An unforgettable first time seeing the world thanks to ANZ
by Kiranmayi Rudraraju
When was the last time you did something for the first time? I faced this question in a truth or dare game only a few weeks before I set off on the adventure of a lifetime. While I struggled to answer the question then, if you asked me now, you’d better have a lot of spare time on your hands.
It all started when Rakesh told me I had been selected for ANZ’s pilot Culture Swap program, an initiative led by Talent and Culture’s Enablement and Group Capability Centre Tribe and funded by the Group Executive, T&C. This would involve giving 14 people across the enterprise from Melbourne, Bengaluru and Manila the chance to live and work in Melbourne or Bengaluru for eight weeks to connect with their colleagues. I felt incredibly happy and excited because this would be my first international trip. To top it off, ANZ whole-heartedly supported my request to bring my young family along!
Right from organising the visa, to attending cultural training, travelling on a plane for 15 hours, and landing in a different country - I carried so many mixed emotions inside me. There were so many questions running through my mind. How would we cope with such cold weather? What if this doesn’t suit us? How will I manage things? Would the people welcome me?
I’m from Nellore, Andhra Pradesh in India where the temperature is 40-45 degrees Celsius all year round; so moving to a place where it can be as low as one degree is not an easy thing to do. I never thought that I would survive in such cold weather, but it only took a week to acclimatise. This was probably because the people around me were so warm and welcoming. The support and guidance I received from ANZ and my engineering colleagues was incredible and beyond belief.
They checked on my needs, gave me great suggestions on how to use my time here, and helped me with just about everything I needed. It made my stay very comfortable and easy. I never ever felt like I was a stranger from another part of the world. The people whom I met outside of work were very friendly and welcoming, too. The huge cultural diversity in Melbourne made me feel like I was in a safe place.
My first day arriving at ANZ’s head office at 833 Collins Street is a remarkable memory for me. I can still picture it in front of my eyes - I was awestruck and astonished when I looked around the magnificent building. I couldn’t believe that this is where I was going to work for the next eight weeks, and this excited me immensely. For the first week I made time each day to go to every corner of the building and look at the architecture, interiors, design, and artwork.
As an Engineering Chapter Lead in the Australia Retail and Commercial division, I look after a team of 15 software engineers spread across Bengaluru, Manila, and Melbourne. While in Melbourne I got to meet the local team. After having in person conversations with everyone, I now understand their intentions and what they really mean. My perspective has changed completely, and both sides are now better able to manage the work.
I made sure to organise a few team activities and this made our connection so much stronger. We’ve had lots of long and interesting conversations not related to work and they’ve become my friends - we have even gone on family gatherings together.
I’ve had the chance to meet senior leaders, business teams and business stakeholders, the different technology teams, (such as payments, home lending, data, marketing, and service delivery), and ANZ’s technology command centre. My domain knowledge and understanding of how things work has increased a lot by seeing things up close.
I’ve also been able to experience the bank outside of the technology and engineering domains, including sharing my knowledge with people from different teams. I had the privilege of visiting one of the original ANZ branches in Bourke Street in the CBD where I interacted with the staff and the district manager. This helped me connect the dots and understand the purpose of the work we do for the bank, and just how critical it is.
I also had a chance meeting near the foyer of 833 Collins Street with Shayne Elliott, the Chief Executive Officer, who checked in on my wellbeing when he was on his way out. I am amazed at how grounded the senior leaders here are! This is the beauty of ANZ’s unique culture, we have the best people here who are very inspiring and humble individuals.
While my weekdays are packed, the weekend is what I look forward to. I have now been to most of the major tourist attractions in Victoria and there have been many memorable moments. The one that stands out though is the helicopter ride we took over the Twelve Apostles.
Being acrophobic I was hesitant to go on the helicopter, but at the very last minute I changed my mind. It was an awesome experience that allowed me to see the real beauty of the natural coastal environment. I’d never seen anything like it before in my life!
My experience within Melbourne City has been remarkable too. A few things that I have loved here is the laneway culture, the huge amount of diversity, the coffee culture (I am not a coffee person but have become a hot chocolate person), the trams are great fun, there is breathtaking natural beauty everywhere, the climate is unpredictable and funny, and there are so many exciting things happening all the time.
While in Australia I also visited Sydney and its major attractions. To make it more exciting for our 4-year-old son, on the first day of our trip we did ‘a day on all means of transport’. We arrived in Sydney by plane and then took a train to reach the city. From there we got a bus to the ferry wharf where we hopped on a few ferries to visit the beaches. It was an exciting day for all of us!
This journey to Melbourne has given me so many amazing, joyful, and wonderful moments and experiences that I will cherish for my whole life. First things are always the best things - because the first time you do something is always the most exciting. I never had to worry or think about anything while here except enjoying my time and living in the moment with my family.
My heartfelt gratitude to the T&C Enablement and Group Capability Centre Tribe, and the Changing Locations team for making this trip so seamless and giving us the best experience and exposure possible. My heartfelt thanks also go out to the senior technology leaders within the domain who nominated me for the program. You are the sole reason for me being a part of this program and having so many life-changing experiences.
Kiranmayi is an Engineer Chapter Lead at ANZ and participated in ANZ’s 2023 Culture Swap Program. She has expertise in ITIL process management, service management, Pega technology, Infra/Platform knowledge and end-to-end application life cycle development knowledge (including integrations with banking and insurance domains). For the past 5+ years she has been helping people at ANZ achieve their career aspirations and mentoring her peers to improve their technical skills. She enjoys working in a production environment as this allows her to enhance her critical thinking and decision making skills. She considers failure as an opportunity to learn and grow and will always be a curious learner.
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