Transport certainly wasn’t front of mind when UGL Operations Manager – Victoria and Western Australia, Magda Robertson, started her career. But it’s now her passion.
Magda commenced her career as a counter terrorism first response officer with the Australian Federal Police - one of the first females to work in this specialised unit which many Aussies wouldn’t even know exists.
She spent her days in high pressure situations responding to classified incidents both in Australia and overseas, and enjoyed the leadership training this position afforded her at a young age.
It was a project with the New South Wales (NSW) Government that led Magda to move into transport.
“I looked after the southern region of NSW all the way to Wollongong, managing the transport officers division which included customer service,” says Magda. “I had a team of about 150 officers. I loved it. That's when I first realised that I enjoy leading people and building high performing teams.”
After a role with joint venture Metro Trains Melbourne, of which UGL is a partner, Magda joined UGL. With UGL, she has worked in Sydney, Adelaide, and Auckland, the latter as the chief operating officer of UGL joint venture, Auckland One Rail which proudly operates Auckland’s Metro Rail system on behalf of Auckland Transport.
Returning to Sydney to be closer to family, Magda has one piece of advice for women in transport: “Be flexible with your career choices, take risks, back yourself and, know your worth.”
With that mantra, Magda recently made the move to UGL’s utilities operations and maintenance business. She is now leading the Victoria and Western Australia teams, managing current contracts and expanding our pipeline by building the team's capabilities and equipment.
“UGL is an employer of choice and a leader in various industries,” says Magda. “We are changing the landscape of how Australia’s assets are managed, infrastructure is maintained, and projects are delivered in a sustainable way. We have a focus on our footprint, both within each industry we contribute to, and the environment. Transport is an exciting sector. It's the new aviation industry but automated from end to end. In my current role, I get to lead the teams who maintain our transmission and distribution networks across two states, which provide power to homes, businesses, cities and regional towns.”
What we do at UGL is classified as an essential service that communities rely on every day. A great transport network can shape cities, bring people together and connect communities. We are contributing to the supply chain, infrastructure, mobility, sustainability and to all communities who rely on our services. And at UGL, we’re pretty proud of that!
