A country childhood to an Australian food and agri leader

During her University and early career, Alexa Glynn became increasingly conscious of the conversations around her on future career ambitions and maps of where her friends wanted to be, at what level and by what age.

As someone who didn’t have a clearly defined picture of her ideal future, it was a question she began asking herself – should she have a plan?

Fortunately, Alexa resisted and, being true to self, set about quietly paving her own path.

As it turns out, it’s one that led to the top after all.

Alexa is Rabobank Australia and New Zealand’s Chief Operating Officer, part of the Australian Group Executive that leads the bank’s people, and strategy.

Having secured one of the bank’s most senior, and critical roles in 2022, she’s refreshingly honest about her career journey.

“I was never, and still am not, that person who has their career mapped out every step of the way, but being flexible, mobile, curious and open to new challenges has provided me with a wealth of experience and opportunities that have kept me inspired and engaged.”

A career spanning continents, and experiences

Born and raised in England, Alexa built her expertise in the IT space, starting as a graduate in a cyber security role, before her then-boss moved across to Rabobank, and suggested she do the same.

For the past 17 years she’s worked in Rabobank’s London, Utrecht and now Sydney offices, in a diversity of roles such as Head of Security Integration and Tooling in the Netherlands, to Australian Head of IT Systems.

During her stellar career, Alexa also hasn’t been afraid to take a side-step, taking an unexpected role as a Process Improvement Specialist in 2014.

“Everyone assumed that I would automatically continue to move up the management layers as roles became available, but I felt I needed to move away from a leadership position for a while, it’s very easy to get pigeon-holed in security – or any department for that matter – and I wanted to broaden my skillset.”

During 12 months in this role Alexa said she learnt invaluable skills that ultimately contributed to her becoming a better leader.

“A future in leadership really appealed to me, and this role gave me so many tool kits and methods to help analyse and solve complex problems, as well as practical presentation, facilitation and communication skills essential for strong leadership.”

Alexa’s ability to articulate complex solutions well, and – as she smiles – her ability to ‘talk techie’ and be a relatable interface between the IT department and the rest of the business has underpinned much of her career success.  

But her real leadership motivation comes from helping others unlock their true potential.

“It’s easy for people to get stuck in a role, and I really enjoy challenging people, broadening their horizon and seeing people unlock a new talent or purpose.”

“I’ve been so thrilled over the years to see colleagues go on to do different things – start businesses or enjoy career success – and if I’ve been just a little contributor to their journey then that makes me really proud.”

Celebrating International Women’s Day

Alexa is an inspiring leader at the top of her game. She’s also a proud single mother, having made the conscious decision to have a child as a single woman seven years ago.  

“Having a child is a critical time in a woman’s life, and the challenge of juggling it all is a frequent conversation with female leaders,” she said.

“Women, or any parent for that matter, can’t “have it all” all the time, there are times where you have to be flexible and give a little to manage the balance – for me, it involves a lot of logistics, and required taking a time away from my career to have a baby.”

While anxiety regarding future ambitions can accompany parenthood, Alexa advocates that this shouldn’t be the case.

“It should always be ok to step out of a career to raise a family, it’s such an important time in life, it’s not something that should be rushed, and parents – whether women or men, shouldn’t be made to feel that way.”

The reality, she suggests, is that being a parent has armed her with a whole new suite of organisational and prioritisation skills.

A supportive workplace goes a long way in easing the transition, and in her own case, Alexa said she was never concerned about her career post-baby.

“I had an excellent leader, I knew he would advocate for me and that there would be something for me when I got back – I had full trust in him.”

Perhaps it was her career plan flexibility, or her willingness to do the ‘boring, mundane tasks’ that others may shun, but Alexa said she was always confident there would be a role for her.

“Being flexible and open to anything is so important, no matter what stage of career you are in.”

This year’s International Women’s Day theme is #EmbraceEquity, and focusses on equity as opposed to equality.

While Equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities, equity recognises that each person has different circumstances, and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome.

In her own life and career, Alexa is grateful to have felt supported through her career, a reflection on Rabobank’s strong commitment to inclusion and equity.

“I have some very strict terms when it comes to work, and my son,” she explains. “During his bath, dinner and bed times work is strictly off limits.”

“Being part of a global team means I can schedule meetings later into the evening, and take the time off I need for my son.”

She said Covid had been fantastic for parents, although it may not have felt so at the time, admitting she is “the worst home schooler ever,” she does believe that it has provided caregivers with the opportunity to demonstrate that flexibility doesn’t necessarily impact output.

“For all its disruption and isolation trauma, Covid was valuable in breaking down traditional workplace structures, and allowing for more creative staffing solutions - If someone can do their job in four days, do they need to be there five days?”  

Alexa concedes that the further her career has progressed, fewer females surround her, however she’s buoyed by the fact more women today are following an IT route than when she was a graduate.

She also encouraged more women to consider COO roles, and said the work was broad and exciting, and that when it comes to women in leadership roles, she believes the glass ceiling has been shattered.

“Certainly in my experience, I have been well supported by both female and male colleagues, and it’s so important for the future generations to see this progress.”

“I’m also very proud to work for an organisation like Rabobank, which is continually making courageous decisions to consciously increase equity and inclusion at all levels.”

“When I started here 16 years ago the whole board and executive team was male, and now females make up to 60 per cent of the executive team, and we have female board representatives, and it’s a pleasure to work within such a progressive culture.”

A food and agri destiny, and strong role models

Growing up on a farm in Hampshire, England, with her mother a farmer and father working for IBM during the emergence of the IT industry, Alexa smiles that her career, carved in IT with a food and agri specialist, was ironic.

“My mother was, and continues to be, an enormous role model.”

Concerned by the chemical use in meat production, her mother was one of the first in England to gain organic certification, and later helped the government define the UK’s organic accreditation process.

“Her attention then moved into forestry, regenerative agriculture and then community based renewable energy, and she was well before her time when it comes to what we now term sustainability.”  

“My mum set in me a strong moral compass, and demonstrated how agriculture can contribute enormously to our environment and the importance of sustainability being good business – it’s exciting to now be in an organisation that is playing such a strong role supporting this.”