Leadership stems from a passion for engineering

Wednesday 8 February 2023

As a leader at Jemena, and a woman working in the engineering sector, Georgie Wright has built her career around linking her technical knowledge with her passion for people leadership.

As General Manager of Business Operations for Jemena’s Gas Markets business, Georgie’s typical day involves connecting with her team and understanding how the business is performing operationally, and identifying where she can support them.

“These people connections, whether it is in the office, virtually or getting out into the field, are by far the favourite part of my role,” she said.

Reflecting on her pathway to a leadership role ahead of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, which promotes gender equality across science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields and is celebrated annually on 11 February, Georgie said she enjoyed learning about how things work and was drawn to maths and science-based subjects at school.

“I was also fortunate to have a great chemistry teacher who focused on linking the theoretical learning with practical applications, and this really triggered me to pursue engineering at university.

“I studied a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering and a Diploma of Modern Languages (Indonesian) at the University of Melbourne before starting my first job as a process engineer in a plasterboard factory.

“I then joined the energy industry and spent a few years doing various technical, supply and operational roles locally and overseas. After experiencing both technical and managerial roles, I found a real passion in people leadership which set my career path in this direction,” she said.

Georgie feels fortunate to be in a role that allows her to draw on all her prior experiences and drive Jemena’s Gas Markets business and culture at such a critical time for the energy industry.

“There is so much change happening and many significant challenges on the path to net-zero that need diverse and curious thinkers to find solutions.

“I’d advise any women considering a career in a STEM-related field to pursue their passion. I find it extremely rewarding working within such a critical industry and being able to link my technical knowledge with my passion for people leadership.

“The depth and variety of roles and careers is endless and it is extremely satisfying to be a part of these solutions. There really is no better time to be a woman in STEM,” she said.