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Get To Know Our People – Dawn Conway

Meet our people and learn more about the faces behind Viva Energy.

14 Feb 2020
BY

Viva Energy Australia

I’ve worked at Viva Energy since 2006.
My first job was as a laboratory technician.
My role is as an Environment Lead at the Geelong Refinery which involves making sure that the refinery operates with minimal impact on the environment or the community. I also have to make sure that we meet our EPA and Trade Waste obligations and liaise with various community groups.
I help people reach their destination by enabling the refinery to continue to produce fuels while staying within our EPA licence.
The best part of my job is working with people from different parts of the business and community.
The biggest misconception people have about my role is that I am responsible for the wildlife or fauna at the refinery, including cats, lizards and injured birds.
I was led to this career by starting out in the laboratory testing fuel products and then moved into testing the water discharge by the refinery, which required me to understand our EPA licence limits. This was a natural progression to the environment role I’m in today.
I prefer to start the day by going to the gym and then drinking a good coffee. Workwise, checking in on my team mates and checking emails.
I prefer to end the day by taking the dog to the park and writing a to-do-list for the next day.
I am energised by helping people.
The most interesting thing I am working on right now is exploring new sustainability options including changing the packaging options in the onsite canteen, reducing the number of paper coffee cups used and using compost generated onsite for use in the refinery gardens.
The one behavior I attribute my success to is an ability to talk to people at many different levels because it promotes cooperation and common goals.
The one thing that surprises me about working at Viva Energy is how many incredibly smart and passionate people we have working here.
The most memorable moment I have had at work was when I was awarded Refiner of the Year for 2019. There have been many funny moments too, including putting my hard hat on back to front, and making the whole office look for my mobile phone, which had been in my back pocket.
The worst job I ever had was having to call 12 residents who had been impacted by an issue at the refinery but from this, I learned the power of personal interaction.
The biggest mistake I made early on in my career was ignoring someone’s body language which lead to an angry interaction. I have now learned to slow down and mentally check in on the people that I am working with.
The greatest career advice I was given was to take every opportunity that comes your way and the power of being authentic.
The most important skill every person should have is to know a little bit about the people that you work with.
The one topic I wish I knew more about is sulphur processing.
How do you see this role evolving over the next 5 years? There will be a focus on implementing interesting and impactful environmental and sustainability initiatives.
Early bird or night owl? Early, how could I be called Dawn and not love mornings!