Open Forum

Name 

Fiona Bigelli

Position

Co-Founder & Managing Director of own firm(s) Pax People Resolutions Pty Ltd and Balance Family Mediation since 2016 conducting workplace mediation, workplace investigations, CINERGY conflict coaching, leadership coaching and consulting and Family Dispute Resolution.

Career Highlights

• Taking the leap to have established and stuck at running my own business doing what I love!
• Working for leading Australian skincare company, Jurlique International Pty Ltd as in house Legal Counsel and Senior VP Human Resources –driving and building business opportunities in luxury FMCG markets, such as Hong Kong and South Korea. Also, living in New York, USA for 2 years managing a variety of legal and people initiatives alongside extremely talented and diverse colleagues (who remain close friends to this day).
• Spending time working in forums such as the Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Commission, the Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW and the Industrial Relations Commission of NSW learning from exceptionally skilled legal practitioners in the early stages of my career.
• Words cannot describe the highlight that was/is finding my job share partner and now business partner of Pax People Resolutions Sarah Chan, and enjoying a long tenured, very satisfying career as Head of HR at Westpac Banking Corporation. Sarah and I led a number of massive and challenging changes and received excellent learning opportunities, including leading teams of some of the most wonderful people I have met in my career. 

Briefly describe your career journey

Throughout my university life in Adelaide studying Arts/Law, I worked in a number of retail stores and tutored French, Spanish and Italian at the Vocational Languages Learning Centre.  After grappling with the idea of letting go of a career centred around foreign languages, I worked as a lawyer in commercial and employment law at large firms Phillips Fox (Adelaide) and Clayton Utz Lawyers (Sydney).  My love of engagement with people drew me to studying a Masters of Human Resources & Employment Relations at the University of Sydney whilst I continued working as a lawyer.  As a result of good fortune and being connected to a very entrepreneurial client at Clayton Utz, I was offered the amazing opportunity to work at Jurlique as their in-house lawyer and Senior VP HR (referred to above).  Following my thrilling Jurlique chapter, I spent 11 years at Westpac Banking corporation in a variety of senior HR roles.  Towards the latter part of my career at Westpac, I began studying to compliment my existing skill set with the goal of opening a small boutique conflict resolution and consultancy firm with my business partner Sarah Chan.  Following extensive application of personal energy, effort and discipline, I am now a fully accredited and qualified Mediator (NMAS), Accredited CINERGY ® Conflict Coach & Mentor, Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner and Executive Leadership Coach.  My career has always had, and will likely continue to have, a focus on working alongside people in circumstances of stress, conflict and need for personal reflection, change and resolution. 

Accomplishments

My greatest accomplishment is having two beautiful daughters who are kind, thoughtful and bring me huge joy and balancing the load of life with a smile most of the time.

Career advice

Be aware of opportunities when they arise that may not arise again!  Take risks and be open about what you don't know and need help with – people are mostly very kind and willing to support you if you ask for help.  Keep learning and taking on new challenges.  Build and foster relationships around you that are life giving.  Think about what you have learned from every experience and build on this learning without regret.

Favourite way to unplug from work

Having a good looooong chat with 'one of my people' over nice food or tuning in to a good TV drama series (preferably British)!

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Walking in the Lane Cove National Park near my home, gardening and hanging out with my family and people from the 'hood at our local café.

If you could ask other mediators in the room one question, what would it be?

What have you found to be the most effective way to continue to build your network that refer work to you, especially in circumstances where people change jobs / organisations so frequently?

Name 

Fiona Bigelli

Position

Co-Founder & Managing Director of own firm(s) Pax People Resolutions Pty Ltd and Balance Family Mediation since 2016 conducting workplace mediation, workplace investigations, CINERGY conflict coaching, leadership coaching and consulting and Family Dispute Resolution.

Career Highlights

• Taking the leap to have established and stuck at running my own business doing what I love!
• Working for leading Australian skincare company, Jurlique International Pty Ltd as in house Legal Counsel and Senior VP Human Resources –driving and building business opportunities in luxury FMCG markets, such as Hong Kong and South Korea. Also, living in New York, USA for 2 years managing a variety of legal and people initiatives alongside extremely talented and diverse colleagues (who remain close friends to this day).
• Spending time working in forums such as the Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Commission, the Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW and the Industrial Relations Commission of NSW learning from exceptionally skilled legal practitioners in the early stages of my career.
• Words cannot describe the highlight that was/is finding my job share partner and now business partner of Pax People Resolutions Sarah Chan, and enjoying a long tenured, very satisfying career as Head of HR at Westpac Banking Corporation. Sarah and I led a number of massive and challenging changes and received excellent learning opportunities, including leading teams of some of the most wonderful people I have met in my career. 

Briefly describe your career journey

Throughout my university life in Adelaide studying Arts/Law, I worked in a number of retail stores and tutored French, Spanish and Italian at the Vocational Languages Learning Centre.  After grappling with the idea of letting go of a career centred around foreign languages, I worked as a lawyer in commercial and employment law at large firms Phillips Fox (Adelaide) and Clayton Utz Lawyers (Sydney).  My love of engagement with people drew me to studying a Masters of Human Resources & Employment Relations at the University of Sydney whilst I continued working as a lawyer.  As a result of good fortune and being connected to a very entrepreneurial client at Clayton Utz, I was offered the amazing opportunity to work at Jurlique as their in-house lawyer and Senior VP HR (referred to above).  Following my thrilling Jurlique chapter, I spent 11 years at Westpac Banking corporation in a variety of senior HR roles.  Towards the latter part of my career at Westpac, I began studying to compliment my existing skill set with the goal of opening a small boutique conflict resolution and consultancy firm with my business partner Sarah Chan.  Following extensive application of personal energy, effort and discipline, I am now a fully accredited and qualified Mediator (NMAS), Accredited CINERGY ® Conflict Coach & Mentor, Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner and Executive Leadership Coach.  My career has always had, and will likely continue to have, a focus on working alongside people in circumstances of stress, conflict and need for personal reflection, change and resolution. 

Accomplishments

My greatest accomplishment is having two beautiful daughters who are kind, thoughtful and bring me huge joy and balancing the load of life with a smile most of the time.

Career advice

Be aware of opportunities when they arise that may not arise again!  Take risks and be open about what you don't know and need help with – people are mostly very kind and willing to support you if you ask for help.  Keep learning and taking on new challenges.  Build and foster relationships around you that are life giving.  Think about what you have learned from every experience and build on this learning without regret.

Favourite way to unplug from work

Having a good looooong chat with 'one of my people' over nice food or tuning in to a good TV drama series (preferably British)!

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Walking in the Lane Cove National Park near my home, gardening and hanging out with my family and people from the 'hood at our local café.

If you could ask other mediators in the room one question, what would it be?

What have you found to be the most effective way to continue to build your network that refer work to you, especially in circumstances where people change jobs / organisations so frequently?