Megan Boston on female CEOs and taking the non-linear approach - Women's Agenda

Megan Boston on female CEOs and taking the non-linear approach

The majority of CEOs take a linear approach in their rise to the top – diligently rising through the ranks and often moving into board roles at the end of their tenure. For ASX listed tech company Omni Market Tide CEO Megan Boston however, the journey was quite different.

Practicing as an accountant for 10 years and then having her first child, the daily juggling act of balancing her work with new parenting responsibilities saw Megan and her barrister husband on a military-tight schedule, racing across town to meet each other to swap duties. When deciding she wanted another child but was unable to continue to manage it all, Megan made the strategic decision to take 10 years out of the workforce – to further her career.

With no previous experience, she decided that she wanted a board position while at home with her children. She landed her first position as an independent audit committee member at the EPA Victoria and over the next 10 years has clocked up a very impressive six board roles and nine committee roles in total. One of these positions would be life-changing.

While she was working with Glenn Vassallo, Chairman of Omni Market Tide (then GRT Exchange) on the GRT Foundation Board, he approached her with the opportunity to take the helm, and take their prototype technology to commercialisation, in the hopes of starting an investor relations revolution.

Since taking charge in 2014, Megan has lead OMT to list on the ASX in July this year, raising $5 million, and signed ASX giants Telstra and Westpac as clients. No small feat in male dominated, tech-shy industry. 

But it didn’t come without challenges and setbacks. It took persistence and courage and a belief that even without the actual experience, it could be done. Megan has four truths she’s discovered on her journey to the top.

Persistence and preparation pay off

The first board role I took was advertised in the Australian Financial Review (AFR). It was another sleepless night with a newborn; so I thought it’d be a good time to apply. Those nights, cradling an unsettled baby or doing the midnight feed, provided the perfect opportunity to knuckle down and prepare. Undoubtedly I over-prepared, but that’s what separated me from the other candidates. I had no experience – but I was hungry, had the inner strength and belief that I had it in me. I gave it my all and that came across in the interview.

Often, those applying for board roles are doing so whilst still working, cramming prep in-between their work commitments. In order to succeed you need to make preparation a priority and believe that you can. The first role might be a challenge to secure, even for those at CEO level, but confidence, coupled with persistence and preparedness goes a long way.

Accept a new reality

You’ve got to understand and be prepared that it’ll be busy, all the time. You may get periods of normalcy sprinkled throughout, however there is no “perfect balance”. I wouldn’t even look for a balance; just accept it’ll be a busy juggling act – your new reality.

When you start out, decide on your non-negotiable – like dinners at home or only travelling away from home once a week. Then stick to these as best you can. Yes, there will come a time where you’ll need to break these, so be realistic about that. Appreciate the downtime when you get it, but don’t have high expectations or preconceptions when going in to high-level leadership roles.

The one thing I find that I sacrifice most is me time, or time with just my husband and I. When I can, I try to recalibrate and prioritise this, but have accepted it cannot always be. I am very lucky that he’s very supportive of me and my career, and we have our-negotiable and understand our reality.

Make the most of every opportunity – often it’s all about who you know

Dedication and commitment to your responsibilities are in my opinion, the key to success when looking to progress your career. You need to embrace all networking opportunities and commit yourself whole-heartedly to a role, whether it’s paid or volunteered. You never know where it’s going to land you.

One of the board positions that I accepted was in Tasmania, so once I month I’d fly down there for meetings. I did this for three years and thereafter, the offers started rolling in, as opposed to having to search. It became about who you knew and how you worked – the board community is very close and well connected. As a result of my connections, I was offered the CEO role at Omni Market Tide. 

There is no right way to get there

When considering taking time off to have children, there were many options I could have considered, but I chose the one that suited me best. I didn’t want to take on a part-time role with three children, I wanted to be there with them and maintain a high-level, strategic role.  When I needed to attend meetings, I’d get a babysitter to help out. Other times, I’d be at home working on audit and board papers.

When I made the decision to re-enter the workforce, I saw the CEO position as the next natural step in my progression, it was the only thing left in my opinion, that I wanted to achieve. It didn’t matter that I did it in the reverse order. It worked for me and what worked for me, may not necessarily work for you or the next person – but that’s okay. You have to empower yourself, to pave your own path and don’t have to subscribe to the norm.

Ultimately it comes down to not being afraid of rejection, understanding every experience is a lesson and embracing these to drive innovation and success. Use it to motivate you and have the confidence to back yourself. The only way you’ll succeed, is if you believe in yourself – know how much you want it, and go out there and get it. 

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