Opportunities for Development: How Sally Dunn has grown and developed throughout her career.
In her 13 years with Veolia, Sally Dunn is the epitome of how professional development, mentorship, succession planning and internal mobility can change the course of your career. Demonstrating that when you have people who identify your potential and provide great opportunities to foster that talent, you can go far; beyond what you could ever have imagined.
Sally joined Veolia in 2008 as Liquid Sales Manager in NSW Hunter region, before moving to Waste Operations Supervisor in 2014. She then progressed to Operations Manager in 2016, with another promotion in 2018 to Branch Manager for the entire Hunter Region; including overseeing customer service, administrative staff and the workshop. In March 2020, the biggest change for Sally came when she was given the opportunity to relocate to Perth to undertake the role of WA State Transport Manager.
Career Highlights
Sally says that her career highlights include leading teams who have achieved an unprecedented safety record of ZERO All Injury Frequency Rate (AIFR), consistent operational performances of >98% Delivered In-Full, On-Time (DIFOT) and significant financial savings. Sally pays respect to the great teams she has worked with and their commitment and dedication.
Another notable highlight was when Sally completed her MBA in 2018, whilst working full time. This was followed in 2019 by participating in Veolia’s Women In Leadership (WIL) program.
In her own words; How has Veolia helped develop your career and leadership skills?
"I really wanted to develop my skills and formalise my experience through education. I was fortunate to have the support of mentors, but I had to produce the hard work, and was given the opportunity to begin with TAFE education, which then eventuated into completing an MBA, a feat I would never have thought possible and would not have been achieved without the support provided by Veolia. As we progress, I hope to see more women in these supportive and mentoring roles."
In 2019, Veolia put forward the ACCORD program, delivered by internal Learning and Development and Diversity and Inclusion teams. This program afforded women with the opportunity to learn, grow and communicate in a safe space, and provided incredibly insightful modules, with invaluable leadership and personal development tools.
Sally says of her involvement in both Veolia's ACCORD and Women in Leadership (WIL) programs, "Without a doubt, the game changer for me, and the reason I am where and who I am now, was participating in the WIL program. It is hard to put into words. I was surrounded by amazing women in Veolia. Those closest to me know how much the structure and learnings from this program changed my life, both professionally and personally. It was a program that sent not only me, but my mentors and colleagues on a journey of life-long learning and development. In short, the money that was invested in this program, I have made back for the company a million times, literally!!
"These opportunities combined have given me confidence and self belief to truly back myself to do what I know I can do, and do it well! It has also taught me that often others see your potential when you don’t!"
Future female leaders - listen up
Sally believes you are the master of your own destiny; you have to be prepared to stand up and take every opportunity provided.
"Take charge of your own learning, development and opportunities. Don’t sit back and wait for it to come to you, or for someone else to make it happen for you. Veolia provides amazing opportunities for those who choose to embrace them and truly want to succeed and progress."
"Be a person of action, not words. Pardon the cliche, walk the talk, this will give you integrity and credibility, and enable you to build trusting relationships. Always be true to yourself and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. If you don’t advocate for yourself, how can you expect others to advocate for you?"
Are you curious about where a career at Veolia could take you? Explore our current opportunities today.