Stand out and succeed: Leadership tips for Strategy - Mirella Gallace

As part of our ongoing commitment to our specialist communities, we interview accomplished leaders on a monthly basis to bring you insights on their career progression and advice that will help you progress your career further.

Mirella Gallacé is Head of Product and Servicing for Mortgages at the Westpac Group. Mirella has diverse executive experience in the financial services and pharmaceutical/biotechnology industries. She has run core business units and led transformational change across home lending, and is currently responsible for the customer experience of all existing Westpac home loan customers.

Mirella is passionate about solving complex customer problems and developing talent so that people can reach their potential and make a difference.

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

I really value diversity in both experience and thought, so being open to opportunities and not being too prescriptive with my career path have really worked for me over the years. One common thread for me is being purpose-driven, I am motivated by making a difference, and this has been a clear anchor point.

Building strong relationships within my network has been invaluable, allowing me to seek guidance from trusted advisors and learn from their experiences in navigating complex situations. Being persistent and continuously refining my value proposition has also served me well. I also love to learn, whether it’s new technical skills or leadership strategies, so having roles that really challenge me has been core to my success over the years.

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

Three things – firstly, and most importantly, just be your authentic self and play to your strengths. The second piece of advice was about my brand. When I first started my career, I thought that my hard work and results would speak for themselves, but now I know it is more nuanced than that. Whilst delivering high performance is absolutely necessary as a leader, how you work with your network, your reputation as a leader, and your colleagues are equally important. Finally, leadership is about empowering your teams, and you have a responsibility to clear the way for them to achieve their goals.

I have a strong learning and reflective mindset when it comes to leadership, so I use these pieces of advice to ‘check in’ on my approach and adjust my style as needed.

If I had one piece of advice, it would be to focus on being self-aware and authentic.

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

I have faced quite a few challenging situations over the years, maybe because I love problem-solving. I had to lead a large restructuring to reduce our workforce by 30% a few years ago - it really challenged me and the business, as our people were really committed to the business priorities at the time, so this restructuring really hit hard. I had to work with C-Suite executives who were heavily invested in our priorities and our people. During that time, I witnessed that no matter how senior, we are all just people and that compassion and empathy can go a long way in challenging circumstances.

Leading this piece of work was one of the few formative experiences I have had in my career, mainly because I feel like I learned a great deal about people and humanity. These lessons have stayed with me as I have navigated other challenges in my career, and I believe they have made me a better leader both in terms of compassion and resiliency.

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

I would still take every opportunity that has been presented to me, and I would challenge myself to take even more risks with my leadership approach and career if I were to do it all over again. Making mistakes and reflecting on them creates so many learning opportunities. We need to encourage people just starting in their careers to recognise the significance of self-development as a catalyst for cultivating leadership skills and driving personal growth.

One thing I would not change is having a mindset that is ready to learn and grow; being able to continuously adapt, reflect, and progress as a leader brings me a lot of satisfaction. I wouldn’t get so hung up on the traditional notion of ‘career progression'—leadership comes in many forms, and in my opinion, the ability to connect with people is crucial, and that can be done at all levels of an organisation.