Pam McGhee is a Development Manager currently working on the extension of Marrickville Metro Shopping Centre and the new retail and dining precinct – Smidmore Street. Her role focuses on the management of all income streams and reporting, design management with the architects and builder, tenancy openings and consultant management. This project is very close to Pam’s heart – it’s minutes from her home – she is a local and loves where she lives. Pam has a vested interest in this not being just another shopping centre development, but a place she can be proud of, where she can hang out and tell her friends about.
Pam was one of the Design Team Leaders on the Macquarie Centre development. Following the completion she was promoted to National Retail Design Manager looking after design across AMP Capital’s Australian and NZ assets, and then moved officially into a DM role in late 2017.
How did you start your development career?
I studied a Bachelor of Japanese at the University of QLD, followed by a Bachelor of Design (Architecture) at Griffith University. In my early career, I worked as an Interior Design and Contract Administrator at Civic Steel Homes (boutique residential builder) in Brisbane for seven years. I then moved to Melbourne and worked at a small boutique design firm specialising in hospitality design as Senior Designer. Later I moved to Colonial First State in 2007 as Retail Design Manager to work on the Chadstone development that opened in 2008. I worked on a number of developments with CFS before moving to Sydney to work for AMP Capital on the Macquarie Centre development that opened in 2014.
Did you think you would take this career path?
I always wanted to be a marine biologist when I was growing up, but had a strong affinity to art and design at the same time. One thing that may have put me on this path is that I was told at high school that technical drawing was only a subject for boys, not girls. I didn’t accept that answer, and in a roundabout way I have headed on this path because I don’t agree with the philosophy that men and women are unequal.
Who have been the biggest supporters in your career?
I’ve had so many over the years, I’d need pages to mention them all. From when I was at university in QLD in the early 2000s while simultaneously working at my first industry job with a residential builder, to now, I’ve be surrounded by people who have been so incredibly generous in sharing their knowledge and experiences, taking time to teach and mentor me. I’ve learnt so much from them all and continue to every day.
How would your peers describe you?
Probably that I’m always keen for a drink with the team! Other than that I’d say they think I’m intolerant of incompetency and could probably be a bit more tactful about it, that I love what I do and that I’m never one to shy away from confronting an issue.
An artist’s impression of the Marrickville Metro development
What advice would you give to someone starting a career in development?
Exposure to a range of disciplines is really important if you’re keen to get into development. As a Development Manager you need to be cognisant of everything, not necessarily in minute detail, but you need to know how it all works together, what things influence each others, and be able to foresee where your risk lies, and then be able to mitigate it as best as possible.
In your opinion, what qualities make a good Development Manager?
I am lucky to have a number of Development Managers I work with and the qualities they exhibit that make them great in their role are patience, diplomacy and tactfulness when required, backed up with firm and clear communication. Allowing the experts in each discipline to do their role, and then fostering a great team culture on a project is a defining skill of a successful DM.
Which women inspire you and why?
The women I work with on a daily basis, and my amazing female friends. They all have incredibly positive outlooks and attitudes based on collaboration, doing good for each other and the community and, most importantly having fun.
Across both my work and personal friend groups we all have stressful jobs, but we all know how to enjoy life and don’t take ourselves too seriously.
What do you think is the most significant barrier to female leadership?
I’ve felt many times that I need to work harder and longer, learn more, be more proactive and more fearless than my male counterparts. There are certainly times when someone will underestimate your knowledge and experience. But I’m incredibly grateful for the men in the industry who, through my years, have been generous with their knowledge and time – it’s helped me learn faster and gain a broad range of experience in a relatively short amount of time.
Pacific Fair
When are you most creative?
Under pressure… nothing makes for a more collaborative and creative environment than an imminent project opening.
How can women invest in themselves to support their career?
Learn as much as you can, even if you don’t think you’re interested in the subject to begin with. Knowledge is power. Say yes to any opportunity to gain exposure to something new. Be excited about what you’re doing, and about what value you can add. Be flexible – fill the gaps – it’s where you’ll learn the most and doors will open.
Why do you think education is so important in advancing a woman’s career?
I see education as not only traditional learning, but also hands-on experience and exposure. It’s critical in helping anyone develop a strong foundation from which to make educated decisions. A degree can’t help with that in most scenarios, but spending time with centre managers, analysts, operations managers and anyone you can to understand their pressures and what they deal with will give you a strong foundation to progress your career.
What’s your definition of ‘success’?
Success on a project is made up of so many aspects… but the real marker of the success of a project is if you are telling people it’s the best you’ve ever worked on. The team is what makes it all a success, from the internal development team, all the consultants, to the builder, and the community.
What do you do in your spare time?
I spend most of my spare time travelling and socialising with friends… it’s almost a bit of a joke in the office! Obviously, it’s all focused around food and wine too, with a good measure of cultural and architectural appreciation.
