View from the Top | Vicky Drakousis of Allianz Australia
Allianz Australia CHRO Vicky Drakousis owes her flourishing career to a “sliding doors” moment over a couple of decades ago. Starting out as an auditor in the early ‘90s, Vicky went with the flow for three years until she was finally drawn to the HR space, where she had the chance to “do what I loved most – helping people grow”.
Vicky’s road to the HR industry emerged when she joined State Street Global Advisors in 1993 as a Client Service Manager, a role she held for seven years before becoming Vice President for Leaning and Development in Europe and Asia Pacific for nearly five years. Her experience in those roles paved the way for her appointment as Managing Director Human Resource International in 2008.
After 14 long years with State Street Global Advisors, Vicky had a brief HR leadership stint with Colonial First State Global Asset Management before spending the next seven years with the Commonwealth Bank. There, she became Executive General Manager Human Resources for Institutional Banking and Markets, Private Banking, Organisational Capability, and Wealth Management and Risk.
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After nearly a decade in banking, Vicky joined Allianz Australia, one of the world’s largest insurers with over 130 years of history. The company provides support to over 100 million customers across 70 countries, which was very appealing for Vicky, whose career had always been leaning towards service to the people.
“I joined Allianz to partner with a CEO that I felt truly aligned to my own values and to be part of humanising our workforce as we undergo transformation at every level across the enterprise,” the HR veteran leader said.
“As a leader, I get to see the bigger picture and help my colleagues translate that higher purpose into everything that they do. That's why kicking goals for me is all about helping people to see their hidden potential, so that they try new things to develop and transform,” she said.
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Even with a long and colourful experience, Vicky remains down to earth as she believes being an executive, especially in the HR space, is crucial to shaping how work gets done today and in the future.
Vicky’s passion for work translates into tangible results, with Allianz recently winning the Best Workplace for Diversity & Inclusion at the Australian HR Awards in 2021.
“As an insurer, our purpose is to secure Australians’ futures, and as part of that we are dedicated to helping to tackle social issues and promote equality in the workplace. We believe that enabling all people to participate equally at work, empowers innovation and individuals to succeed,” she said.