Margaret Codner
Head of Architecture and Design, University of Technology Sydney
WIA Australia: Describe your career journey what attracted you to architecture
MC: Mine is a pretty typical IT career journey. While I was finishing university in Perth, I started working on an IT Helpdesk and after graduation I moved into software development. In 2008, I had the opportunity to join a new Enterprise Architecture team being established. In taking up this opportunity, I discovered a field that had not previously been on my radar and I realised this is exactly what I wanted to do.
I find Enterprise Architecture particularly rewarding because, even though it is a technology field, the real success is working with people and solving their big problems. We get to do this at scale, helping everyone see the bigger picture and move in the same direction. When people working at the coalface of an organisation are able to connect with that North Star, they feel more purposeful in what they do every day. It’s easy to be passionate about helping that happen.
WIA Australia: What are your architecture super-powers?
MC: Moving from an individual contributor to leading the Architecture Practice at UTS, my super-power is hiring exceptional architects and building a collaborative, supportive and fun culture in which they can shine as individuals and as a team. Spotting talent in people and helping them on their pathway is the most rewarding thing I do, especially for women who may not feel confident enough to step forward. I have met so many women who don’t see their super-powers and it’s wonderful to be able to encourage them and see their success.
WIA Australia: What are you most excited about coming up in the future?
MC: Everyone is excited about AI becoming mainstream but for architects, there is an opportunity for us to harness that excitement and show that we can enable this innovation safely. Many architecture practices struggle to find the right balance between governance and enablement. We tend to be comfortable as the custodians of standards, compliance, and control but we need to be more dynamic, deeply collaborative, and innovation-focused to help our organisations to reap the benefits of AI. I’m excited about this opportunity to use our architecture strengths to enable AI and become the trusted advisors we aspire to be.
WIA Australia: What would you say to other women considering a career in architecture?
MC: I would say ‘go for it’! If you are starting out, find people you can learn from but take from them what resonates with you. There are many different approaches and attitudes to architecture but you need to form your own style and be true to that. Also, be ready to embrace all your successes and failures because what you learn along the way makes you a better architect. Some situations are very difficult to get through, but when you look back, you realise you’ve come out the other side much tougher and more capable.
WIA Australia: What’s the most valuable piece of advice you have received in your career, and how did it help you?
MC: The best piece of advice I received was a few years ago from another female technology leader who knew me well. I was in a new area and struggling to find my footing for the work I needed to do, and she simply said, “Go with your gut.” When you stop and reflect, your instincts will often show you the right path. If you listen to that voice, nine times out of ten, it works out. Even when it doesn’t, you will learn something. I use this advice often and it always helps me find my next step forward.
