Elizabeth McIntyre is the current Group CEO for Think Brick Australia, the Concrete Masonry Association of Australia, and the Australian Roofing Tile Association. Elizabeth also worked as the Marketing Director for Walt Disney Television International where she launched the highly acclaimed High School Musical franchise in Australia. Through her leadership and strategies, Elizabeth was able to create a renewed architectural engagement with Masonry, which has since received international acclaim.
Elizabeth is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Chair of the Building Products Innovation Council. She holds a Bachelor of Business from UTS, Masters in International Business from Macquarie, and has most recently completed senior leadership courses at Harvard Business School.
2:33 Elizabeth shares significant moments that shaped her career:
- Her love for sport and an outgoing personality presented her with the opportunity to work at a sports marketing firm and subsequently went on to study marketing and sports law.
- Through a professional network and her work experience in finance, she took on re-creating Motorsport to engage the younger generation despite not knowing anything about race cars.
- She believes you should not be scared to do something that you don’t know how to do.
8:00 Elizabeth recalls her early struggles at Ford where the team questioned her credibility and how she overcame the challenges:
- She would simply observe the team in the garage and not say anything for weeks and eventually, the team started including her in the process.
- The observe and learn approach was her way to understand where they were coming from.
10:30 Lauren asks Elizabeth about qualities and values that have helped her become successful:
- She feels you must believe in yourself, take risks, hold yourself accountable, and always learn from your failures and continually refine future efforts.
- She also thinks there is often a disconnect between management and employees and therefore being able to relate to stakeholders at all levels is crucial.
13:00 Elizabeth discusses her approach to mentorship:
- Her opinion is that mentors are there for a moment, or a season, or a transition. So depending on where you are in life, you should seek out the right people that can guide you forward.
- While seeking mentors, Elizabeth says there must be a natural connection for the relationship to work.
17:20 Lauren is keen to learn about how Elizabeth maintains a self-confident mindset:
- Elizabeth is convinced that most of us are filled with self-doubt, and she feels we need to start telling ourselves that we are enough.
- She views rejection as having no downside. According to her, most people are nice when they reject you and half that time she says, is not a ‘no’ but simply a ‘not now’.
19:15 Elizabeth’s advice on what aspiring young professionals should do to have a successful career:
- Her approach includes setting a goal, assessing the gap between their current position and the goal, and taking actions to close that gap such as learning a new skill or enhancing an existing skill set.
- She feels maintaining your network is also crucial for success.
- She suggests finding someone that’s done what you want to do and ask them how they got there.
23:15 Elizabeth’s advice to younger generations in the workforce:
- Get the experience of doing all relevant tasks because it will set you up in a position to lead someday.
- Actively engage in the social community.
26:05 Lauren asks what Elizabeth has done to make her organisation a great place to work:
- Elizabeth’s incorporated values around acceptance, promoting a work life balance, and recognising employees for their effort.
29:25 Elizabeth on changes she would like to see in the industry by the time she retires:
- She believes having an equal gender representation in the candidates considered for a board position might have a better outcome down the track.
- She would also like to see more women in significant leadership roles.
You can connect with Elizabeth McIntyre on LinkedIn.
About your host:
Lauren Karan, Director and Founder of Karan & Co.
With over a decade of experience as a recruiter and development coach, Lauren Karan found that her priorities rapidly changed after the birth of her two children. In 2022 she founded Karan & Co flipping the out-dated recruitment model with a focus on retention through career coaching and development.
Lauren believes that If opportunity doesn’t knock, you have to build a door – and it’s this same philosophy that inspired her to create the Building Doors podcast.
The Building Doors podcast is for anyone undergoing a transformation in their life. Regardless of whether you feel stuck in your current role, need some inspiration on what steps to take next, want to learn how to level up as a business owner or simply want to listen to the experiences of successful entrepreneurs and industry professionals, the Building Doors podcast is all about unlocking your potential.
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👋 To say hello, provide feedback, or express interest in a guest appearance on The Building Doors Podcast get in touch with us at reachout@buildingdoors.com.au.
