GOOD PAIR: A bond that echoes across the miles

Noema Leituala knew she had a big challenge on her hands as soon as she landed at Cloncurry’s tiny airport.

She was about to take on a new role at the local Westpac branch despite never having visited (or even image searched) the mining town in outback Queensland. 

“I got off the plane with just two suitcases and nothing else. The airport was a little warehouse with a tin roof, and I was like: ‘what have I done to myself!’” Noema says in an interview.

But despite arriving alone, aged just 21, and not knowing a single person, she quickly fell in love with the town and its people. So, when her 18-month contract was up, Noema decided she wanted to stay and not long after was appointed branch manager. 

Noema’s success in Cloncurry is testament to her resilience, can-do attitude, and willingness to take on new opportunities - qualities which were spotted by Suzi Hullick, Westpac’s Head of Inclusion & Diversity.  

Suzi has long been an advocate for the First Nations community and led the Indigenous banking team at Westpac for more than a decade. 

She says Noema “blew her mind” when they first met, describing her as “an incredible role model and a wonderful lady.” She was inspired by Noema’s willingness to get out of her comfort zone and challenge herself, not just for her own benefit but that of her entire family.

Noema grew up in Papua New Guinea but left home as a teenager in 2015 to study in Townsville. She paid her way through university doing jobs around town before getting her break with an 8-month traineeship at Westpac. At the end of the program the opportunity came up in Cloncurry, and Noema was keen to kickstart her career.

It may have been a leap into the unknown, but Noema needed the income to support her mother and sister back in PNG, with the ultimate goal of bringing them to Australia to join her.
 

In 2023, Suzi started Westpac’s Echo Leadership Program aimed at empowering Indigenous leaders and managers of the future. She had little doubt that Noema would be a perfect fit, and Noema grasped the opportunity with both hands. 

The Echo program, which combines corporate and cultural work, provides participants with the opportunity to attain a Diploma in Leadership & Management, while giving them the flexibility to balance their studies alongside family commitments. 

An important part of the program is backing employees like Noema who have followed career pathways outside of major centres such as Brisbane or Sydney, and Suzi is a passionate advocate for Westpac’s regional branch network as a place to nurture young talent. 

The pair’s relationship has been strengthened through the program, and Noema describes Suzi as “a coach, a leader and a caring big sister.” Her mentor’s approachability, empathy and good advice are qualities Noema herself looks to emulate as she pursues her own career goals. 

Noema and Suzi continue to catch up regularly since Noema completed the Echo program. It’s “the reciprocity in learning and our sharing of different perspectives,” that has kept them connected, explains Suzi.  

While Suzi lives in Darwin, distance has not been an obstacle to the pair deepening their professional bond, and she played a role in Noema taking her latest career step – joining the commercial relationship banking team in Cairns.

Noema is happy to have Suzi as a champion in her corner, saying she “saw potential in me that no one else saw.”  

It has inspired her to become the role model she didn’t have when she was young. 

“I hadn’t met a lot of female Indigenous role models in business, but through the program Suzi started, I have met Indigenous CEOs or those holding senior roles which is really inspiring.”

Suzi is confident that Noema can excel at anything she sets her mind to.

“Noema has always set goals and achieved them. She’s an incredible, smart, and driven woman, willing to put in the work to progress. The world is Noema’s oyster.”