Vicky Vene’s story portrays the power of determination. After attaining a Bachelor of Business, Vicky knew she had to pursue a master’s degree. Fueled by a strong work ethic, Vicky graduated with a Master of Professional Accounting from the Central Queensland University in 2015, through an Australia Awards Scholarship. Vicky has since soared to greater heights in her appointment as the acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the National Development Bank – a historical milestone as the first Papua New Guinean female to hold this position.
“I started working from the lowest level and moved up the ladder to where I am. It was all about being loyal and committed to my job with the willingness to learn.”
Vicky’s career at NDB spans over 15 years. She began as an accounts officer in 2006 and quickly made her mark. With a Diploma in Accounting from the Institute of Business Studies in hand, Vicky worked hard, earning a sponsorship from NDB to attain her bachelor’s degree. Once she achieved this milestone, Vicky was determined to get a master’s degree. She described it as a piece of paper that would bring everything into play for her career growth.
Vicky went on to complete her Master of Professional Accounting through an Australia Awards Scholarship. Upon returning to Papua New Guinea, Vicky resumed work at NDB as a group accountant for two years. She was then promoted to financial controller and later as chief financial officer in 2021.
“The qualification from an Australian institution is highly regarded and has had a lot of impact on my life in terms of my career. I learned a lot during my studies, and to come back and apply this knowledge to my work has quickly moved me up the ladder to now being an acting CEO. The Australia Awards scholarship has helped me reach this milestone.”
Vicky continues to make a difference in her workplace. One of her achievements was changing a two-day manual transaction to a five-minute digital system at NDB.
“Staff usually prepare manual journals of transactions and have them posted onto the accounting system. It would take approximately two days for this exercise. Sometimes staff had to work after hours or over the weekend to get this key information into the system. Now, with the digital system, it takes less than five minutes,” she explained. As Vicky reflects on her Scholarship, she describes it as an impactful journey.
“It was the best experience studying in Australia on a campus full of international students and learning from them. We were treated very special at the university and the Australia Awards case managers would visit us and provide the support we needed.”