INTHEBLACK April 2025 - Magazine - Page 34
MEMBER PROFILE
In my previous role working at the NSW
National Parks and Wildlife Service, I even
got to train and work as a bush firefighter!
It is those moments which have been just
as important to me. I was able to better
understand how things work because I was
outside the actual remit of the role. You need
to think about what resonates and go after
that. Go for the organisation you want
to work for, not the role itself.
I really feel as though the diversity of those
experiences has shaped me into the CFO
that I am today.
MY CHALLENGES
Maximising funding
There is always the challenge of financial
stability, and it can be difficult prioritising
across a multitude of areas that come under
the purview of the Botanic Gardens. At a
broader level, the NSW Government also
needs to carefully balance the available
funding across so many critical priorities.
We have to think about where we sit
as an organisation in that context and
position ourselves to be in the mix for funding
opportunities that we feel are important and
aligned with NSW Government objectives.
Our needs have to be weighed up in
balance with the rest of the NSW public
sector. And of course, we’re living in a fiscally
constrained environment at the moment,
with cost-of-living pressures mounting.
Amid this, we maintain the ongoing
financial stability of the Gardens to make
sure that our important scientific, education
and conservation work can continue long
into the future. We have to keep
the discussions going with stakeholders
and always ask ourselves what we can do
to maximise the funding we have and keep
balancing our priorities, moving forward
and improving our outcomes. ■
INTHEBLACK, Gabrielle Collins: Meet the CFO
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34 INTHEBLACK April 2025
