How does a geo-spatial expert survive a 3 month stint in a fast-paced startup environment?

Written by Myra Muhammad

and Elise McKenna

At IAG professional development is encouraged and supported, one way that our colleagues can get involved with Firemark Labs Australia is through a 3 month secondment.  We see this as a great opportunity for us to collaborate with our colleagues and bring diversity to our team. We also hope that the people who join us leave Firemark Labs Australia with a new perspective and passion to teach what they have learnt to others.

Elise McKenna is a geo-spatial expert who has just finished up her secondment with us as product manager for Safer Journeys. Elise has a passion for maps, the great outdoors, and loves her role in location engineering at IAG. When we put the call out for a product manager, Elise saw this as an opportunity to take on the challenge of working in a startup and pursue her other interests of lean, agile and design thinking. So how does a geo-spatial expert survive a 3 month stint in a fast-paced startup environment?

You spent a secondment in the Firemark Incubator, where do you normally work?

My home team is in location engineering which sits within Data, Customer Labs. We are responsible for delivering geo data and geo services to help IAG build beautiful experiences, deep insights and accurate pricing. Put more simply – we make maps to help IAG understand their customers and business from a location perspective. I have a passion for maps and geo data, and being a keen hiker I’m stoked I get to create and use maps for both business and leisure!

Can you tell me a little more about your love for maps?

I’ve always had a love of getting outdoors which meant I was studying maps from a young age. The interest grew from there and that passion paired with a strength in being practical and half good at maths led me to study an engineering degree majoring in spatial information systems. Fast forward to today and I’m using my spatial specialty for one of Australia’s largest insurers.

You were product owner for Safer Journeys, what was the project about?

We know that there is an increase in people using their smartphones on the road and distracted driving increases your chance of crashing by up to 12 times! Safer journeys is an app that encourages drivers to be safer by rewarding them for it through a daily prize draw. I felt passionate about working on a product that could save lives. We are hoping to grow and onboard more reward partners onto Safer Journeys so the product can continue to make our roads safer by rewarding undistracted drivers.

What delighted you the most about working here?

The people! Working with a passionate, creative and supportive team on a purpose led product was a real privilege. On a personal side though, one of my goals coming into the secondment was to pursue an interest and learn from experience in how to work at the intersection of agile, lean, and design thinking to build brilliant products. I’m definitely no expert, and I’m still learning but to be able to test myself in a new way of working and find and build a new passion for product was a real delight. I loved it!