It’s been almost 12 months now since I was awarded the UDIA WA’s Young Development Professional Award for 2018 and what a year its been.
In October, I was asked to Chair the Outlook Committee and we’ve had a great year delivering several successful events for young professionals within the industry, assisting other UDIA WA Committees with their strategic objectives, collaborating with the Property Education Foundation (PEF) and growing our presence on LinkedIn.
I completed a 3-month secondment (stretched assignment) at Bankwest in the position of Director – Property Finance from September 2018 to January 2019, received encouraging feedback from our customers and my colleagues and focused on refining my emotional intelligence and leadership skills. All during what was a tough period for both the banking industry following the Royal Commission and the development industry in WA following a prolonged period of subdued economic conditions.
More recently I completed the UDIA WA Professional Development Course facilitated by a wide range of industry experts. This six-module course provided me with a greater understanding of the development life cycle and what parts each industry profession influences (be it planning, enviroment, engineering, marketing etc).
The course also provided the opportunity to meet some new contacts in the industry that have since come in handy in my current role.
In April 2019, I was invited to join the PEF Management Subcommittee and have really enjoyed attending numerous high school careers nights and expos with well known industry leaders to encourage aspiring graduates to consider a career in the property/urban development industry.
My network within the industry has grown tenfold following the Young Development Professional Award and that really has been my favourite part. I love meeting new people, discussing all facets of the industry and finding out who’s doing what around town. I have attended a large number of the UDIA WA Industry breakfasts and luncheons this year and continue to grow my profile within the industry.
I would encourage all young professionals to nominate themselves for the 2019 Young Development Professional Award and look forward to meeting a number of the finalists throughout the interview process.
Mark Mackenzie is Associate Director, Property Finance Unit at Bankwest and current Chair of UDIA WA Outlook
More details on how to nominate for the UDIA Stockland Young Development Professional Award here.