Margaret Codner - Leadership Tips for Architecture and IT

Margaret is a seasoned IT professional with over two decades of experience in Enterprise Architecture. As the current Head of Architecture at the University of Technology Sydney, she has a proven track record of guiding organisations towards their strategic IT goals. With a background in both consulting and in-house roles, Margaret has tackled complex business challenges across various industries. We had the opportunity to discuss her thoughts on the role of Enterprise Architecture in today's digital landscape and how it can drive innovation and efficiency. We also spoke about her journey and advice and tips she has for leaders and women aspiring to have a successful career in technology.

What factors do you think have been critical to the success you have achieved in your career?

The biggest thing for me is being passionate about what I do and seeing how it makes a difference. Being able to connect my work with how it helps someone else be successful gives me the energy to keep striving.

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 can take a break from their hectic workdays and connect with that North Star, they feel more purposeful in what they do. It’s easy to be passionate about helping that happen.

Being open to unexpected opportunities is another factor that has helped my career. There have been a number of times when someone has tapped my shoulder and said, I have this problem and I think you can help solve it. These opportunities can come when you are least expecting them, so it is important to have a network, keep building relationships, and really connect with people.

As a leader, spotting talent in other people and helping them on their pathway is the most rewarding thing I can do, especially for women who may not feel confident enough to step forward. I have met so many women who don’t realise they are walking around with so much talent and it’s wonderful to encourage them and see them go places.

Ultimately, to be successful, I think you need to be clear about what success means to you. This has changed for me throughout my career so it’s been important for me to occasionally stop and think about what success means to me at this point. If you are striving for someone else’s idea of success, you may never truly feel successful.

What's the most valuable piece of advice you have received in your career, and how did it help you?

The best piece of advice I received was a few years ago from another female technology leader with whom I worked at KPMG. 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 tell you what’s the right path. If you listen to that voice, nine times out of ten, it works out, and if it doesn’t, you will learn something.

I use this advice often and it always helps me find my next step forward.

What's the most challenging situation you have faced in your career and how did you overcome it?

My biggest challenge is getting the right balance so I can perform well.

I discovered the importance of this the hard way by becoming burnt out too frequently. So I started paying more attention to what helps me function better and what energises me. I thought about what kind of tasks match my energy levels throughout a day, do I work better with frequent short breaks throughout the year or fewer longer breaks, do I prefer to work intensively over a shorter time and then completely switch off or work at a steady pace over a longer period, and what specific activities help me recharge each day, week, or month?

Over time, I’ve learnt what guardrails work best for me and am consciously incorporating them into my routine. I am still constantly learning, but when I get it right, everything falls into place, and it makes a significant difference.

Different team members prefer different ways of working. As leaders, we must help them implement the safeguards they require for their own well-being. This is a critically important topic for the ITU leadership team at UTS, and we’ve formalised a number of Wellbeing Protocols to guide how we can work together better.

If you were starting your career now, what would you do differently?

Honestly, I wouldn’t change anything. Where I am now and who I am today are the result of all of my previous successes and failures, as well as the lessons I have learnt along the way. Some situations were very difficult to get through, but when I look back, I realise I came out the other side much tougher.

Why did you choose to work in the technology space, and what would you say to other females considering a career in technology?

Mine is the most boring story! When I was at school, I was just a nerdy kid.

My family got a computer when I was in Year 7, so I played around with it and got into coding. I was fascinated to see what this PC could solve with just a few lines of code. At university, I began a broad engineering degree, but the only aspect I truly enjoyed was computer engineering, so I switched to a computing degree. I simply found something I enjoyed and continued doing it. I started on the Helpdesk, moved on to software development and am now in my current area of architecture.

I’ve never had a career plan as such, but working in technology has given me so many opportunities to work with amazing people across a huge array of industries. Now I get the chance to help UTS students and staff have what they need to create meaningful societal impact and grow our leaders of tomorrow.

So, I would say to any woman looking to build a career in IT—why not?