Meet the VIC mentors
Deborah Tran
Deb has built her marketing career selling fried chicken, beer & now chocolate! Starting her career at Ogilvy Sydney in account management working across KFC & Lion, Deb swapped the suit life for the sweet life with a move to Melbourne in 2018 when an opportunity to work on some of the world’s largest confectionery brands came up at Mars Wrigley.
Today Deb has the privilege of leading M&M’S, from working with cross functional teams to commercialise a new product idea to opening Australia’s first M&M’S store, Deb loves that she can show up with her creativity and can-do attitude everyday to tackle business challenges head on. A true Melbournian now, Deb lives in Fitzroy with her husband Seamus and 3 year old furball Rocket.
Career & Background
What inspired you to do what you are doing now?
My husband Seamus has the patience of a saint so his thoughtfulness and ability to listen actively has taught me a lot about my own leadership style. I’m first generation Australian, with my parents immigrating to Australia post Vietnam War, so I credit my strong work ethic and resourcefulness to them – we didn’t have a lot growing up so we were always taught to make the most of every situation!
Could you tell us a bit about your professional background?
Having started my career in advertising coupled with a stint in the Sales function at Mars, I realised I wanted to be in Marketing so I could be in the drivers seat of a fun global brand. I’ve always preferred to look forward at the opportunities in the future instead of looking back on the past, so being able to envision a future for a brand and bring others in on the journey really energises me.
Your favourite food for thought
Books
– Lean In – Sheryl Sandberg
– How Women Rise – Marshall Goldsmith and Sally Helgesen
– Steve Jobs – Walter Isaacson
Podcasts / Thought Leaders
– WARC
– Work Life – Adam Grant
– Woman at Work – Harvard Business Review
What drives and inspires you
What are your core values?
Achievement, Integrity, Optimism
You as a Mentor
Why have you decided to become a mentor?
Having worked on agency and now client side for over 10 years, I have a strong self awareness of what my strengths are as well as my blind spots. I know what I get energy from and what I don’t, and how I can balance this to ensure I show up as my best self at work but also with my loved ones. As a high achiever, I’ve spent many years carrying the burden of pursuing perfectionism. It’s something I will have to work on for the rest of my career, I know I don’t have it all figured out and that’s ok. In participating in this program I hope that I can help someone else in their career journey.
What are the top skills or qualities you bring to mentoring?
Collaborative, Knowledgeable, Looking for potential, Optimistic, Supportive
Ready to apply?
The best time is right now. Take a chance – you never know where an Assisterhood mentor can take you.