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ALWAYS reluctant to step into the limelight, the title of Great Woman doesn\u2019t sit well with Commerce Ballarat CEO Jodie Gillett.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s more comfortable operating behind the scenes, facilitating the experts, a self-described \u201cworker bee.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCommerce Ballarat is a team,\u201d Ms Gillett said. \u201cWhilst I\u2019m the CEO and I\u2019ve been here for a while, sometimes the concern with that is that it becomes more about me than the organisation and I don\u2019t want that to be the case.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have an amazing team here and they make me look good, I say that all the time and it\u2019s absolutely true. Then there\u2019s our board, such a fantastic group of positive people who are doing lots of things as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the last 12 years Ms Gillett has led the region\u2019s peak business advocacy, support and development organisation.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s been at the forefront of the drive to give businesses a reason to join Commerce, with the membership growing from 120 when she began to the current 550.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, looking at it to start with, I couldn\u2019t see a lot of value in being a member,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s been about building the value into why businesses need to become a member.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember saying to the board, \u2018you need to offer something for everybody. We do these networking things every second month\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe number one word I\u2019ve used in this job for 12 years is we have to stay relevant. If we don\u2019t stay relevant the members don\u2019t stay with us, and that\u2019s fair enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
That desire to offer a range of opportunities to members has grown into the program of events and activities Commerce Ballarat runs now.<\/p>\n
In 2020 there\u2019s the big ones; B31 Business Festival, the twice-yearly Business to Ballarat campaign, May\u2019s Business Day Out and the Business Awards.<\/p>\n
But there\u2019s also the Biznet Breakfasts, Young Professionals Networking activities, along with ad-hoc events like next week\u2019s tour of Inglenook Dairy or the Big Global Tourism Ideas function.<\/p>\n
Sometimes Commerce Ballarat facilitates the activity, sometimes the organisation publicises opportunities provided by others. But always the focus is helping local business be better.<\/p>\n
Just don\u2019t call them all events.<\/p>\n
\u201cI often growl when people say events,\u201d Ms Gillett said. \u201cThe Business Awards gala dinner is an event, the launch of the nominations is an event but a lot of what we do is important development work.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s opportunities to grow skills, or to network. There are a lot of things happening and more every year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Behind it all that a desire to see local business flourishing. Healthy and successfully businesses means growth, jobs and opportunities.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s something Ms Gillett takes pride in and has a personal connection to.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy dad was a builder and a sole trader, and he worked really hard,\u201d she said. \u201cI saw how difficult it was for him at different times with people not paying their bills or how just how hard it is for small business, or business of any size, there\u2019s always challenges and new challenges coming in.<\/p>\n
\u201cBusiness is the foundation of our city. We need a healthy business community to employ our citizens.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the next 20 to 30 years we\u2019ve got massive challenges, huge growth is coming and we need to have huge growth in our business community as well, otherwise we\u2019ll become a commuter city and people will be leaving everyday to go and work elsewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Ms Gillett is more than just the backbone of Commerce Ballarat. She\u2019s also a wife, mother and friend.<\/p>\n
Before she arrived at Commerce, she had other different jobs including in retail, business administration and at the aquatic centre. She describes it as a \u201cbreadth of experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a long way for someone who left school in year 9.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got some health issues and I\u2019ve had them since I was 12,\u201d Ms Gillett said. \u201cI had five months of school at 15 and it was too hard to catch up.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy maths teacher told me I\u2019d never get a job and never amount to anything in front of the rest of the class, which was a little tough to take when you\u2019ve been sick for five months. I wouldn\u2019t mind getting the opportunity to introduce myself to him right now.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ALWAYS reluctant to step into the limelight, the title of Great Woman doesn\u2019t sit well with Commerce Ballarat CEO Jodie Gillett. She\u2019s more comfortable operating behind the scenes, facilitating the experts, a self-described \u201cworker bee.\u201d \u201cCommerce Ballarat is a team,\u201d Ms Gillett said. \u201cWhilst I\u2019m the CEO and I\u2019ve been here for a while, sometimes […]<\/p>\n