Member Spotlight - Anna Hughes
Tell us about your current role and the organisation you work for!
The Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF) plays a vital role in providing financial services to the South Australian community and economic and fiscal policy advice to the Government of South Australia. Our biggest deliverable is the state’s budget. As Deputy Chief Executive I play a major role in the provision of policy advice plus advice on financial issues, processes and organisational matters. I have major managerial responsibilities within the Department and interact closely with my interstate peers. I am also responsible for driving a number of whole of government initiatives.
What is your greatest career achievement?
My greatest career achievement is having former colleagues who would love to work with me again.
Can you tell us about a challenge you have faced and how you overcame this?
As a people leader I have had many challenges. One of my most notable was managing a team that was spread across five different locations (Melbourne, Tokyo, Singapore, Beijing and Hong Kong) and included eight different nationalities. I managed to build a high-performing team by communicating (a lot) with the team as a whole and with each individual, by building trust among members of the team and maintaining my sense of humour. I also took on board the feedback I received from my colleagues which ensured that I was delivering outcomes while still being sensitive to the different cultures.
What is the one key reason you continue to be involved with behind closed doors?
I love the comradery of my over dinner group. It’s great to know that I have a group of people who want to see me succeed and will support me when I’m being challenged.