Meet some of the team
Our staff are vital to our success
Susan Jackman
General Manager Electricity Planning & Development
What is your background and how did you get into this Industry?
I hold a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil), with post graduate studies in Financial Project Control. My background of experience was founded in the Victorian utilities industry and expanded through postings in the UK and USA.
I started my career working in Victoria for Melbourne Water and the Gas and Fuel before expanding my experience in Engineering, Program Management and Quality Assurance while consulting in the United Kingdom in the late 1990’s. Following my time in the UK, I spent seven years in the North American electric and gas utilities sector where I worked for TXU while consulting to many large utilities such as Sempra Energy (San Diego Gas & Electric), Northeast Utilities (Connecticut Light & Power, Yankee Gas Services Company), Essex Power and Erie Thames Power both of Ontario, Canada.
What do you love about your job?
I love the fact that every day brings new challenges. In my current role I have responsibility for the Asset Strategy / Engineering functions of the two electricity networks, UED & JEN. Electricity networks are very complex technical objects, which serve a critical role for the public 24/7, so any hiccup in reliability is immediately noticed by our 900,000+ customers. This leads to a very dynamic work environment where one change in the weather or asset performance can alter our work plan for a week and in some cases can have lasting effects on how we do our jobs.
My team also has responsibility for the bushfire mitigation programs for both electricity networks, which since Black Saturday has had a lasting impact on how we manage the risk of fire starts from electricity assets. This means that I spend a lot of time working with our Bushfire Mitigation Officers and worrying about hot dry weather and celebrating when it rains!!
What keeps you motivated to work at Jemena?
Jemena has a solid framework of corporate values and policies which ensures a working environment where hard work is appreciated and everyone is treated fairly. I am given the authority and responsibility to make business decisions everyday, so while this means I am accountable for some high risk decisions it also means there is lots of flexibility for my team to be dynamic and make a real difference.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I enjoy overseas travel, snow skiing, the beach, shopping and good wine!
What advice would you give someone looking to join Jemena?
If you are open to change and new challenges, this is the company for you. You need to be ready to work hard, but also have fun along the way!
What would you say are the most important skills to have in your role?
The most important skills for my job are an open mind to the changing environment, ability to negotiate with all levels of the organisation and external industry bodies, ability to balance between operational and financial drivers, all underpinned by a solid engineering understanding and an appreciation for the safety issues of our industry.
What work challenges do you face?
Asset strategy is based on the balancing of technical issues versus financial constraints to achieve short and long term goals for the electricity networks. This requires a complex risk management framework with safety always at the forefront of all decision making. I spend a lot of time each day ensuring my team is working to deliver on the Asset Owner’s expectations, while also bringing value to Jemena, so it’s a lot like making sure ‘mum’ and ‘dad’ are always both happy!!
Thuc Vu
Manager – Group Planning
What is your background and how did you get into this Industry?
I graduated with a B.Com at Melbourne University and worked at Ernst & Young for five years in their Transaction Services division. My specialisation was in Financial Modelling and I worked on many interesting valuations, mergers and acquisition projects. I got into this industry after working on a transaction involving the acquisition of parts of Epic Energy by the Hasting Diversified Utilities Fund. I later joined Epic, managing the strategic modelling of their three pipelines and now I’m here!
What do you love about your job?
The problem solving side of my job is challenging and also rewarding. It’s just not about sitting at your desk and building financial models – it’s meeting and helping people from other parts of the business to achieve a successful outcome. Also, learning from other people and sharing knowledge that I’ve acquired is very rewarding.
What keeps you motivated to work at Jemena?
I go to work every day and ensure that I achieve something – no matter how small or insignificant.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I’ve got a three year old and a one year old so spare time is a bit scarce. But when I do get a chance away from work and kids, I like to run, play tennis or catch a movie once in two blue moons!
What advice would you give someone looking to join Jemena?
Always join an organisation with a view to achieving something for both yourself and the organisation. No matter at what level you are, it is important to be engaged and respect the relationship you have with the organisation by giving it your best effort.
What would you say are the most important skills to have in your role?
Passion, resilience and the right attitude are the most important attributes to have. Anybody can learn how to create a financial model and put processes together. However, being passionate and having the ability to push through difficult situations while keeping a positive attitude is essential in my role.
What work challenges do you face?
I rely a lot on other people in the organisation which means that I have to engage people from all levels. It’s challenging to deal with many personalities but I like building relationships and it’s the most enjoyable part of my role.
Is there anything else you’d like to add to the above?
Value those little achievements because they always add up to something significant over time – both for you and the organisation that you work for.