Jacqui Copplestone

What is your current role and how did you get here?

I’m a Project Manager at the Department of Resources since August 2022. I work in the GeoResources Information Intelligence Division, and I’m running four different projects for them at the moment.

I started off my career wanting to be an accountant! That didn’t stick for very long, but the finance side pushed me in the direction of payroll, so I started developing payrolls for a Bureau in South Africa.

Being in payroll opened opportunities for me and I ended up being poached to move into an HR Manager and Payroll hybrid role with a large chemical company. There were a lot of political changes happening in South Africa, and I did a lot of reporting for this company which turned into developing payroll data into an HR system. We then implemented this system across 19 different branches within the business, and that’s where my project management experience started. I moved over to the Vendor client services team to manage and continue to develop this HR system. From here I continued to work in the HRIS and Payroll space for an American company breaking into the South African market bringing in integrated databases for both HR and Payroll. This role took me all over Africa where I moved into a Marketing and Pre-Sales position, presenting and selling the integrated HR/Payroll system which I had assisted in preparing for the South African Market.

Fast forward a few years and I progressed to Marketing Director at AXS-One. My sister lived in Australia and we were visiting her and Australia for the first time. While this was a personal trip, I had a glimpse into the work-life balance, It’s incredible here. I was used to the workaholic lifestyle, I loved the lifestyle and decided that Australia was where my children and I needed to be.

I transferred to the Australian branch of the organisation I was with in South Africa where they helped me secure permanent residency. Shortly afterwards I decided to go on my own, and that was when I started my professional project management career. I’ve been consulting for the last 20 years, and every project I do is different. It’s so challenging and rewarding.

What hurdles have you faced in your career?

It’s been hard as a woman.

Honestly, it’s been really hard. I climbed the corporate ladder quickly - I was an HR manager by the time I was 30 and an Executive Director by the time I was 40. Let me tell you, I was usually the only woman in the room in an executive meeting

Project Manager Queensland Government

and constantly “looked on” as being the tea pourer. That never happened! It was just so much harder to get your point across, to make them believe in what you were saying.

I must say the culture is completely different here in Brisbane. The Department of Resources has the best culture in any public government organisation I have ever worked for. I’m really feeling very supported here.

What is your proudest achievement to date?

It’s not work-related, but I’m very proud of the fact that I immigrated 21 years ago with my family as a single parent. I managed to get both my kids through private schools. When Candice arrived in Australia, she went to university as an international student, which cost an absolute fortune. But I did it. And my children are just so grateful.

Any advice for aspiring project managers?

The biggest piece of advice that I can give anybody going into project management is you do not know everything. You need your team around you. You mentor people and you guide people to make the right decision, but you never make a business decision on their behalf. Next bit of advice is to never surprise your Project Board or Steering Committee. Lobby new ideas individually for support before presenting surprises or changes.