Her Tech Circle
Her Tech Circle, the podcast, is where we explore journeys of women in technology through candid interviews. This podcast highlights the stories of women who are breaking barriers, growing their skills and rising to leadership roles in tech. An extension of the broader mission for Her Tech Circle, we are committed to building an inclusive and supportive community where women in tech can thrive. Each episode features discussion on mentorship, education, personal growth, empowering women to make their mark on Australia's tech landscape.
Her Tech Circle
Engineering Excellence: Jude Donovan on Scaling Teams & Driving Change
In this episode, we sit down with Jude Donovan, an accomplished technology leader with a career spanning major Australian enterprises, including Commonwealth Bank, Redbubble, MYOB, Jetstar, and NAB. With expertise in scaling engineering teams, digital transformation, and enterprise technology, Jude has led multimillion-dollar projects, championed cloud adoption, and driven automation in large-scale organizations.
Beyond the boardroom, Jude shares her passion for netball coaching, highlighting the parallels between high-performance sports and leadership. She opens up about a life-altering motorbike accident that reshaped her mindset, teaching her the power of breaking challenges into achievable steps—a lesson she now applies to managing large-scale engineering programs.
Jude also dives into the importance of networking, sharing how a simple compliment at a tech event led to an incredible career opportunity for someone transitioning from fashion to tech. Plus, she discusses her framework for engineering excellence, touching on Agile methodologies, ruthless prioritization, and leveraging AI tools like Copilot.
If you're looking for insights into mentoring, scaling teams, leading transformation, and navigating adversity with grit, this episode is a must-listen!
Key Takeaways & Notable Quotes:
💡 "Belonging isn't about towing the line—it's about being your authentic self and finding people who embrace that." — Jude Donovan
💡 "Break down the overwhelm. Get small wins on the board, measure success, and build from there."
💡 "A conversation can change someone's life—always be open to networking and listening."
💡 "You should only be working on three things at a time. Ruthless prioritization is key to success."
Topics Covered & Timestamps:
⏳ [00:01] Introduction to Jude Donovan and her career in tech leadership
⏳ [02:01] Jude’s passion for netball coaching and how sports leadership translates to corporate success
⏳ [04:05] A week in the life of a tech executive: how Jude leverages AI (Copilot) for productivity
⏳ [08:47] Jude’s early career: From COBOL programmer to tech leader
⏳ [12:47] The motorbike accident that changed everything—resilience, recovery, and leadership lessons
⏳ [19:11] The power of networking and mentorship in career growth
⏳ [24:15] Jude’s framework for delivering high-impact projects using Agile and thin slicing
⏳ [28:40] Learning to adapt methodologies to different teams and organizations
⏳ [32:48] Advice to her younger self: Owning your voice, belonging, and authenticity
Resources & References Mentioned:
📌 Books & Thought Leaders
- Atomic Habits by James Clear ("You don’t rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your structures.")
- Dare to Lead by Brené Brown ("Clear is kind.")
📌 Tools & Concepts
- Copilot AI for email and meeting management
- Agile methodologies: Sprint planning, retrospectives, thin slicing
- JIRA & Confluence for structured project management