The change maker
Don’t let her quiet demeaner fool you, Lara Cassim is a powerhouse. As the National Manufacturing Operations Manager, Lara has brought her diverse manufacturing career and growth mindset to Ausco to keep us ahead of the curve.
Originally from New South Wales, Lara is a Mechatronic Engineer by trade who has worked all over Australia in manufacturing, automated warehousing, photovoltaics, beverage, food, dairy production, and timber processing. Just shy of two years ago she was headhunted to Ausco and her goal is to make the production of modular building the most efficient it can be.
“I had an intensive interview process meeting many people over the period of a day. What struck me was my instant connection to the people. We had similar values and a common drive for excellence,” explains Lara.
Since arriving, Lara has methodically, systematically and practically gone about building multifaceted teams to marry design and manufacturing.
She continues, “I am motivated to create value through improvement. If we can standardise designs to reduce wastage and improve safety in our factories, then why shouldn’t we strive to do so.
“Fortunately, I have many likeminded people in Operations, Design & Engineering as well as my colleagues in our European parent company. Everyone’s very willing and wanting to be a part of something. It is an exciting time to be in the company.”
Yet Lara does not pursue change for changes sake. After a Bachelor in Mechatronic Engineering and a Masters in Maintenance and Reliability Engineering, Lara undertook an MBA to develop a more wholistic view of business.
“I love to get the why of the ways things are done. To understand the customer, what they value and how the whole process needs to work together to deliver that. If there is a strong reason not to change and disrupt the value chain, then we can work around it. Seek to understand then do,” says Lara.
Lara and her team have been integral in major projects at Ausco including the Centres of National Resilience. With such a time critical project, it was all hands-on deck and she didn’t hesitate to spend six weeks supporting to deliver the buildings.
Now, it is time to reset Ausco’s Operational Excellence and Lara is energised to apply her knowledge, experience and collaborative nature to see the company improve, become more competitive and add more value to the world.
At Ausco, Lara is a leader as the company strives to select and support talent.
“The feedback I always get when I go out somewhere is ‘oh you work for a construction company, what’s that like because you are a woman, or something to that regard? It must be tough’.
“It is not something which comes to mind when you come to work because everyone is accepting of who you are. They are accepting of your skill set. There is no differentiation,” offers Lara.
Thanks for all you do, Lara!
