With the support of Sodexo, Talisha has honed her voice to advocate, encourage, and champion the further inclusion and promotion of Indigenous communities. Empowered to lead by example, she is now Village Manager of a Far North Queensland (FNQ) campsite where more than 17% of the team identify as Indigenous
Despite remembering many instances where she has found herself as the only Indigenous woman in a room full of people, Talisha Abednego has never let this change how she saw herself. Where others may consider it ‘uncomfortable’ to be in the minority, Talisha proudly considers it as her superpower.
With the support of Sodexo, Talisha has honed her voice to advocate, encourage, and champion the further inclusion and promotion of Indigenous communities. Empowered to lead by example, she is now Village Manager of a Far North Queensland (FNQ) campsite where more than 17% of the team identify as Indigenous.
“I believe in the importance of visible female and Indigenous leaders, and I want to be this for my team in FNQ,” she said.
A mentor as much as a team player, Talisha has amplified the business’s culture of belonging through her actions.
A career change with heart
Starting her career using a Certificate III in Business Administration, Talisha worked in a range of roles in administration and hospitality at Townsville University Hospital and Cornetts IGA. While she found them a great way to leverage her skills and interest areas, she found they didn’t challenge her as much as she’d like.
“When push came to shove, I realised I didn’t really love my work and I wanted to,” Talisha said.
As a single mother, I feel I owe it to my kid to not only pick a career that puts food on the table but one that makes me passionate and drives me to succeed.”
Recognising her duty of care as a role model to her child, Talisha took a leap of faith that had been prompted by her family. She joined the Sodexo team in 2021 as an Administrative Camp Coordinator. In two short years and a record progression, she now heads her own campsite.
Working Drive-In, Drive-Out with Sodexo, I am hitting my stride and very proud of everything that I do,” Talisha said.
“My only goal in this life is to teach my son to be a good person, wear his heritage with pride, and be an example for his future family.”
A ripple effect
Finding her feet in a culturally diverse and inclusive site, Talisha has experienced a strong sense of belonging that has empowered her to act with purpose.
In my first couple of weeks of coming to camp, I was able to step up as a liaison with our local Traditional Owner groups, and be a voice for our Indigenous employees,” she said.
Taking pride in acknowledging days of significance—including Survival Day on 26 January, NAIDOC Week and National Reconciliation Week—Talisha has brought an approach of education and inclusivity that encourages her whole team to practice mindfulness and continual learning around the rich Indigenous culture of the region.
As a Village Manager, Talisha is tasked with more than enhancing and supporting her team. With more than 40 team members looking after a range of services from 500-room accommodation, catering, hospitality, and cleaning, she is the central contact point for everything that goes on on-site.
“Because we offer so many different service lines, I have to be across areas that I haven’t previously experienced. At the start, this was a challenge, but I have been able to get my head around it with the support of my team,” Talisha said.
“Now that I am across everything, I am a trusted ‘source of truth’ and I am able to apply high-level site safety and health, and environmental (HSE) legislation as well as human resource legislation to the work we do.”
The power of saying ‘no’ as well as ‘yes’
Teamwork is one of the biggest components of Talisha’s role and one that she values above all else. With her rapid progression, she has had to learn how to divide and conquer her work to make sure everyone has the opportunity to thrive in their own way.
“It’s in my nature to say ‘yes’ to everything. To take on the extra work, run that extra mile to make sure everyone is comfortable and that we are kicking our goals as a team,” she said.
“My personal work ethic, while great, has been one of my biggest challenges.
“I’ve had to learn to say ‘no’ and to delegate, not only to make sure that I am not burning out but to play to the strengths of the team I have around me who support me in everything that I do. I wear many hats as a Village Manager, but that isn’t to say that I can’t prioritise my well-being.
I really believe in the power of Sodexo and our culture. Opportunity is all around, and really all the business asks in return is that you are a team player.”
Talisha has shared that she hopes her visibility and voice as an Indigenous female Village Manager will encourage more Indigenous women to feel empowered to join the energy and resources sector. Already, her leading by example has been recognised in an upshot of registrations in Sodexo’s Indigenous Pathways Program—but her recognition does not end there.
Recently, Talisha received a position in the prestigious Women in Mining & Resources Queensland mentorship program. In the same month, she was shortlisted for the Queensland Resources Council 2023 Indigenous Rising Star Award.
We celebrate Talisha and all her accomplishments and are proud to have her as a part of the Sodexo team.
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