Anita Mitchell remembers the day she was forced to step out of her comfort zone: when a key leader left a business she was working in, the CEO asked her to take over his portfolio.
The portfolio covered IT, HR, internal audit, government affairs and board reporting – essentially making her an overnight General Manager. Mitchell, who lives by a ‘just get it done’ mantra, quickly realised she had some great management skills that stemmed beyond her technical qualifications in environmental science.
Today, she leads the environmental and social sustainability strategy for Sydney’s $6 billion Barangaroo South project, the largest development to be built in Australia since the 2000 Olympics.
It’s a massive job with developer Lend Lease that sees Mitchell working to ensure construction is undertaken sustainably, and that the development is carbon neutral, water positive and generates zero waste.
It’s also a high profile role that cements her position as one of the country’s most experienced sustainability practitioners, having worked with a wide range of organisations including Jones Lang LaSalle, Sydney Water, and Integral energy.
Mitchell, who from high school had an ambition to balance the needs of the environment and society, says working in an area she’s passionate about has ultimately helped drive her leadership career, as has her desire to avoid procrastination.
“My philosophy at work is to just ‘Get Stuff Done’,” she tells Women’s Agenda. “A lot of people spend too much time procrastinating whereas I thrive on action and giving things a go and asking questions along the way.
“I also work in an area that I am personally passionate about, which means that work for me is not just making a living, but that I spend each day doing something that I love. “
Mitchell’s also developed a portfolio of roles and responsibilities around her passion for sustainability, on top of her full-time role. She was elected to the Board of Greenpeace Australia Pacific in 2010 and currently chairs the Board’s Finance and Audit Committee. She has served as a president of the NSW Division of the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand, and been named Australia’s Top Emerging Leader and MBA Scholar by AFR Boss and Sydney University. Earlier this year, Mitchell was named a finalist in the NAB Women’s Agenda Leadership Awards.
“My Dad told me to have a career that I loved and I would never work a day in my life and he was so right!” adds Mitchell.
The short facts on Anita Mitchell’s story.
Born. Sydney
Childhood? Liverpool, Western Sydney & Eden, South Coast NSW
Leadership qualifications? B.Sc(Environmental Biology); Master of Environmental Management; MBA (current); Graduate of Australian Institute of Company Directors
High school career ambition? To do something to balance the needs of environment and society
And your first, ever job? Trainee Environmental Management Officer, Prospect Electricity
Who and what do you lead? I lead the environmental and social sustainability strategy for the $6 billion Barangaroo South project in Sydney’s CBD
How do you stay informed? I scan our media monitoring, google alert and industry newsletters as they come in. I do think it is important to stay connected to key industry players as well and recognise the value of investing in my personal and professional network.
What helps you manage your wellbeing? I generally don’t work weekends, but take time to connect with family and friends. I am a mad keen bike rider and go to the gym every day with either a personal trainer or a class to keep me motivated. I am also an advocate for a healthy, clean diet, you are what you eat!
What is the first thing you do in the morning? Hug my partner and take the time every morning to realise how lucky we are to have one another and our health.
An average day in the life… Gym in the morning, clear emails by 9am, then meetings and conversations most of the day to progress issues and initiatives. At least a few nights a week I either have meetings or events to keep me connected to what is happening in the industry. Sustainability is an ever changing space, so I spend a lot of my personal time keeping pace with what is happening in the industry.
What do you believe needs to change in order to better support women at work – particularly in your industry? Women are pretty rare in the property industry and breaking up the “boys club” of connected men who went to the right schools, live in the right suburbs and all socialise together is still a challenge for up and coming women.
Advice to your 18-year-old self That Dad was right and that I can do anything that I put my mind to and that everyone around me is not necessarily smarter than me, they have just learnt different things to me, so keep learning!
Anita Mitchell’s story is the latest of our 100 Stories Project, in which we’re asking women about a turning point that’s shifted her leadership career. Telling 100 stories from January 1 2015, the project showcases the diverse range of leadership careers available, as well as some of the brilliant achievements and fascinating career paths of women. It also demonstrates how planned and unexpected forks in the road can take you places you never thought possible.
Got an idea? Get in contact. Check out more on our 100 Stories Project here.
Other women featured in this series include:
Angela Ferguson: The woman designing the future of work (Google included)
Jo-Ann Hicks: eBay’s leading woman on the risks that made her digital career
Annabelle Daniel: ‘I’m the unlikely combination of CEO and single parent
Sarah Liu: Multiple job titles and variety: Life as a ‘slashie’
Lindy Stephens: When the power shifts, women should make the most of it
Kate Morris: Why I gave up law to become an online entrepreneur
Jacque Comery: Leading a team of 12 on an Antarctic base