It was a pleasure to have Michael Bradburn, recently appointed CFO for Ausgrid, present to our CFO Incubator group last week. Michael’s presentation was engaging and provided insight into how he has managed his career from graduate at Arthur Anderson to his current appointment. Michael has been proactive, driven and employed a structured approach to his career planning and advancement, which was highly educational for the group.
Amongst many interesting themes to emerge on career management the key ones were: –
- Don’t wait for the opportunity to broaden your skill set to come to you. Be looking for opportunity beyond your current role and proactively volunteer your time to assist.
- Look to build networks with peers, colleagues and mentors. Interestingly, some of Michael’s best advice came from feedback provided by his team. It is important that relationships are mutually beneficial and that you are there for your network and give without expectation.
- Know your strengths and weaknesses. Don’t focus on weaknesses – Care about your weaknesses, but spend more time on what you are good at. Like Ian Thorpe used to do. He focused on swimming, and didn’t spend too much time focusing on long-distance running.
- Be prepared, do your homework – you can control this. Whether it is commencing a new job, preparing for an interview or looking to broaden your experience within your current organisation.
Michael’s story was insightful and motivational and we would like to thank him for taking the time to share his story and experiences with the group. If you would like to find out more about the program please visit The CFO Incubator Program webpage.
