After completing her Bachelor of Arts in Librarianship/Information Management, Govan began working as a librarian. While she enjoyed the information management side of her job, she realised it wasn't a profession that would challenge her for the rest of her career, and began taking on IT special project roles with her employer, Northern Territory Power and Water. It wasn't too long before she was hooked, and made a conscious decision to change tracks and move into IT.
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-I realised that if I reengineered myself, I could use my skills and build on the technical side. This provided me with the opportunity to take on eminently more interesting roles, and work on juicy projects," Govan said.
Today, she is the corporate information manager for NT Power and Water, an organisation that has assets in excess of AU$1.2 billion, and employs 680 staff.
"I have a dream job, combining the fields that interest me--information management, information technology and management," Govan said.
She is responsible for the budget, human resources and strategic direction of four key areas within the business--web services, IT access, records management and Privacy Act compliance. She is also project managing the organisation's Information Governance Compliance Program, which involves three stages: Northern Territory Information Act compliance; insourcing of registry, courier and records management services; and implementation of an electronic document management system.
Getting the program off the ground has been one of Govan's greatest achievements, and she has been given close to a AU$1million budget and additional staff to prepare and implement a strategy to ensure Power and Water complies with information legislation.
With her career path set, Govan returned to study and completed a Graduate Diploma in Management in 1996 . But there was still one missing link in her tertiary studies--she had no pure IT qualification. So she enrolled in the Australian Computer Society's Certification Program, an industry-based Masters level course of study developed by IT professionals for IT professionals.
Govan has become actively involved in the Society, and is Chair of the National Young IT Forum, a recently formed group whose charter is to increase and retain members under 35 through activities specifically for young IT professionals in each state and territory.
-I believe you will only get out of a professional membership what you are prepared to put in," said Govan. -Through my work with the ACS YIT Forum, I've had the opportunity to travel and work collaboratively with people at very senior levels across Australia, which ultimately will benefit my professional and personal development."
Her dedication to lifelong learning reflects her high energy levels and drive, and ambition to reach a CIO-level position at an early stage. But she also has a healthy balance in her life. In her spare time, she runs with the Hash House Harriers--a social hounds and hare running club with an emphasis on combining fitness and merry socialising (or, as Govan describes it: -a drinking club with a running problem").
For Govan, it seems, mixing the best of both worlds is a common theme, personally and professionally.
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The Australian Computer Society (ACS) is the recognised association for Information Technology (IT) professionals, attracting a large and active membership (over 16,000) from all levels of the IT industry. It provides a wide range of services to its members. A member of the Australian Council of Professions, the ACS is the public voice of the IT profession, the guardian of professional ethics and standards in the IT industry, with a commitment to the wider community to ensure the beneficial use of IT. Visit www.acs.org.au for more information.
