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Nikki Rankine

from Army Officer to Digitalisation Manager
Using ‘smart’ technology to change the way we operate the business
Industry
Energy, gas and oil, Technology and Digital
Company
Shell's QGC Business
Job Level
Senior
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Ask me about

  • How technology can help businesses perfom better
  • Training to be an army officer and leaving to go back to uni
  • Gaining transferrable skills in a variety of industries

About me

  • International Experience

I grew up mostly in Canberra with my parents and 2 younger brothers also spending time on my grandparent’s farm in NSW. I completed high school in Brisbane.

I was pretty confused about what to do after leaving school and my university application forms in 1995 were for Engineering, Architecture, Law, Commerce and Arts! I instead joined the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) in Canberra to train to be an army officer. I stayed 2 years before deciding it wasn’t for me and returned to Brisbane to complete university. I joined the accounting firm PriceWaterhouse Coopers in Brisbane as a graduate. After 1 year I moved to a new job as an internal auditor with a big company. This was great fun as I travelled around Australia with work. I became a qualified accountant and auditor and then left Australia in 2005 to move to London, UK. 

I stayed in the UK for almost 6 years and then returned home to Brisbane where I joined QGC. I came home to Australia with my Scottish boyfriend and we are now married with two children! I love being able to use my brain at work but still be a devoted Mum.

About my role

  • Curious
  • Decisive
  • Humorous
  • Personable

This role makes decisions about which digital products or solutions to deliver to help improve the way our business performs. We can’t do everything, so we need to look at demands from lots of different areas of the business about digital solutions and then make choices. We look at how the process works, not just the technology itself but how it would be used to change what we do (for example, how would a virtual reality headset be used in our business – would it be good to inspect a well in our gas field or good to run a training course).

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Education

  • Bachelor of Commence
  • Bachelor of Arts
  • Certified Practicing Accountant
  • Certified Internal Auditor

Subjects

  • Accounting
  • Business Studies
  • Chemistry
  • Digital Design/Information Technology
  • Economics
  • Geography
  • Mathematical Methods (Maths B)
  • Physics
  • Specialist Mathematics (Maths C)

Awards

  • Winner of the Royal Dutch Shell Chief Information Officer award for Efficiency gains in Queensland Gas Company production operations via digital solutions (team award)

Hobbies

  • Camping
  • Hiking
  • Pilates
  • Travel

15 year old me!!

“Sometimes in high school your grades and final high school score can seem so incredibly important but know that there are different paths to success and lots of different opportunities in life, they don’t all hinge on high school or even university. If you really want something and work hard, doors can open in unexpected ways. ”

My career journey

Curious to know how I got here? Here’s a snapshot of my career pathway.
  1. Joined army which was great leadership training and I learned a lot about myself
  2. Started business career leading audits and travelling around Australia
  3. Moved overseas and really cut my teeth doing exciting work for a bank during the GFC
  4. Returned home to Oz and joined oil & gas industry, took maternity leave.
  5. Returned to workforce part time

My typical day

My employer

Shell has operated in Australia since 1901. From operating Australia’s first oil refinery, which was central to meeting Australia’s fuel needs, to fuelling the first Qantas commercial flight in the 1920s, to playing a foundation role in building some of Australia’s largest and most innovative natural resource developments. Throughout this 122-year relationship the needs of their customers and the nation have changed and they have continued transforming their portfolio to meet these needs. Today, they are a leading natural gas producer and are playing their part in the transition to a low-carbon future by investing in the power sector, renewable energy sources and carbon abatement activities.