Malvern Alumnae 100 Profile

Vicky Jones

MGC 1996 leaver

I have always been fascinated by human behaviour and what makes us tick. When I was at MCG I focused on the Sciences in Sixth Form with Biology always being my favourite subject. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do when I left school, so I decided to take a gap year and travel to Australia. I immediately fell in love with the relaxed beachy lifestyle.

I decided to do a degree I knew I’d enjoy even though I didn’t know what I wanted to do as a career (I believe you will always do well if you focus on what you are passionate about). I went to Oxford Brookes and studied Biology and Environmental Sciences and was very happy to graduate with a 2:1.

After leaving Uni, I moved to London and my first job was in a large advertising agency as I was attracted by the fast pace and fun campaigns. Sitting at my desk in Leicester Square one rainy February, I decided to apply for my working holiday visa, so I could move back to Sydney. I continued to work in the media industry for another 13 years and climbed the ladder to become Account Director at Fox Studios.  I loved the diversity and the opportunity to work on some of the biggest movie releases in Australian history (including Avatar).

Aged 35, after the tragic loss of my brother, I was forced to re-evaluate my life and decided I wanted a more meaningful career. I began researching life coaching quickly realising it ticked off multiple passions of mine in one amazing career. I could work in challenging and dynamic environments; use my natural ability to inspire and motivate; and incorporate my love of Science in my work. All of our actions are driven by our biology, after all.

Since then, I have set up my own business and focus on empowering women to reach their potential. I now coach women in senior leadership positions and run various mentoring programmes for the Australian government (their goal is to have 50% of senior leadership positions held by women by 2020). I do a lot of work with the Environment Protection Agency and the Biodiversity Conservation Trust so when I look back over my career, all the dots joined up in the end!

What does success look like?

To me, success is being brave enough to follow your passions every single day whilst pushing the boundaries and challenging the status quo. If it lights you up, you are on the right path.

What is your best piece of advice?

If you feel butterflies; chase them. They are a sign you are about to grow.