Babe Profile - August 2007

Genevieve Atkinson

Grey Street Place Manager

It's been a busy week, as they all are, cementing the fact that for many of us life is a juggling act, where we seek the right balance at work, at home, and at play. With the balancing act in tow, this month's Babe in profile, Genevieve Atkinson is constantly looking forward. Along with two daughters, and a baby on the way, Genevieve, who is the Grey Street Place Manager and the Marketing Manager for South Bank Corporation, means it when she says she likes to have a lot of balls in the air.

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"I like to be busy. I have two kids and a third on the way, a wonderful husband and an ex-husband who I still have a good relationship with ... I think if you have nothing on your plate, you slow down ... and if you're bored, it shows."

Genevieve says her boss Malcolm Snow recently mentioned how much he admires women because of their ability to multitask, which she says is a cliché, but true.

"I think that particularly when you have kids, you're constantly on the go, and do so much - and that's a huge strength in the workplace," she says.

With four other siblings, Genevieve says growing up in the Atkinson household was lively, with all of the children involved in numerous activities.

"Growing up in my house, you had to have lots of things on your plate ... you had to be doing a sport (dance, gym or ballet), a musical instrument (Genevieve learnt the violin and piano), you were expected to be contributing to a charity and doing very well academically," Genevieve explains.

"You were expected to be a contributor to society, and as I got older, that is exactly how I live my life"

As a result, throughout her adult life, Genevieve has had an active role with a variety of charities, most recently in helping Youngcare establish relationships with appropriate networks, and she is also very passionate about organ donation.

"It's particularly close to my heart. My niece, Miriam was 11 months old, waiting for a heart transplant when she died ... there are 2000 Australian's on the waiting list, and while you can look at donating organs in a macabre way, it's a gift. My family is very conscious about encouraging people to register online, to say that if they die, they will donate their organs."

Genevieve Atkinson

It's with this dedication and inspiration that Genevieve mapped her career, which began at a small PR firm, with Billy J. Smith and Lainey Lonergan, before she studied a Bachelor of Business. She then began working for a lobby group before she came across a "little career-fork in the road".

"I wanted to become a furniture maker. I enrolled in a six month course, and then took a job working part time for Crafts Queensland as a media and marketing coordinator," she says. "I'm very creative, and try to strike a balance between these two sides of myself."

It was while she was with Crafts Queensland that Genevieve was approached by the Deputy Premier, who was looking for a press secretary.

"When they lost the election, I went to Victoria to work with Jeff Kennett's office as a press secretary, and after that, I moved to Canberra and took a job with the Federal Special Minister of State and Federal Aged Care Minister as a press secretary," Genevieve explains.

"I loved working as a press secretary, but when I moved to Sydney with Bronwyn Bishop, I had my first daughter and while you're working as a press secretary you can't have kids ... I was flying all over the country."

Genevieve then worked for CPR Communications in Sydney, before returning to their Brisbane office when she fell pregnant with her second daughter, Maggie.

"I stayed with them (CPR) until I got involved with Marina Vit, who was the CEO of Brisbane Marketing, and began working there as the head of their PR department."

Since then, it's been a whirlwind year for Genevieve, who met her Husband Tim in July last year, and the couple moved in together in October before buying a house together in November.

"I like to do things quickly," she laughs. "I took a new job in January and we got married in March ... and we found out I was pregnant in April."

"Tim is fantastic, he's so easy going and supportive, and he's very happy to fit into a very chaotic life" Gen says.

Gen says that life can be full on, but she often remembers to sit back, and take a deep breath.

"In fact, I have stuck a note "Don't forget to breathe" on my computer!"

To register online for organ donation, visit: www.australiansdonate.org.au.

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Deborah Hoey PR Consultant KD Public Relations p 07 3136 2555 e deborah@kdpr.com.au