Career Growth at Koala
At Koala, we're not just interested in climbing the ladder of success; we're all about building an exciting jungle gym of possibilities!
We firmly believe in nurturing talent from within our ranks and equipping our team members with all the tools they need to swing freely through different areas of our organisation, fostering their skills along the way.
We're strong believers that the true path to triumph lies in empowering our team members to take control of their own growth and developmentâjust like a choose-your-own-adventure story!
Jessica Ernst - Senior Logistics Coordinator - Australia
While studying to become a teacher, part of me knew that I didnât really want to spend every day in the classroom. When I completed my degree, I had a lot of guilt about not putting it to use but decided that I wanted to see what else was out there. I always loved the Koala brand and applied for a job in customer service. It was the best decision I ever made.
The exposure at Koala to all things operational and business lit a fire in my belly. I never knew I had an interest in that before, and without Koala I donât think I ever would have. As a customer service agent, I loved handling complex delivery queries, I never stopped asking questions and wanted to know the âwhyâ behind everything.
When a Logistic Coordinator role was advertised internally, I threw my hat in the ring. The fulfilment team welcomed me with open arms in November 2021. The support I was given from the team and the way they invested in my growth and development was phenomenal.
Now a year and a half later, I am fortunate enough to take another step up within the team. I can still confidently say that my leaders are just as supportive and invested as they were on day one and I am so excited for what my future at Koala will bring.
There is never a day that I donât learn something new or end the day feeling fulfilled. I wake up every day excited to work with an amazing team for a bloody amazing company!
Kanchana Krishnan - Product Manager, Tech - Australia
I joined Koala in 2020 as a Senior Corporate Accountant in the Finance team. Koala, being a fast-growing company, offers numerous opportunities to contribute to exciting and career-defining projects.
Under Koala's Performance @ Koala framework, I received excellent mentoring from my manager, Belinda Judd (VP, Financial Control). With her guidance, I translated my development goals into actionable steps by working on new workstreams beyond my regular responsibilities. This enabled me to acquire new skills that bridged the gap between my current role and my desired position.
The continuous feedback loop and support from my manager facilitated my growth within the company. In 2021, I transitioned from a Senior Corporate Accountant role to a Finance Transformation Manager position.
Following a successful four-month secondment opportunity, I made a transition out of Finance and ventured into the exciting world of Technology as a Product Manager in 2023.
In my current role, I am responsible for working on Koala's e-commerce operational internal platforms, automation projects, and data platform.
Throughout my journey, I have been fortunate to have access to mentors within the company who have played a significant role in my growth. I would like to give a special shoutout to Azadeh Maghsoodi, Anna Hien, and Michelle Guan, who supported the transition to my current role as a Product Manager
The growth opportunities provided by Koala have allowed me to create a meaningful and impactful career path.
Naho Hanafusa - International Logistics Coordinator â Japan
My journey of growth at Koala began with my role as a Customer Service Agent. The customer feedback I received on a daily basis made me realise the importance of improving stock management and delivery services, and I wanted to learn more about logistics. After only 8 months with the company, I was given the opportunity to work as a logistics coordinator. I am very grateful that my supervisor believed in my potential.
About 2 years later, when the pandemic had settled down, I was transferred from Tokyo to the Sydney office. There was still no precedent for transfers from Japan at Koala, but both the Australian and Japanese teams were very supportive of my dream.
I am passionate about growing the business, working with other departments as well as team members.After meeting the talented team in Sydney, I wanted to collaborate more with other teams to delight more customers. 6 months after my move, I applied to join the International Supply Planning team and started my new career. I am very grateful to the team for welcoming me.
Koala is very supportive of my development if I want it. I am very happy to have found a team that understands and supports me.
Lachlan Preece, Business Ventures Specialist â Australia
Discovering Koala as my first company after university was a true blessing. From the moment I joined the customer service team almost two years ago, I knew I had struck gold. Koala stood out as a workplace unlike any other, with a team of genuinely helpful and supportive individuals.
During my time in customer service, I received invaluable mentorship both within and outside my immediate team. I was given the freedom to pursue projects that ignited my passion, and I even had the privilege of creating a resource to train new customer service team members.
The encouragement I received to explore various opportunities was remarkable, whether it was assisting Human Resources, shadowing product training sessions, or collaborating with executives on my career plan - I was always met with a helping hand.
Following discussions with the leadership team, an exciting opportunity arose for me to join the marketing team within Business Ventures. I was absolutely thrilled! I immediately messaged my parents to share the news and even recall a Woolies mudcake at home.
The support continued as the customer service leadership team publicly recognized and celebrated my growth, spreading the news throughout the company. The support I received from colleagues across different departments was overwhelming.
Throughout the transition to my new role, I have been met with immense patience and kindness. It has been nearly five months since I started in this position, and I embrace every opportunity to learn and grow. I am truly grateful for the position I find myself in so early in my career and proud to be part of a company like Koala.
"The exposure at Koala to all things operational and business lit a fire in my belly".
Jessica Ernst - Senior Logistics Coordinator - Australia
While studying to become a teacher, part of me knew that I didnât really want to spend every day in the classroom. When I completed my degree, I had a lot of guilt about not putting it to use but decided that I wanted to see what else was out there. I always loved the Koala brand and applied for a job in customer service. It was the best decision I ever made.
The exposure at Koala to all things operational and business lit a fire in my belly. I never knew I had an interest in that before, and without Koala I donât think I ever would have. As a customer service agent, I loved handling complex delivery queries, I never stopped asking questions and wanted to know the âwhyâ behind everything.
When a Logistic Coordinator role was advertised internally, I threw my hat in the ring. The fulfilment team welcomed me with open arms in November 2021. The support I was given from the team and the way they invested in my growth and development was phenomenal.
Now a year and a half later, I am fortunate enough to take another step up within the team. I can still confidently say that my leaders are just as supportive and invested as they were on day one and I am so excited for what my future at Koala will bring.
There is never a day that I donât learn something new or end the day feeling fulfilled. I wake up every day excited to work with an amazing team for a bloody amazing company!
"I have been fortunate to have access to mentors within the company who have played a significant role in my growth".
Kanchana Krishnan - Product Manager, Tech - Australia
I joined Koala in 2020 as a Senior Corporate Accountant in the Finance team. Koala, being a fast-growing company, offers numerous opportunities to contribute to exciting and career-defining projects.
Under Koala's Performance @ Koala framework, I received excellent mentoring from my manager, Belinda Judd (VP, Financial Control). With her guidance, I translated my development goals into actionable steps by working on new workstreams beyond my regular responsibilities. This enabled me to acquire new skills that bridged the gap between my current role and my desired position.
The continuous feedback loop and support from my manager facilitated my growth within the company. In 2021, I transitioned from a Senior Corporate Accountant role to a Finance Transformation Manager position.
Following a successful four-month secondment opportunity, I made a transition out of Finance and ventured into the exciting world of Technology as a Product Manager in 2023.
In my current role, I am responsible for working on Koala's e-commerce operational internal platforms, automation projects, and data platform.
Throughout my journey, I have been fortunate to have access to mentors within the company who have played a significant role in my growth. I would like to give a special shoutout to Azadeh Maghsoodi, Anna Hien, and Michelle Guan, who supported the transition to my current role as a Product Manager
The growth opportunities provided by Koala have allowed me to create a meaningful and impactful career path.
"I am very grateful that my supervisor believed in my potential".
Naho Hanafusa - International Logistics Coordinator â Japan
My journey of growth at Koala began with my role as a Customer Service Agent. The customer feedback I received on a daily basis made me realise the importance of improving stock management and delivery services, and I wanted to learn more about logistics. After only 8 months with the company, I was given the opportunity to work as a logistics coordinator. I am very grateful that my supervisor believed in my potential.
About 2 years later, when the pandemic had settled down, I was transferred from Tokyo to the Sydney office. There was still no precedent for transfers from Japan at Koala, but both the Australian and Japanese teams were very supportive of my dream.
I am passionate about growing the business, working with other departments as well as team members.After meeting the talented team in Sydney, I wanted to collaborate more with other teams to delight more customers. 6 months after my move, I applied to join the International Supply Planning team and started my new career. I am very grateful to the team for welcoming me.
Koala is very supportive of my development if I want it. I am very happy to have found a team that understands and supports me.
"I was given the freedom to pursue projects that ignited my passion".
Lachlan Preece, Business Ventures Specialist â Australia
Discovering Koala as my first company after university was a true blessing. From the moment I joined the customer service team almost two years ago, I knew I had struck gold. Koala stood out as a workplace unlike any other, with a team of genuinely helpful and supportive individuals.
During my time in customer service, I received invaluable mentorship both within and outside my immediate team. I was given the freedom to pursue projects that ignited my passion, and I even had the privilege of creating a resource to train new customer service team members.
The encouragement I received to explore various opportunities was remarkable, whether it was assisting Human Resources, shadowing product training sessions, or collaborating with executives on my career plan - I was always met with a helping hand.
Following discussions with the leadership team, an exciting opportunity arose for me to join the marketing team within Business Ventures. I was absolutely thrilled! I immediately messaged my parents to share the news and even recall a Woolies mudcake at home.
The support continued as the customer service leadership team publicly recognized and celebrated my growth, spreading the news throughout the company. The support I received from colleagues across different departments was overwhelming.
Throughout the transition to my new role, I have been met with immense patience and kindness. It has been nearly five months since I started in this position, and I embrace every opportunity to learn and grow. I am truly grateful for the position I find myself in so early in my career and proud to be part of a company like Koala.