Vera Fiala
We would like to introduce to you one of our highly appreciated team members Vera Fiala. Vera is a senior leader with extensive capability in inspiring teams to perform at their best and executing strategies in complex environments. With post-graduate degrees in engineering and business and qualifications in organisational coaching, she brings strong analytical skills and proven experience in driving organisational effectiveness.
What excites you most about your job?
I love the variety, autonomy, flexibility and challenge of consulting. It is stimulating to be able to come in, establish rapport and genuinely help clients sort through complex problems. I also love the high level of capability and the mutual respect within the Iceni team and its strong values base.
What is your greatest achievement at work so far?
I’ve just finished a project with three other Iceni colleagues looking at a range of options for a new procurement operating model for a large client. It was challenging to sift through the complexities of the situation and actively co-design a number of feasible recommendations with the customer’s team and stakeholders. On the flip side, I’ve also really enjoyed exploring what clients need up front and putting together bids to show how Iceni can effectively help meet those needs.
What’s your favourite city and why?
I’ve been to many cities in Canada and the USA and lived in Europe for a few years, but, however cliché it sounds I do like Sydney best. I’ve chosen to live here because I always feel, even if only a little bit, like I’m on holiday. The stunning harbour and beaches, the national parks, the exciting festivals, events and theatre, the welcoming communities, the efficient public transport, the huge variety of excellent restaurants and cafes, the sporting opportunities…. What’s not to love, except maybe those house prices….
What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
“If you can change your thoughts, you can change your life.” I’ve learned that so much depends not on what happens to us but on how we respond to it. It really can be a deliberate choice to respond with gentleness, humour, gratitude, grace. Like all important pieces of advice, it sounds simple but is very hard!
What app can’t you live without?
Surely there can’t be just one! The apps I can’t live without are those that keep me organised – Tripview to tell me when my train is coming, WillyWeather to inform what I should wear, and Google Maps to help me figure out where I’m going. And in the evenings, I reach for Headspace for meditation and Skype to keep in touch with family and friends in Canada.
