‘Pushing the boundaries’ as a woman in leadership

Seeing women being underrepresented in leadership roles encouraged Kaylene O’Shea to take calculated risks in changing roles, fields and industries throughout her impressive career.

Ms O’Shea has always been determined to be a leader.

After graduating with a Graduate Diploma of Business (Management) in 1994, Ms O’Shea’s original intention was to study for an MBA.

“An MBA is recognised as a degree that helps build the business foundations for aspiring leaders,” Ms O’Shea says.

“What was clear to me was that women were underrepresented in leadership roles. This knowledge encouraged me to push the boundaries and to aim high with my career plan.”

After graduating, Ms O’Shea took a break from study to manage her increasing career demands.

When deciding to continue her studies, Ms O’Shea was Director of Scientific Affairs at Amgen Australia where she was managing a team of more than 100 employees.

When considering the options for further study, the Monash Business School’s Master of Management took her eye.

“In looking at the subjects included in the Master of Management curriculum, all were very relevant to my role as a leader and tied in well with my career aspirations,” she says.

“Therefore I changed my plan. To this day, I know that the decision was the right one as the degree was very appropriate to all that I have done in my career.”

“I believe strongly that the qualifications awarded to me by Monash were instrumental in me achieving my career plan.”

Ms O’Shea says she has taken risks in her career – but they were always calculated ones.

Ms O’Shea moved cities and changed careers; from a laboratory scientist working in public hospitals to working in the pharmaceutical industry.

“The risks were considered but had to be part of the longer-term plan,” Ms O’Shea says.

“Moving into the pharmaceutical industry was a career changing event. This change opened up opportunities that I had not known about nor considered in my previous roles.”

It was at this time Ms O’Shea realised she needed both five and 10 year career plans. Over several decades, the pharmaceutical industry provided openings for Ms O’Shea to build her expertise in the complex area of multinational organisations.

“Some of the companies were small, some large and some simply in start-up mode,” she says.

“Despite juggling full-time work and part-time study, I plotted a career path that ensured that each role broadened my knowledge base and extended me in ways not previously experienced.

Career highlights

Ms O’Shea said she felt privileged to be a woman who has contributed to organisations as an executive and non-executive director.

“Exposure to strategic planning, team and business management and board governance across Australia, Asia Pacific, North America and Switzerland has enabled me to now contribute to several non-executive board roles as well as being an approved advisor with the Advisory Board Centre,” she says.

Benefits of studying business at Monash

Ms O’Shea believes the degrees she completed at Monash were an essential part of her career success.

“I think back on my time as a student at Monash with great fondness,” she says.

“I believe strongly that the qualifications awarded to me by Monash were instrumental in me achieving my career plan.

“That is not to say that studying part time and working full time was a walk in the park. It definitely was not but you learn about yourself as a consequence and how you manage the multiple and different competing demands as you work through your job and your studies”

Ms O’Shea said studying a business qualification exposes students to the many aspects of organisational theory, including how businesses operate, how strategies are developed and implemented, how functions are organised and the importance of good leadership.

“The subjects studied, and the lecturers who shared their knowledge and experience inspired me to achieve within the courses as well as within my organisations,” she says.

“It is the experience at Monash that has resulted in me being such a long-term contributor to the mentoring program offered by the Monash Business School.

“It is a program that helps students start to think about their career plan.”

Current roles

• Director, O’Shea Paull Professionals
• Approved Advisor™, The Advisory Board Centre
• Non-executive director and subcommittee chair, Hobsons Bay Community Advancement Cooperative
• Non-executive director, Australian Centre for Heart Health
• Non-executive director, Australian Patients Association
• Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors
• Mentor with Monash Business School

Advice to new graduates

Ms O’Shea said one piece of advice she would give to those starting their career journey is to be prepared to take considered risks with their career - a career which starts in the lecture theatre and grows from there.

“Recognise your lecturers are potentially part of your career network; have the courage to actively engage with your lecturers to learn as much as you can from them,” she says.

“Aim to always have an active mentor, or more than one, as part of your career plan. Finally, do not be afraid to aim high in setting down your career goals. Ask yourself where you want to be in 10 years’ time and work towards that aspiration.”