I’m so proud to be part of QUT's vibrant alumni community and as a fellow alum, it gives me great pleasure to be this month's guest editor. We recently celebrated International Women's Day and the contributions of women in every sphere of life. In this edition, we acknowledge a handful of remarkable fellow female alumni, who are making waves in their industries. Their stories are inspiring, and their lives radiate genuine humility, successful inclusion, and positive leadership. They also illuminate the diverse possibilities available with a QUT degree and inspire us to embrace opportunities for continued learning.

As I thought about what to share with you, it was topical to reflect on the impact of Taylor Swift's recent Australian tour. I'm not a 'Swiftie' by any means, but was fortunate enough to experience the spectacle of her show. What struck me most was not her soundwaves, but the economic and cultural resonance she left in her wake. I’d love you to join me in exploring the implications that the 'Swift effect' raises and the broader conversation toward a future where gender equity is no longer topic of discussion, because silence will be testament to a new era. Join me as I share my thoughts on 'the Swift effect.'

Your guest editor,

Jessica Mellor (Class of 2020)
CEO, The Star Gold Coast
Executive Master of Business Administration, QUT

Riva Mendoza (Class of 2021) studied a Bachelor of Information Technology at QUT. We delved into the transformative impact of Riva's QUT education and experiences, and her subsequent trajectory as an alumnus working at Canva. Riva shared some of her pivotal moments, including her recognition as the Women in Digital - Software Engineer of the Year 2023, offering insights for both aspiring and seasoned leaders. Read about the journey of this remarkable young alumnus who is shaping the digital landscape with her unwavering commitment to excellence.

Michelle Hughes (Class of 2023) has an extensive career in marketing and executive leadership, and recently found herself navigating the newfound complexities of directorship. Her journey underscores the transformative power of education. Michelle recognised the need to enhance her hard and soft skills to excel in the boardroom and she found the perfect solution in QUT’s Master of Business Administration (MBA), which she completed last year. The QUT MBA offered her an advanced curriculum along with a paradigm shift in her problem-solving and strategic thinking. Michelle shared how her MBA experience was profoundly enriching and transformed her leadership cabability.

> Read about Michelle's transformative leadership journey

Chloe Turrell (Class of 2019) is an award-winning Senior Biomedical Engineer, thriving in her dream career working on groundbreaking solutions to current healthcare issues. We interviewed Chloe to discover what ignited her passion, and how QUT's Bachelor in Engineering (Honours) (Medical) played a key role in shaping her career. Chloe shared her leadership principles and non-negotiable skills, which have undoubtedly contributed to her being named Queensland’s Emerging Professional Engineer of the Year in 2023. Chloe speaks from the frontier of healthcare innovation and unveils cutting-edge projects taking shape in the wearable technologies space.

Almost every day in the media, business leaders are telling us about the increasing complexity of their environment. As Kerry O’Brien* said recently of the ABC “There have always been challenges...but I don’t think the times have ever been more complex, certainly in my lifetime.” Complexity is a feature of most policy and business issues today because of forces such as digital acceleration, economic uncertainty and social change. Leaders grapple with problems whose components are interrelated in ways that are hard to define. These circumstances require leaders who possess clarity of thought and purpose, and the ability to be comfortable in uncertainty.

Over the last 30 years. I have been privileged to work with such leaders who have either contributed to my research in cooperative strategy (leadership in alliances and networks), been clients in my consulting business, or have been engaged learners in QUT professional development programs such as Systems Thinking and Leading in Complexity. What they all have in common is a real curiosity to understand the problems they face from different perspectives. They are all innovative thinkers who work purposefully in the conflict-ridden arenas that are characteristic of the messier problems organisations and governments must tackle. They do this to solve real problems and identify opportunities in our industries and communities.

They also value lifelong professional development for the stimulation and networking opportunities it brings. Our leadership programs at QUT get people out of their comfort zone, help them see the world differently and provide the help of an academic coach. These elements ensure genuine professional growth and are a hedge against the many disruptions we can expect in a long career.

*ABC Listen (2024, March 4): Kerry O’Brien: ABC has drifted towards commercial model.

Northshore Brisbane is the largest waterfront urban renewal project in Queensland and is destined to become a Brisbane icon. Over the next 20 years, the 304-hectare precinct will transform an industrial area into a vibrant riverside precinct which stretches 2.5 kilometres along the Brisbane River. Noteworthy for its recent acclaim in hosting vibrant festivals, pioneering culinary experiences, and modern recreational spaces, Northshore Brisbane has already become a hub for fostering creativity, innovation, and sustainability.

QUT is a key collaborator in this transformative journey and has diligently partnered with the Queensland Government’s land use planning and property development agency, Economic Development Queensland (EDQ), for an impressive six-year span. This collaboration has been instrumental in infusing innovative concepts into the urban precinct. QUT's Creative Industries students have played a pivotal role, contributing imaginative design concepts and activating spaces to attract visitors, showcasing the distinctive features of Northshore Brisbane.

Furthermore, QUT's Information Technology students have been at the forefront, tackling challenges related to irrigation and cooling areas, exemplifying the university's commitment to addressing real-world issues. The partnership with EDQ on the Northshore Brisbane project signifies a convergence of academia and practical innovation, fostering a landscape where academia actively contributes to the shaping of the future.

> View the recent Northshore Capstone Project involving QUT students

The 2023 Lord Mayor’s Women in Business Grant recipients were announced in February and we are so pleased to see the many QUT alumni winners! One of the successful grant recipients was Clare Kennedy (pictured), a QUT Masters of Architecture alumnus and the founder of manufacturing and architecture studio Five Mile Radius. Clare plans to use the grant for business consulting to help her company manage larger, more complex projects, including repurposing the construction waste from Eagle Street Pier to create furniture for Brisbane’s Dexus Waterfront development.

Congratulations to the QUT alumni recipients:

Louise Munro, Margaret O’Callaghan, Donna Thistlethwaite, Caitlin Dyer,  Amanda Reboul, Wendy Downes, Eliza Kennedy, Francesca Symmons and Sabrina Yang.

Telstra announced their Best of Business Awards QLD State winners in February, with two of the seven winners being QUT alumni. ConnectedLE collected the award for the Championing Health category and was founded by QUT alumni duo, Kylie Armstrong and Nicole Evans (pictured). ConnectedLE is a successful online mental health training platform that blends the power of storytelling and science to develop mental fitness. 

Australian Training Works Group also won the Indigenous Excellence category and was founded by two Gunggandji men, including QUT alumnus Ashley Martens. Their amazing business provides meaningful skills development and employment opportunities for First Nations Peoples, with a strong focus on providing tailored solutions for Indigenous training and employment outcomes.