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To celebrate International Women’s Day we are celebrating some of the inspiring women in the Australian and New Zealand PPG team.
Interior Designer and PPG Intern, Charlotte Wright, recently interviewed Claire Walker and Sarah Yap from the PPG team, finishing up their interviews by working with them to create their very own personalised colour creation using Coloursmith.
Claire Walker
Managing Director ANZ & GM Architectural Coatings ANZ, PPG
Claire leads the PPG team in Australia and New Zealand with General Management responsibility for the Architectural division. She has spanned a long career in varying leadership roles both locally and internationally whilst also being a Mum dedicated to her family and their beloved dog.
What has been a motivation in your career, and what is the most valuable advice you have received along the way?
“I have always been a determined person with an optimistic outlook on life, these traits have helped me to visualise success and identify opportunities,” Claire said.
“A glass half full attitude helps me to see the good in all situations and navigate some of the challenges which come my way.”
Some advice Claire shares is to always be curious and ask questions. She said, “open-ended questions are particularly useful as they help get beyond the surface of a situation which can help to generate solutions and inspire innovation.”
Who is a woman or group that inspires you?
“An inspirational woman in my life is my Mother-In-Law, Jill. Jill’s strength, resilience and selflessness has prevailed despite experiencing tough personal challenges.” Claire said.
Claire mentioned Jill raised 3 children as a single mum and always managed to put her children first.
“Jill’s values and qualities are many that I aspire to in my life.”
Tell us about your personal Coloursmith colour and who inspired this?
Claire used the Coloursmith device to create a soft blue colour in honour of her Mother-In-Law, Jill. Naming the colour ‘Colour for Jill’ – this is a calm and soft blue dedicated to an amazing woman in her life.
Sarah Yap
Head of Marketing, Architectural Coatings PPG ANZ
Meet Sarah, Sarah is the Head of Marketing for the Architectural Coatings Division across Australia and New Zealand.
Sarah has had a successful career in marketing, working across varying industries. Sarah is a dedicated and knowledgeable marketing thought leader. Along with her expertise in this area Sarah is also a lover of fashion, always looking for those one-of-a-kind pieces to add to her collection. Sarah has a husband and two girls who she enjoys spending time with. From skiing holidays to enjoying great meals together – quality time with family is important to Sarah.
What has been a motivation in your career, and what is the most valuable advice you have received along the way?
“My motivation comes from being true to myself and my abilities. I am always striving for my best and work on identifying my personal strengths so I can build the confidence to face some of the challenges which can often be thrown our way in our careers.” Sarah said.
“I thrive in a team environment and get great satisfaction from celebrating the achievements of the team around me. Together we can go further and having a positive team environment is key to a great culture and a motivation to succeed.”
Sarah’s key piece of advice is to be clear in your goals and plans. She said, “failing to plan, is planning to fail”.
“Most of all though, it’s important to have fun along the way and create a happy work-life balance so you can be the best version of yourself at home and at work”. Sarah said.
Who is a women or group that inspires you?
“I admire my Mum. My Mum’s ability to create a strong work-life balance alongside her full time career is so inspirational to me.” Sarah said.
‘Mum maintains a full-time job whilst still being a present parent, and I find this admirable in all working Mums as the juggle isn’t always easy.”
Tell us about your personal Coloursmith colour and who inspired this?
Sarah created a colour called ‘Rosie Bunny’ using the Coloursmith device. This colour was inspired by her daughter’s toy bunny, Rosie. This bunny has been in Sarah's family for 12 years with her daughters now proudly owning collection of these beloved bunnies.
