Early start suits Seabrook

From an early age Jenny Seabrook was familiar with the notion of markets and investments as her single mother successfully raised her children and then put them through university solely on the returns of her investments.

“My mother instilled a lot of investment and market skills in me and I learnt a lot from her, which was bred into us from a young age,” Ms Seabrook told WA Business News.

“I have been lucky enough to receive guidance from a lot of fantastic people throughout my career as well.

“One of those has been John Poynton, who exposed me to some major transactions, such as the floating of WA Newspapers, BankWest and SGIO.

“He also helped me learn what networking is all about and how to achieve what you want to achieve.”

Ms Seabrook’s conversation is peppered with names linked to some of the biggest business deals done in Western Australia, and she acknowledges that’s one of the things she loves about being in Perth.

“You are a big fish in a small pond; you can achieve things in a place like Perth that you wouldn’t be able to otherwise,” Ms Seabrook said.

“WA is a great place to be right now, and is obviously going to grow strongly.

“Clearly a lot more outside skills and money are needed to take best advantage of opportunities. We have the raw materials, and with the right infrastructure and funding, WA will continue to go ahead.”

A background as a chartered accountant took Ms Seabrook to San Francisco and Sydney, where she said her perspective was broadened on what she could achieve in Perth.

“I certainly don’t feel like I am the only woman doing what I do,” she said.

“There are a number of people doing similar things at similar levels.

“A lot of women are making certain choices, mainly to have children, which means the pool of eligible women to take on board and senior management roles is necessarily reduced.

“I think workplaces will change over time, not only because of what females want, but also what men want. Employers will need to adapt to keep good employees.”

Having chosen not to have children, Ms Seabrook said she has a huge admiration for women who work and have a family.

“It would be very hard to do what I do with children, and if I did have them, my expectation of myself would be to be hands-on with them,” she said.

“I certainly don’t think I should be put on a pedestal for making the choice I have, and typecasting people for not having children, or typecasting those with children is a negative thing.

“Being a mother or having a career are equally admirable.”

Ms Seabrook was headhunted from her role as a director with Hartley Poynton, and is now a director of Gresham Investment House.

She is also the deputy chair of Western Power, sits on the

Federal Government’s Takeover Panel, on the Pearling Industry Advisory Committee, and is a member of the Securities Institute of Australia Markets policy group.

“I love my work – I think you have to enjoy it to get the best out and give the best to clients,” Ms Seabrook said.

“We are in the boutique end of M&A advice, and I really enjoy creating things rather than looking back.”

In terms of advice for people wanting to be in her position, Ms Seabrook said it was important for individuals to focus on their strengths and recognise those with the connections to help them achieve their goals.

And those relationships must be worked on.

“Nothing can replace good hands-on experience, but if you do what you do well and have peers that will back you, that is a good start,” she said.

“There is a really good pool of talented people to choose from, more than people expect, who could be appointed to boards, they just need a chance,” she said.

“I don’ t necessarily think it is a one-way problem though. A lot of women may not be promoting themselves in the right ways, they are generally not very good at networking.”

Despite the relative lack of women in top positions Ms Seabrook said most business people she encountered thought intelligence, not gender, was the important element in professional relationships.

“Males are playing an increasing role in the home environment – they have to make choices too, and those choices are increasing as traditional roles change,” she said.

“I think these issues will work their way through; if it is forced there will be negative consequences.”

JENNY SEABROOK

• National and international experience as a chartered accountant.
• Headhunted from her role as a director with Hartley Poynton. Now a director of Gresham Investment House.
• Deputy chair of Western Power, sits on the Federal Government’s Takeover Panel, on the Pearling Industry Advisory Committee, member of the Securities Institute of Australia Markets policy group.