Portia Pitt
General Manager Transport
Ventia
Portia is an accomplished leader and a skilled communicator, experienced in delivering complex projects within challenging environments. Key to her success is a people-centric approach to all interactions, with an emphasis on collaboration. Portia has a proven ability to lead and drive complex project teams, managing both internal and external stakeholders to deliver collaborative and innovative results. Her experience covers all aspects of operational management, environment, health and safety, contract administration, financial performance, management reporting and resource management. Prior to joining Ventia, Portia spent over 20 years at Lendlease, where she managed key commercial construction projects for clients including NAB, Telstra, Commonwealth Bank and Australian Federal Police. In her current role as General Manager, Portia oversees Ventia's Transport sector in Australia, focusing on road operations, maintenance, asset management and incident response for key infrastructure assets around Australia. Her team delivers asset management and maintenance services across approximately two thirds of Australia’s road tunnels.
SESSIONS
Day 2
2:35
Leadership Strategy Scenarios
A: Navigating Gender Bias and Harassment
During an important board meeting, a fellow colleague dismisses your idea without consideration, offering a solution similar to your own but framed by a male colleague. The same has happened repeatedly, and it's starting to affect your confidence and your team’s perception of your leadership.
Portia Pitt, General Manager Transport, Ventia
B: Managing a Diverse Team on a High-Pressure Project
You’re managing a multi-generational and culturally diverse team working on a high-profile government project. The team is experiencing tension as there are differences in communication styles and work practices that are starting to cause friction.
Lisa Wetuschat, Director HCS Rail Systems | Major Projects, Downer
C: Leading through Organisational Change and Transitions
A leader is tasked with leading a construction firm through the adoption of a new technology that will transform their project management processes. However, there is resistance from a significant portion of the team, who are either uncomfortable with the new technology or feel that their traditional ways of working are being overlooked.
Lynn Johnson, Growth Sectors and Partnership Manager, Industry Capability Network
D: Building Allyship Across Leadership Pipelines
You are a senior leader on a major project where key decisions are being made in a cross-departmental leadership meeting. However, you notice that marginalised voices (e.g., women in trades, Indigenous workers, junior staff) are consistently excluded from these discussions.
Lindsay Rattray, Industry Advisor, Industry Capability Network