Art, business and London
Creativity has always been at the heart of Nat’s interests, particularly drawing and painting.
That passion led her to study a bachelor's degree in visual art at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT).
She also did a minor in mathematics to broaden her options after graduation in case she decided to become a teacher.
Unexpectedly, she discovered she loved the analytical side of her studies – particularly statistics and data.
Inspired by that blend of creativity and logic, Nat went on to complete a postgraduate Masters in Business, deepening her understanding of market research and data analysis.
After living in London for a few years working in banking, she returned to Australia in 2000.
It was a time when Suncorp was strengthening its customer focus and investing in research-driven marketing – creating the ideal environment for Nat to apply her combined creative and analytical skillset in the Marketing Research team.
Getting her first job at Suncorp
Nat was already familiar with Suncorp before she applied for a role with the organisation – her parents had been “absolute advocates” of the brand while she was growing up.
“I was sort of brought up in the Suncorp family as a lot of Queenslanders are – it's really one of those generational brands,” she said.
When a recruitment agency suggested she apply for a quantitative analyst role at Suncorp, she didn’t hesitate – and got the job right away.
“I always thought I'd like a job in advertising – so this role being close to the action in Marketing was the start I was after,” she said.
Nat recalled how different the organisation looked when she first joined.
“The Market Research department, as it was called, was within Marketing and we managed both Qualitative & Quantitative programs & projects across Insurance, Personal Banking, Business Banking & Agribusiness,” she said.
“The quantitative analyst role I had was managing our brand tracking and ongoing research programs to measure our brand performance.”
Nat recalled it was a steep learning curve; she understood the data but had never managed multiple market research agencies.
That early exposure laid the foundations for a career built on adaptability – a capability that would become increasingly valuable as Suncorp’s structure, brands and customer needs continued to evolve.
The flexibility to grow and move between roles
As Suncorp’s market research capability matured, Nat’s role shifted from pure analytics into broader marketing insights — reflecting the organisation’s growing emphasis on turning data into action.
Still driven by creativity, Nat wanted to play a more hands-on role in how insights came to life for customers.
“After watching from the sidelines, I really wanted to work on the brand execution side of the business,” she said.
“So, when a colleague moved to Melbourne, I was asked to come across and do a brand lead role for Suncorp Insurance.”
That move marked a pivotal point in Nat’s career.
It opened the door to working across Suncorp’s portfolio of brands at a time when the organisation was focusing on brand differentiation while maintaining a strong, unified customer promise.
“A role came up to manage GIO & TSI, then I went on parental leave, came back and worked on Apia and CIL.
“What I’ve loved is at any one time I’ve had multiple brands to look after which keeps work super interesting.
“It’s the opportunity for variety that’s great – I could have gone out and worked for eight different organisations with the career I've had at Suncorp.”
Nat credits resilience and openness to change for enabling that progression – qualities that align closely with Suncorp’s culture of upskilling and reskilling and flexible career pathways for employees.
“You've got to be open to change and let your career take you where you might learn something new, rather than a fixed idea of where your career will end up,” she said.
“I started in painting, studied mathematics, did more study, went overseas, and ended up in my dream job anyway.”
Seeing our purpose in action: The 2011 Brisbane floods
One defining moment in Nat’s career – and in Suncorp’s history – was the organisation’s response to the 2011 floods that devastated the greater Brisbane region.
At the time, Nat oversaw the event response across the brands to support customers.
“I was managing the marketing event response in an environment where TV, press and radio were your only channels,” she said.
“We would dispatch a radio commercial only to find the radio station itself was flooded too.
“It was a tough gig because you just didn't have the channels to contact customers like we do today.”
Despite the challenges, the experience reinforced Suncorp’s purpose in action – building futures and supporting customers and communities in the moments that matter.
Looking forward to change
After 25 years, Nat is still embracing what’s next – both for her career and for Suncorp.
“I'm only just on the precipice of learning a whole new brand, Shannons, which is so exciting – it also helps to have some motoring enthusiasts in the family,” she said.
When asked why she has stayed with Suncorp for so long, Nat always says it’s a combination of meaningful work, a thriving culture and the opportunities to keep growing.
“I really love what I do – and while some days are not easy, if you can get out of bed and know you still love what you do, then you know you're on the right track," she said.
“It's also the people and the lifelong friendships that you make at Suncorp that keep you here.
“I’ve always prided myself in nurturing those relationships.
“It’s the people on the ground alongside you that make Suncorp such a great place to work.”