From ambition to impact: How Janelle Hopkins paved her way to CFO
Janelle Hopkins showed ambition and aptitude. At just 29, she was appointed Financial Controller at MLC. This was followed by lead roles in finance and management and accounting operations.
Janelle Hopkins is Chief Financial Officer at REA Group, an ASX-listed global digital business that specialises in property. In this conversation we hear how Janelle’s passion for learning new skills and impactful work saw her rise to the top of the finance function.
Janelle Hopkins’ stint as REA Group CFO marks the second time she’s served as a finance chief of a major company – even though she never set out to be a CFO in the first place.
“I would say I never actually had the desire to be a CFO, I never knew it was something I wanted,” Janelle says.
“I just knew I wanted to make an impact, to effect change, and I often found opportunities by looking at the leadership team above me.
“Progressing upwards helped me make a bigger impact, and that’s what really drives me.”
Janelle’s role at REA Group was preceded by five years as CFO of Australia Post. Before that, a series of senior finance roles at the National Australia Bank (NAB) and its wealth arm at the time, MLC.
But it was in an entry-level position at Deloitte where, encouraged by a female manager, she first discovered her passion for learning new things.
“In Year 12 the opportunity came up to do a cadetship at Deloitte. I had a manager who encouraged me to develop skills, and I ended up specialising in superannuation.
“Flying around the country and developing sectoral knowledge — that helped set me apart and gain different experiences that people my age and at my career level weren’t getting.”
Janelle rose to manager level at Deloitte before moving to MLC while still in her early 20s.
The size of the organisation gave her the opportunity to frequently move roles, supercharging her desire to learn new things.
“I started in group reporting, I went to financial planning and analysis, I did an executive management to the CFO role… my attitude was look at the skills you need, the skills you are currently gaining in your role, and ensure you’re not missing anything important.”
Janelle’s ambition and aptitude did not go unnoticed. At just 29, she was appointed Financial Controller at MLC, managing a large team and regularly presenting to the board. This was followed in quick succession by lead roles in wholesale finance and management and accounting operations.
But suddenly, Janelle’s meteoric rise hit a roadblock. After almost 12 years with the NAB group, a divisional restructure made her role redundant. Through this minor crisis came one of the major learnings of her career.
“When I got made redundant, I was told that I was a talent and that opportunities would come to me, so I sat and waited for them to come — but nothing did. I had to get on the front foot and go out looking.
“Now, the advice I always give to people who ask is: ‘Take control of your career. ‘Don’t wait for people to come to you’.”
Janelle’s next opportunity was found at Australia Post in 2012. At that time the massive government-owned enterprise was undergoing a generational transformation project as the rise of e-commerce disrupted its traditional business model.
“Australia Post was full of talented people transforming a massive and significant organisation and I was really attracted to that,” remarks Jenelle.
Joining as General Manager for planning and reporting, Janelle was soon asked to move into the group CFO role in a temporary capacity or, as she puts it, a “try before you buy arrangement”. Six months later, she was appointed to the role permanently.
She had reached the C-suite. But true to form, Janelle kept her eyes focussed on the next learning opportunity, moving across to REA Group in 2019.
“I was CFO at Australia Post for five years and absolutely loved it, but I wanted to move to a listed company and tick off as many new experience boxes as possible. REA Group was a perfect fit because it is high tech, digital and listed.”
Janelle’s new role was soon complemented by a three-year stint as the director of the Group of 100, a network of influential Australian CFOs.
Although she never set out to become a CFO, Janelle’s focus on learning and professional growth saw her become the finance chief of a high-growth ASX50 company and head of one of the profession’s industry bodies before the age of 50.
So, what advice would she give to young finance professionals, particularly women, who are hoping to reach the C-suite?
“My standard advice is to take control of your career - try to do as many different things as possible,” she says.
“I believe most companies would like a female CFO, or more women in executive roles in general — but what’s stopping potential female candidates from progressing to that stage is that many are out of action for those defining career moments in their thirties because they have started a family.
“It was easier for me because I have one child, so I didn’t take multiple stints of 9 to 12 months off. But I would say your career is a marathon, not a sprint.
“It’s OK to plateau your career advancement so you can focus on family if you’re still performing your role well — people will notice your capabilities. Organisations that support women to balance family and career demands will be able to grow the female talent pipeline.”
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