Meet Anna Macfarlane, Regional Operations Director for our Share Plans business in Australia and one of the Board Members of our Women4Women resource group in Asia Pacific.
Anna’s career at Computershare started at a junior level and she progressed into a career that has so far spanned over 20 years in both Australia and Europe, working across many varied and diverse roles. For the past 10 years she’s worked in a variety of senior management roles across both operational teams and large-scale business transformation.
How did you get involved with the Women4Women employee resource group and what’s your role within it?
I initially got involved when I was based in the UK, and I was one of the founding members that helped establish our EMEA group. I really got a lot of energy and growth from that experience, as well as an opportunity to network and raise my profile within the organisation.
Shortly after moving to Australia, the Asia Pacific chapter was formed, so I jumped at the opportunity to join the board and help to establish things in this region. I play an active role in driving forward activities such as events and discussion sessions as well as contributing to the overall diversity and inclusion agenda.
What does our Women4Women group mean to you?
For me, it's about giving something back and supporting other people. I think as a leader, I focus a lot on giving something back to my people and supporting them, and this is something far broader than that and something that has such an ability to influence beyond my immediate team. So, for me, it’s about championing and supporting women and driving discussions, such as some of the recent conversations we've had about allyship for women and challenging stakeholders internally. Contributing to something beyond the bounds of my role description and allowing me to help be a positive force within the organisation and to drive positive change gives me a lot of energy.
How does our Women4Women group help and support women at Computershare?
As a group, we’re about championing and supporting women, but we’re also here to challenge and generate discussion within the organisation. That’s a great thing about Computershare – this is an environment where I feel safe to challenge, speak up and call things out. That’s so important for helping the business grow and improve.
We have a platform for our voices to be heard. We don't have a board above us signing off and approving the events we're running. We as a group decide what events we want to run, how we want to run them and who our audience is. And we're really empowered and supported to run those things self-sufficiently free of any bureaucracy or additional influence.
What are some of the activities organised by our Women4Women Group?
Some of the activities we generally organise would be keynote speaker sessions, both internal and external, which is key for us in terms of bringing powerful messages from role models into our own business. We run regular events that are open to anyone in the region and not just women. We also run drop-in sessions, which are slightly more informal and provide an opportunity for our members to discuss certain topics or have free reign in terms of the discussion.
What stands out for you working at Computershare?
Time and time again, when you ask people this question (and I'm certain there is no exception) is that one of the things that people love about working for Computershare is the people, and that’s certainly true for me. I’ve had the opportunity to work in different locations around the world with Computershare and meet many people, some of whom are now my closest friends.
Interacting with new people, building relationships, and the way that people pull together as a team to get things done, is an absolute standout quality of Computershare and it's something that leaders certainly encourage and continue to build as part of our culture.
What do you love about your job?
What I love about my job is the challenge and feeling like I’m making a positive difference. Every day is different, and I see opportunity in new challenges that come my way. I love leading and supporting people and seeing others progress their careers, which is motivational for me as a leader. When I work closely with someone and look back five or ten years later and see where they are now within the organisation, I like to think that I might have helped them on that journey.