BIRKDALE resident Sharon Thompson has worked her way up in the legal profession to become the Business Development Professional of the Year.
Ms Thompson was announced as the winner at the Lawyers Weekly Australian Law Awards to recognise individual and practice group excellence in law.
A graduate of Cleveland District State High School, and student at Ormiston and Alexandra Hill primary schools and Alexandra Hills State High School, Ms Thompson’s first job was an office junior.
“I started at the very bottom of the corporate ladder making tea and coffee at the Cleveland office of McCarthy Durie Milburn (as it was known then),” Ms Thompson said.
“By showing an eagerness to learn, working hard, building relationships and seeking out opportunities to learn new skills and take on projects that may not have fit within my role, I've been able to gradually step up into more senior positions and I'm now in a role that I thoroughly enjoy.”
Ms Thompson said she had worked in Cleveland and Capalaba for more than five years, moving from office junior to secretary, before working in Roma, Brisbane and Melbourne.
“I'm currently a business development manager at the global law firm Ashurst where I started as a secretary in their Melbourne office 15 years ago and am now one of their most senior BDMs,” she said.
Ms Thompson said the award recognised outstanding performance by an individual who had generated new or repeat business for a law firm and cultivated client relationships.
She was very grateful to have received the award.
“To me, it recognises the many years of hard work that I have put in to developing my skills from office junior to now being a senior business development manager at a global law firm,” Ms Thompson said.
“Not to mention the many hours of study completing firstly my Bachelor of Commerce and then later completing my Masters of Business Administration (with Distinction) while working full-time and as a mother of two beautiful girls.”
Ms Thompson said she enjoyed managing a high performing team and encouraging members in their career paths.
“We work very closely together in a reasonably stressful environment and seeing the team rally around each other to complete the work is very rewarding,” she said.
“I continually aim to increase my knowledge and skills and am working towards being a business development director or chief executive officer of a law firm in the future.:
Ms Thompson moved back to the bayside about 12 years ago, has two daughters at Birkdale State School and sings with the Redland Rhapsody Chorus.
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