"Leaders must model integrity and create safety nets for experimentation"

As owner and operator of Tasmania’s electricity transmission and distribution network, TasNetworks delivers safe and reliable power to almost 300,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers. The organisation also facilitates electricity transfer between Victoria and Tasmania via the Basslink interconnector - making reliability, continuity and resilience non-negotiable.

Reliability rests on relationships

In an island environment, dependable energy delivery is underpinned by trusted relationships across the supply chain. Severe weather events, extended lead times and highly specialised assets mean disruption is never theoretical.

“Our team thrives in this environment,” says Laura Spikula, Head of Procurement and Supply Chain at TasNetworks. “They are highly capable, creative problem-solvers who invest heavily in deep supplier and community partnerships. We have a societal obligation to keep Tasmania running – from homes and farms to hospitals and stadiums.”

While materials availability is always a consideration, Laura identifies workforce capability as the most pressing supply chain risk.

“We can adapt assets or diversify suppliers, but access to skilled labour both in-field and across our contractor base is the critical constraint,” she explains. “Tasmania is entering a once-in-a-generation infrastructure phase, with renewable energy zones, new connections and electricity generation assets to be built, maintained and connected. The workforce challenge directly impacts the state’s long-term economic future.”

Specialist technical skills often require years of development. And competition for talent is intense – particularly against mainland Australia and global markets.

Laura sees this as a shared responsibility. “We can advocate at a policy level, but real impact comes from partnerships. We are actively engaging with government, our peers, and our registered training organisation to help shape a workforce capable of delivering Tasmania’s end-to-end energy transition. We also need to get creative with recruitment strategies and understand we have a role to play in mentoring and upskilling new team members.”

Leading through transformation

Capability uplift has been one element of a broader transformation Laura has led since commencing in the role in 2022. Following an independent enterprise-wide review that identified 17 transformation priorities, Laura was accountable for one of the most complex: optimising the supply chain and redesigning the end-to-end function’s operating model.

Three years on, supply chain optimisation has delivered the largest financial benefit of all transformation programmes undertaken.

“It reinforced the strategic value our team brings and helped drive efficiencies across the organisation,” Laura explains.

Operating within the governance requirements of a state-owned enterprise while meeting commercial objectives, the team improved accessibility for stakeholders and suppliers. Contract suites were simplified, approval thresholds increased, and greater accountability was placed with contract managers.

“It’s about testing what’s reasonable, being curious, and grounding decisions in transparency and communication,” she says.

These changes occurred alongside concurrent transformation initiatives across the business, adding complexity. “We were redesigning roles, future capability requirements and how functions interact – while still delivering day-to-day outcomes.”

The redesigned structure now includes category management within a commercial team; a business services function covering indirect procurement, purchasing, fleet, facilities and data centres; a materials management team responsible for warehousing and logistics; and a performance team overseeing analytics, reporting and commitments such as modern slavery and carbon reduction.

Creating a culture of curiosity and innovation

For Laura, the defining factor behind the transformation’s success was ownership.

“We designed and delivered the initiatives ourselves,” she says. “While we leveraged third-party expertise to support framework development, consultation and collaboration were non-negotiable. Our team and our partners across the business needed to know their voices mattered.”

She acknowledges that psychological safety does not emerge automatically. “Trust has to be intentionally built. We focused on creating an environment where curiosity and innovation were encouraged, and where people felt safe to challenge and contribute.”

The leadership team asked fundamental questions: Who do we want to be? Where are we going? And how does each role contribute to enterprise and community outcomes?

“Leaders must model integrity and create safety nets for experimentation,” Laura adds. “If collaboration matters, then we expect our people to deeply understand internal customers and suppliers – which often means we find great value in spending time in the field.”

Laura’s leadership approach centres on collaboration, accountability and empowerment. The results have been measurable: millions of dollars in financial benefits delivered through supply chain optimisation, improved process flows across teams, strong recognition of the value that procurement can bring, and significant improvements in team engagement during her tenure.

These qualities underpinned her team’s nomination for CIPS ANZ Leader of the Year 2025, an award Laura describes as “the most meaningful professional recognition of my career.”