what I was really missing [was]
the team, the environment,
[and] the people.”
Have there been obstacles
to your success? “Mother’s
guilt [when going back to
work], but what mother hasn’t
experienced this? I think it’s
at the point you accept it and
go, ‘You know what, I can’t do
everything perfectly. I’m just
going to do everything I can,
the best I can and accept that
for me, working and having a career is really important,
but also being a great wife and a great mum is important as
well.’ It ’s just fi nd i ng t hat ba la nce.”
What defines success for you? “Ultimately, it’s really
how you handle it; how you treat people on the journey
and how true you remain to yourself. I don’t really define
success a s someth i ng I do a lone. I’ve a lways been about the
team. It’s also about building high-performance teams that
can then deliver growth back to a business. It’s what you
leave behind as well, when you move on. If you leave behind
a great, successful, thriving team, then that ’s really for me,
the [big] tick and they can continue on the journey.”
How important is it for you to be a mentor at this stage in
your career? “Really important, and I get as much out of it
I think as they do—it’s definitely a two-way street. Even
though [working in a male-dominated industry] has not
been an issue for me, I do acknowledge for some women it’s
quite intimidating. I think women who have had success in
any industry should really be there supporting the next
generation of young women coming through.”
And finally, do you have a quote or words you live by?
“‘I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious,’
by A lber t Ei nstei n.” —ADRIANA DONNOLAWhat do you wish you had known before starting in this
male-dominated business? “Don’t overthink your gender.
It’s okay to be different; don’t try to become something
you’re not. Know your customers and add value that way.
Diversity can bring different
strengths to the business, so it’s
not as much about the industry,
but about how you can bring the
best of everyone’s strengths.”
In 2012 at the height of your
career (as Austar’s group director
of product, sales and marketing),
you resigned. Was that a water-
shed moment for you? “Yes, it
was. I thought if there’s ever a time
to step off the corporate treadmill,
now is a clean time to do it [when
Austar merged with Foxtel]. And,
it’s always great to go out on the
story of success rather than tough
times. I had lots of things going
around in my mind at that
time: would I start up my own
business? Would I sit on some
boards and do more passion-based
projects? Would it allow me to spend more time with my
kids? It felt like a natural break for me. I jumped on a few
not-for-profit boards and spent time with my boys. It also
allowed me to focus on my health and fitness. I trained
and ran the New York Marathon.”
How long were you away from corporate life and were you
ever worried about returning? “It was about four-and-
a-half years and, yes, the key doubt I had was, would I
ever get another job? Because self-doubt really does creep
in. I don’t think I ever overly worried about it, but it was
definitely there.”
Did you seek advice about returning? “I’d meet with dif-
ferent people and they’d say, ‘If you’re going to get back in,
two years is the window. If you’re out more, you become less
relevant.’ But I didn’t know what that next thing was going
to be, so I wasn’t going to jump back in just for the sake of
getting back into the corporate world. Then this [Audi]
opportunity came up and the penny dropped. I realised
“Have confidence in
YOURSELF and your
ability. Stay true to
who YOU are and
what’s important to
YOU. That’s my advice
for females. And don’t
be a passenger—really
be a contributor”
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SEPTEMBER, 2019 INSTYLE 95