We can all be technologists. Technology enables our collective future.
Alicia Louise Lillington is an acclaimed technology, culture and change management leader.
As a young female executive in the technology industry, Alicia empowers others to embrace change where culture meets technology.
She is recognised as an intellectual and cultural leader, with experience building a vibrant and extended community of allies, supporters and champions.
Current Work:
Based in Canberra, Alicia works as a Change and Communications Lead on high-profile projects across the Australian Public Service. She has delivered speeches to 40 agencies across the Commonwealth and all ministerial offices, having even received a letter from former Australian Prime Minister John Howard for exceptional service delivery.
In addition to her impressive career, Alicia has mentored over 300 individuals, delivered more than 240 speeches and provided corporate training to over 27,250 people across high-profile organisations. Alicia is passionate about the importance of diversity and how you can use your point of difference to develop a compelling personal brand. With an ever-evolving digital landscape, her ethos is to keep studying, understanding and learning about technology.
Talking Points
The future of technology is hidden in plain sight
We can all be technologists.The future of technology is hidden in plain sight
Data shows that jobs in technology are on the rise, yet there is a lack of diversity in the technology sector. Where are the diverse candidates for technology? Hidden in plain sight. We can all be technologists. We need to reframe our thinking about our abilities in technology. Where are the women? Learned Technological Helplessness (LTH) in female adult learners that females’ technological ability and technological self-efficacy (TSE) are impacted by socialization into traditional gender roles. Alicia loved playing computer games growing up, but she only ever considered a career in the humanities. Her dream of working in International Relations has come full circle, and she now works as a Technology Change Leader internationally on behalf of the Australian Government. She shares her insights on how we reframe our ability to shape the future of technology.
Who this is for: The technology industry, recruiters, HR professionals and those who are looking for a career change.
Key messages:
1. We can all be technologists.
2. We need to quash the idea of ‘not being a tech person’ when we carry devices 24/7.
3. Diversity in technology should be seamless.
Lifelong leadership and learning
Empowering the next generation of leaders. Lifelong leadership and learning
Organisations need to rethink how leadership is measured. Traditionally, leaders are considered to be those ‘at the top’, but leadership can occur at many levels and life stages. Alicia empowers individuals to view themselves as leaders by identifying the unique traits and experiences they bring. Leadership can exist at all levels. By recognising leadership values, how leadership is demonstrated in day-to-day life and capturing feedback, we can change the conversation about leadership. The leaders that inspire us are not only those at the top of a Fortune 500 company. Leadership comes in a variety of forms, it might be in a book you read, a meeting you lead or a challenging conversation that you have overcome.
Who this is for: Students, policy officers, leaders, and decision-makers.
Key takeaways:
1. You don't have to be at the top to be a leader.
2. Revealing one of the most prominent emerging leaders - you!
3. Reflecting, seeking feedback and learning from experience to discover your leadership style.
Where are the women?
How to increase women’s participation in male-dominated fields. Where are the women?
The technology sector lacks gender diversity and needs more women in order to thrive. Research shows fewer women pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Working in technology, Alicia knows women still do not have enough seats at the table. Diversity in STEM industries should be seamless. In order for businesses to respond to the needs of a diverse workforce, there needs to be more diversity in the people who are building and creating the software.
Who this is for: Schools, universities and workplaces wanting to encourage more women and people of diverse backgrounds to get involved in technology or STEM.
Key takeaways:
1. We need more diversity in technology.
2. How we can encourage women to pursue careers in technology.
3. The changes that need to be implemented industry-wide to sustain a more diverse workforce.
Alicia is wonderfully knowledgeable on leadership, diversity and inclusion and I look forward to working with her in the future. ... keep reading Raise Our Voice Australia
I have watched Alicia capture and inspire audiences during her well-considered and very articulate public speaking events; she has the innate ability to seamlessly coordinate and facilitate workshops and training courses, whilst maintaining focus and motivation of participants.
I had the opportunity to work with Alicia for Day Two of the Public Sector Women in Leadership Summit in Canberra. Alicia displayed great characteristics of a chairperson and keynote speaker, from connecting with the crowd and keeping the audience engaged, to aiding with keeping the conference to time to ensure speakers are not inconvenienced. Alicia exemplified an innovative approach to speaking and chairing, which allowed the audience to follow along and add overall value to the conference through her creative input. Compounded by Alicia’s own achievements and personal value, the chairperson experience aligned compatibly with the message the summit aimed to deliver. Adaptability and flexibility are two key traits which distinguish a good chairperson from a mediocre chair, and we were very pleased with Alicia’s ability to adapt to the changes which are akin to live in-person and hybrid events. Alicia left an overall positive impression and enabled smooth running of the event, which can be reflected in the positive feedback we received from delegates.
Alicia very kindly accepted our invitation to speak at Kids’ Conference Australia 2021 within the Humanities/Arts Sessions on 17th November. Alicia’s talk was very clear, insightful and sensitive to her student audience. She inspired and promoted student voice, student agency and leadership. Alicia motivated students and their teachers to embrace cultural and technological change through thoughtful reinforcement. She combined positive psychology with authoritative in-depth insights into collaborative learning and contemporary approaches to education in meeting the needs of our uncertain times. It was a privilege having Alicia as our Kids’ Conference guest speaker and look forward to her future involvement with Kids’ Conference Australia.
I met Alicia while she was working on a complex project rolling out a new finance management system for the Digital Transformation Agency during COVID-19. As a presenter, she is knowledgeable and engaging. Her skills, knowledge and engaging presence were exceptionally valuable on this project.
Alicia has an immense capacity and passion for mentoring others. She is willing to invest the time and effort to actively listen and provide constructive feedback regardless of background and experience. Her valuable guidance has helped me grow my professional capabilities. I would recommend Alicia to anyone in search of a mentor or professional guidance.
Alicia is a dedicated Change and Communications Manager who is well suited to all aspects of Change management. During my time as the Project Manager at Department of Finance, I worked closely with Alicia to manage an IT implementation solution for seven government agencies. Alicia was a pleasure to work with. I found her very competent and capable of dealing with all aspects of Change management. Alicia was able to deal with the complexities of implementation and manage and execute Change, Communication, Training design and delivery. She managed a diverse group of staff from Finance analysts to senior management. Her people management and stakeholder management skills were exceptional. I have a very high regard for her abilities to manage Change. She is also an exceptional colleague to work with and very easy to get along with. Her constant helpful nature towards everyone is an asset to any team she works for or will work for. Given the opportunity it will a pleasure to work with her again.
