks probably made us more determined to be flexible about the future and to pursue our dreams. The drought demonstrated, particularly to me, the resilience, strength and intelligence of rural women, their ability to achieve, and the hardship families faced. When the role of CEO of the charity A Start in Life was presented to me, I knew it was ‘the place’ I had wanted to be in those early years. Ten years into the future? For 87 years, the charity has been tirelessly and very quietly helping little Aussie battlers to have a proper education, particularly in rural areas. It is my vision to grow A Start in Life to at least five times its current size to where it becomes a household name recognised for helping Aussie kids to ‘be all they can possibly be’.

What would you like to say to other women who may be just starting out on a Daring to Dream journey?

Don’t waste time or energy getting stressed by trying to address your weaknesses. Put your creativity and energy into building on what you do best, as this is the perfect foundation for success.