Human on the Inside with Maxme India’s Nathalie Turgeon
Human on the Inside. We’re big believers in the power of human skills. But don’t just take our word for it - the evidence for excellence powered by human (‘soft’) skills is everywhere! In this engaging, ever-enlightening series, we speak with industry leaders, innovators and game-changers to learn a little about their personal career journeys, and how human-led strategies, philosophies and cultures are proving a force for good in their working worlds …
Maxme: Welcome Nathalie, and thanks for stepping into the #SuccessIsHuman Spotlight.
You’re Maxme’s Director of Sales & Business Development for India (Southern Region).
In 1 sentence (ok, we’ll give you 2), what does this role entail?
Nathalie Turgeon: It’s a great role which entails expanding our successful Maxme programs into the Indian market to compliment their global technology leadership.
M: Your 30+ year career spanning technology transformation, change, project management, IT and operations management, enterprise change and agile transformation is an extensive and impressive one to say the least!
You kicked it all off in late 1992 with Telstra where you clocked almost a decade in various roles across Retail & Business Technology. Since then, you have worked with a host of additional leading organisations including TXU Energy, Australia Post, CBus Super, AXA and Westpac.
One of your most significant tenures was with NAB, where over the course of almost 12 years, you progressed through the business in multiple (8+) roles and markets including Melbourne, Australia and Bengaluru Area, India. You also lived and worked out of Manila, National Capital Region, Philippines, during your time with AXA.
As a senior leader, you’ve also built a strong reputation for both establishing and transforming teams.
How does all this speak to your personal purpose
NT: I always strive to take on roles that are out of my comfort zone, including in other countries. This helps me to identify strengths and where I need to improve. It’s also humbling to put yourself in environments where you’re not the expert and enables you to approach roles with a curious mind rather than imposing a unfounded position of authority.
M: Tell us a little about your personal education pathway/s - what led you to where you are now? How closely do your formal qualifications match your current career?
NT: I studied languages and translation which is far removed from where I ended up! When you study languages, you have to understand the various nuances of the grammar and pronunciation which is why listening is critical. Listening is a critical leadership skill which isn’t used enough - are you hearing me?
M: If you could share one piece of career advice to your 21 year old self it would be ...
NT: Stick to your core values - they define who you are and people will always appreciate your true self.
M: Maximising the potential of individuals, communities and businesses through the power of human skills is the reason Maxme exists. Can you tell us a little about the role and / or value of human skills in your workplace or industry right now?
NT: I’ve always worked in or around technology roles and teams. No matter how much advancement we’ve made in technology, the success has come through human skills including teamwork, social intelligence, creativity and innovation just to name a few. Human skills are what differentiates great companies and their technology. We’ve all had expériences with technology that’s left us feeling underwhelmed and wondered ‘who developed this app and what were they thinking?” Well, they probably didn’t encourage teamwork and creativity and just focused on coding an app.
M: Self Awareness sets the critical foundation for all Maxme learning experiences. With that said … what’s your strongest trait / personal superpower?
NT: I’ll name my top two as they go hand in hand for me. My top two superpowers are humour and perspective. Humour is a great way to defuse stressful situations and perspective is about bringing a different view to help make sense of things that are challenging to navigate. I’ve learnt to use my superpowers in the right context which brings us back to self awareness…
M: And on the flip side, what’s one human / ‘soft’ skill you’ve had to really work on improving over the course of your career?
NT: I’m a risk taker and I’ve had to regulate how I manage this when driving change in my roles as this can cause stress to individuals in the team if I don’t explain the impact or benefits of my risk based approach. I’ve also learnt to have facts and data to support my approach - this always appeases the bean counters…
M: If you could share one piece of career advice with recent Uni graduates or candidates keen to work in the field of technology &/or transformation and change, what would it be?
NT: Know your superpowers and use them to help you succeed. Trying to be someone other than your true self will only get you so far. Eventually, the impostor mask doesn’t fit anymore and it’s easier to play to your strengths.
M: You’ve been granted approval to add one University graduate to your business, but have 100 applicants, all with outstanding academic results. How do you find your perfect candidate - what are you looking for?
NT: Someone who has strengths that complement my weaknesses and thinks differently to me. It’s always tempting to go for someone who’s very similar to you but you don’t need another you to build a strong and diverse team.
M: In the words of John Dewey, “education is not preparation for life, education is life itself.”
What’s next on your #learning agenda?
NT: I always stay open to great opportunities - Maxme was such a great unexpected opportunity and I’m looking forward to helping the business grow globally.
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