When asked to introduce herself to her new team at the Ventia Operations Centre (VOC), Angela Sharp said she's a country girl at heart, having grown up in Ballarat in regional Victoria.  

Having subsequently lived in the big cities of Sydney, London and now Melbourne, Angela's country-girl nature is nourished through travel to places including Africa, where she fulfilled her dream of meeting gorillas and chimpanzees in the wild.  

Angela joined Ventia as Operations Manager for the Cremorne VOC in June this year, coming across from a workforce operations centre role on the nbn Unify contract with another market operator. Combined with her many years' experience in the telecommunications sector, the skills and capability she brings to her role with us is vast.  

"I've worked across people and change management, contract assurance, systems enhancement and leadership of large operational teams," Angela says. "In a few roles, I have built or re-built teams, turning them into cohesive, high performing teams." 

Angela says many of her roles have come through what has become an extensive network of contacts as she has built a reputation as a strong leader.  

It's important to build that network as you develop your career

^{Angela with long term VOC employee, Grace}

Learning all about Ventia 

In just a few short months, Angela has learned a lot about the breadth and depth of the Ventia business.  

"We have such an impressive portfolio at Ventia," she says. "And the ability to work across multiple contracts was one of the most appealing aspects of this role."  

The VOC operates on a 24/7 basis providing inbound and outbound customer service, technical resolution management, critical incident management, work order management, triage, live subcontractor management, planning and scheduling of work services.  The 300-strong team manage 1.2 million calls a year, and 700,000+ tickets of work across contracts in Australia and New Zealand.  

Angela leads the VOC's Melbourne teams responsible for delivery of our operations conducted from the Cremorne office and various other sites. Encompassing emergency services, telecommunications, health and state government contracts, her portfolio is a broad and dynamic one.  

"There is so much opportunity for growth for everyone in the operations centre," Angela says. "Wherever you start from in the team, and whether you want to try adjacent roles or move up into supervisory or management roles, there really is something for everyone." 

At Ventia, people are at the heart of our success, and that is reflected well in the way Angela leads.  

My people are my priority and without our people, we are on our own.

'As their leader, I want to support their growth and their skill and knowledge development whilst ensuring an engaged, happy and healthy work environment."  

^{Angela with some of the VOC team at Ventia's Cremorne office}

The shadow a leader casts 

Like her fellow Operations Manager, Frances Grant, Angela believes that the shadow she casts as a leader can impact her team both positively and negatively. So one of her core tenets is the importance of remaining happy, positive and calm, especially in a crisis. 

"If you're panicking it flows down to the team," she explains. "If you stress, they feel it." 

Over the past few months, the VOC has brought together operations centre teams from several contracts under one united team. Helping build that cohesiveness and a high-functioning and happy culture is something both Angela and Frances are charged with.  

Angela says her ability to remain calm, along with her considerable skills in coaching her team, comes from 20+ years working as a calisthenics and dance coach. One of the things that taught her is that everyone is different and responds to different types of leadership. 

"You need to be mindful of different personalities in your team and coach them accordingly," she says. "But it's also important to note that you won't always get along with everyone, and that's ok. You just find a way to work together." 

In her downtime, Angela loves entertaining, spending time with loved ones and all things travel. She's also an avid supporter of the "Pies" - as fans call the Collingwood Football Club (AFL) in Melbourne. No doubt that makes for some robust ribbing in the lunchroom on game days!  

Are you interested in a career at Ventia? Explore a world of career possibilities, including opportunities at the Ventia Operations Centre, by visiting our dedicated careers page.