1. HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR
HCAMAG.COM
ISSUE 14.12
INSIDE HR:
ACCENTURE
Is digital fluency
the key
to gender equality?
OUT OF SIGHT,
NOT OUT OF MIND
Your duty of care
to travelling
employees
A PERFECT
PARTNERSHIP
Shifting from vendor
management
to‘vendor partnerships’
Technology / L&D / Employment law /
Leadership development / Engagement
2016
YEAR IN
REVIEW

2. PEOPLE
CAREER PATH
54 www.hcamag.com
OUT OF AFRICA
Tanya Southey’s journey from South Africa to Australia has
encompassed a wide range of roles in HR
Pre–
1985
2012
HELPS DRIVE GROWTH AT CUB
FollowingastintatSheldonHarrisConsulting,in2012SoutheybecameHRdirector
atCarltonUnitedBreweries(CUB).WorkingatCUBhasbeen“exciting”butalso
notwithoutitschallenges;foronething,beerconsumptionhasgenerallybeen
trendingdownwards.Within12monthsofusingabehaviouralmethodologyand
puttinginaswathofefficientprocesses,thecompanyisingrowth
mode.In2016,shebecameCUB’speopleintegrationconsultant.
“Thethreadthroughmycareerhasalwaysbeentransformation,
diversity,turnaroundandbringingaboutahigh-performanceculture.”
Afterbeginningasciencedegreeitdidnottakeherlongtorealisethatit
didn’talignwithherpersonality.SoutheythencompletedaBachelorofArts,
LegalStudies,attheUniversityofWitwatersrandinJohannesburg.Thisledtoher
firstroleatarecruitmentcompanyin1989.Sherecalledthatduringtheinterview
phase,ifpeopleweren’twhiteyouwouldhavetoputaredstickerontheir
applicationbecausemanycompanieswouldnotemploypeopleofcolour.
“Irememberonmyfirstdaybeingabsolutelyoutragedbythat,”Southeyrecalls.
1985
FINDS HER FEET AT UNIVERSITY
TanyaSoutheygrewupinSouthAfricainavery
smalltown.Shewenttoanall-girlsCatholicschoolanddevelopeda
strongsenseofsocialjusticeduringtheseapartheidyears.
’“Justunderstandingdiversityanddifferentculturescarriedthroughinto
the corporate world.I rememberseeingpeoplenotrecognisedfortheirown
potential.AtanearlyagethiswassomethingIwasverysurprisedabout.”
DEVELOPS A STRONG
SENSE OF SOCIAL JUSTICE
1997
A NEW START IN A NEW COUNTRY
SoutheyleftSouthAfricatoliveasaferandmorefulfillinglife
inAustraliawithherhusbandandfive-year-olddaughter.She
joinedtheboutiquerecruitingcompanyBarber&Bunton.Itwasafinancialservices
nicheconsultancyanditenabledSoutheytoworkwiththebanks.
“Theroleallowed metolearnwhatitwasliketoworkwithdifferentcultures and
differentcompaniesinAustralia.”
1989
LEARNS VALUABLE
HR SKILLS WITH
LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE
SoutheyjoinedLibertyLifeasanHRmanagerwheresheenjoyedworking
withlike-mindedpeople.WhenNelsonMandelawasreleasedfromjailshe
wassuddenlyintegratingracesthatinmanycaseshadneverworkedtogether
before.Partoftherolewastobringthesocialchangethatwashappeningin
thecountryintotheworkplaceandtransformthecultureonabroadscale.thecountryintotheworkplaceandtransformthecultureonabroadscale.
“Thechangemanagementskillsandthe
interpersonalskillsthatIlearntwerequite
uniqueatthetime.Ialsolearntabouthow
peopleshiftbehavioursandperceptions”
ArolepresenteditselfatGeneralElectricastheiroperationsHRmanager,
whichSoutheyacceptedbeforemovingintoanoperational developmentrole.
She wasthensentbyGEtothe US,where shesetup aglobalriskHR function.
Whenthe VPofHR inAustraliaresigned,Southeytookthatposition.
1999
FIRST ROLE AT THE
EXECUTIVE LEVEL
2009
MOVES TO THE AVIATION INDUSTRY
FollowingdownsizingatGEduringtheGFC,Southeywasoffered
aroleasgroupgeneralmanager,people,atJetstar.Anew
industrymadeforarefreshingchangeafterbeinginthefinancesectorfor
mostofhercareer.
“Learningabouttheeconomicsoftheairlineindustryandhowitisareallytough
environmentwasinterestingbecauseeverythingimpactsit–whetherit’stheflu,
avolcano,terrorism,etc.”
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