Deborah Woodford
Head of Marketing, Great Southern Bank
Deborah is a senior strategic marketer with deep expertise in customer-centric, insight-led, and data-driven marketing. With a strong track record of driving innovation, creativity, and commercial success, she is dedicated to developing and executing best-in-class marketing strategies that deliver meaningful business impact. Her experience spans both agency and client-side, in London, Sydney and Brisbane; working across industries with brands including Toyota, Volkswagen, Optus, NRMA, QSuper, and Great Southern Bank. As a mentor, Deborah is committed to fostering the next generation of women in media, advertising and marketing, sharing industry knowledge, leadership experience, and strategic expertise to support career growth and professional development.
Career & Background
What inspired you to do what you are doing now?
I want to help the young and ambitious accelerate their career.
Could you tell us a bit about your professional background and where you are headed in your career right now?
My early career was in advertising agencies in London and Sydney – think TBWA, Proximity, M&C Saatchi. First client-side role was Optus in Sydney, then moved up to Queensland and helped transform CUA into Great Southern Bank.
Your favourite food for thought
Books
- Feel the Fear
- Do it Anyway
Podcasts / Thought Leaders
- Mi3
- Uncensored CMO – Jon Evans
- Mamamia
What drives and inspires you
What are your core values?
- Family
- Kindness
- Optimism
You as a Mentor
Why have you decided to become a mentor?
I’ve been lucky enough to have a couple of fantastic mentors in my career and I’d love to be able to pay it forward. I’ve learnt a little along the way, made a few mistakes and would love to help guide someone along their way.
What are the top skills or qualities you bring to mentoring?
- Direct
- Great listener
- Knowledgeable
- Non-judgemental
- Open
- Willing to be vulnerable
Ready to be a part of Assisterhood as a Mentee?
We are now up and running in QLD and VIC – and we’re only just getting started! Let’s shoot for the stars – together!