Leading with passion

From a very early age, Cameron understood that one of the greatest things you can give back to the community is time. He has his parents to thank for that. From doorknocking on weekends to diving into youth mental health volunteering programs, Cameron discovered something else: you can become a leading example, showing others the value of giving.

 

It was a discovery he was keen to carry through into his career with a role that would have the potential to unlock personal and professional growth. Which is why Westpac felt like the natural fit. He was drawn to an organisation that, just like him, was prepared to walk the walk, not just talk it. And the Employee Advocacy Groups (EAG), particularly the Skilled Volunteer Network seemed like the perfect place for him to grow.

With Cameron’s trademark enthusiasm, his involvement quickly developed into a leadership role with National Volunteer Week. As National Events Lead, Cameron, along with the Westpac Foundation were organising a series of events across multiple capital cities for a range of speakers to talk about the power of volunteering. But why should giving back, be just restricted to the content only?

That’s when his perspective shifted; What if we viewed the event logistics as an opportunity to put our passions into practice? It would mean doing things differently. A bold move for someone just starting out their career, however Cameron passionately believed in making conscious choices to walk the talk. By choosing socially-minded caterers for the events, Westpac could actively support businesses who were creating better futures. 

This is how Cameron led from the front.

“It’s allowed me to step up to a more senior leadership role”

And this is how he turned his passion into action. By approaching one of the Group’s business banking clients, an indigenous-run company, to cater for the event, he was able to demonstrate the Group’s commitment to their customers in another way.

But blazing paths can be time-consuming. Cameron needed to amplify the interpersonal skills he uses daily as a Customer Relationship Manager on a larger scale. From procurement to hospitality teams, Cameron had to show the worth and value of engaging with socially minded caterers across Sydney and Melbourne. This meant taking others on the journey with clear communication, listening to the challenges and being prepared to proactively come up with solutions.

“I had the freedom to fine-tune and amplify my day-to-day skills to make it all happen”

On the day, Cameron’s drive and determination paid off. A new precedent was set, along with a leading example of how to put passion into practice. There’s real potential to be unlocked in decision-making. Because the decisions we make today can become tomorrow’s demonstrations of how we live and breathe our purpose of creating better futures together. It’s this ethos which has helped Cameron stand out. In a good way.

It’s also been his courageous leadership choices, along with his dedication to solving problems that has gained the attention of leaders.  What does this look like? An invite to speak at a Westpac Group led Employee Advocacy Group (EAG) TEDX-style event, along with his people leader seeing first hand the inclusive leader Cameron can step up to be.

And along with these tangible results, Cameron’s gained an edge he can use to advance his career further. Thanks to his EAG involvement, he now has a greater understanding of the diversity within the business: from the brightest minds across the Group to our diverse customer base.

At Westpac, there are many ways to advance your career. Just ask Cameron. He’s combined his passion for community engagement and volunteering with his drive for career development. It’s the personal and professional growth he was searching for. Now at Westpac, he’s showing others how it can be done. 

#WeAreWestpac #WeAdvance #WeAdvocate