SJ Group Celebrates IWD 2023
This International Women’s Day, we get up close and personal with five of our colleagues from across SJ Group to learn about the multi-faceted roles they play at work, home and in society. They share their stories and tips on how we can better achieve balance.
CEO, SJ CityGlobal
Glue of the family
Marathon runner
Nina runs the business of development advisory and development management in SJ. Prior to joining SJ, she worked as an architect, a planner and eventually as a developer. She is heading a few large-scale urbanisation projects in Laos, Vietnam, Kazakhstan and Australia, working with both investors and the government of the host countries.
She is always travelling – at least twice in a month. Outside of work, she loves having family and friends visit her home, her safe haven, as having them close by motivates her.
Few may know she is a marathon runner even though she has a collection of medals to her name. “I only sign up for half marathons so I am embarrassed to call myself a marathon runner! I run for 14 km, walk for the next 6 km before making a dash for the last 1.1 km.” She has been taking part in the Singapore Standard Chartered Marathon every year without fail since 2014, which sets a year-long training calendar for her and keeps her on the ball.
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Tip from Nina |
“Don’t focus too much only on one aspect of life! Multi-task and remember to adopt a tenacious spirit always.”
Manager, Clients & Markets
SMEC, Brisbane
Educator to my two boys
Yoga practitioner
Betsy is a builder both off and at work. As an engineer in Clients and Markets with SMEC, Betsy also loves building and constructing things with her two sons, “secretly” educating them on all the fundamentals of engineering design.
Despite working late, she always makes sure she is home to tuck the boys into bed and she never misses an opportunity to read to them. She practices yoga which helps her to meditate and stretch even with a screaming child in the background.
Of how she stays balanced, it is about finding the love and support from others and from within yourself.
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Tip from Betsy |
“Surround yourself with people that support you in what you do – and allow yourself the time and space to do what you love.”
Manager, Clients & Markets
SMEC, Brisbane
Educator to my two boys
Yoga practitioner
Betsy is a builder both off and at work. As an engineer in Clients and Markets with SMEC, Betsy also loves building and constructing things with her two sons, “secretly” educating them on all the fundamentals of engineering design.
Despite working late, she always makes sure she is home to tuck the boys into bed and she never misses an opportunity to read to them. She practices yoga which helps her to meditate and stretch even with a screaming child in the background.
On how she stays balanced, it is about finding the love and support from others and from within yourself.
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Tip from Betsy |
“Surround yourself with people that support you in what you do – and allow yourself the time and space to do what you love.”
Senior Engineer, RBG
Mom to two toddlers
Basketballer
Emelie has worked as part of the Construction Engineering team for the majority of her time at RBG. Her first project with RBG was the Sydney Greenland Centre. She was thrilled that it recently won a Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat award – seven years and two maternity leaves later.
As a mother to two toddlers, she is part of an interesting pattern over the last four generations on her mother’s side. “They have all had two kids, and all of us have had a girl as number one and a boy as number two,” she says.
She used to be a basketball captain to her state’s team and still plays occasionally. She confesses she is not the best at juggling her roles but says “the fact that I’m a night owl and most of our games are on late and after at least one of the kids’ bedtime certainly helps.” Flexible hours and a supportive team and workplace have also been a big help, especially when navigating the whole drop off – getting to work – temper tantrum juggle in the mornings, she adds.
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Tip from Emelie |
“Be kind to yourself! Surround yourself with family/friends and love yourself the way you love them, faults and all. Not everyone has it all together every day 100% of the time, and it’s okay that you don’t either. It really does take a village…”
Officer-in-Charge, Mobile Division,
AETOS Security Management
Team Bonding Enthusiast
Foodie
Kathy’s job in the AETOS Mobile Division is to deter, detect and locate errant drone operators. The outgoing team leader says she balances various roles with a stewardship mindset; meaning she sets out to help empower her team while setting a positive example for others to follow.
She enjoys organising team bonding activities such as hiking, dinner outings, badminton games and mahjong sessions. To top it all, the avid foodie enjoys cooking and exploring places with nice food.
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Tip from Kathy |
“Strive to maintain a healthy balance between work and personal life by prioritising self-care such as exploring new places to eat!”
Officer-in-Charge, Mobile Division,
AETOS Security Management
Team Bonding Enthusiast
Foodie
Kathy’s job in the AETOS Mobile Division is to deter, detect and locate errant drone operators. The outgoing team leader says she balances various roles with a stewardship mindset; meaning she sets out to help empower her team while setting a positive example for others to follow.
She enjoys organising team bonding activities such as hiking, dinner outings, badminton games and mahjong sessions. To top it all, the avid foodie enjoys cooking and exploring places with nice food.
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Tip from Kathy |
“Strive to maintain a healthy balance between work and personal life by prioritising self-care such as exploring new places to eat.”
Managing Principal China,
B+H Architects
Wife and Mother
Dumpling lover and Chef
Susanna is big on gatherings for family and colleagues – with lovely food and wine. At work, the foodie loves bringing colleagues to see their completed projects followed by a good meal. “Our highlight was the trip to Yang Cheng Lake to enjoy the hairy crabs during the peak season and the beautiful scenery of the lake,” she recalls.
Susanna and her husband make time for special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries. They enjoy cycling, visiting spas and shopping together. Both her sons share her love for good food and are passionate about cooking. Her eldest son loves to try new recipes and has great culinary skills. “My youngest and me make a good pair when it comes to baking, such as our signature banana cake and Greek filo pastry dessert,” she said. For herself, she counts her biggest baking achievement as a Noah Ark’s cake with all the animals in pairs.
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Tip from Susanna |
"Remember that it is not always about work! Find time to enjoy fun activities with colleagues and with family. These special experiences are the moments we remember."
