Alexia started working with Belgravia Leisure in October of 2015 after meeting Alex Lord (General Manager of Corporate Services) whilst working as a consultant for the City of Greater Dandenong. Alexia started work at Belgravia Leisure to manage the project of rolling out Links POS software to all leisure venues and has managed many projects and initiatives since then.
Alexia is now Belgravia’s Group Manager, Business Improvement based at Bayswater in Victoria. Alexia has a passion for sustainability and says, “I’d love to leave the planet in better condition for our future generations. Being a scientist and understanding the careful balance of the world, I understand we need to really change the way we do things. We need to move to renewable resources, reduce plastics and waste, and look at the end of life for the products we use.
“Sustainability can be financially beneficial – it doesn’t have to be expensive to be green! It actually saves money as you reduce your consumption. I’m really passionate about all types of recycling, from clothes, furniture, household items etc. I recommend you check out Upcycleit which is a great Facebook group to follow and see how others repurpose items.”
Alexia told us about some of her highlights working with Belgravia, “I’m really proud of some of the initiatives that have been undertaken at Belgravia. Getting rid of plastic straws and plastic cutlery is a big one for me.
“We made these positive changes for the environment way before it was commonplace. These changes did not negatively impact our business or our members and guests and we have saved a lot of plastic straws from entering landfills or being disposed of incorrectly.
“I also really enjoy working with money. The Money Matters slogan of “Charge, collect and bank all the money we are entitled to” is business 101. However, we often don’t get this right due to complex systems, the speed at which we do things, or just making simple mistakes. I’d love to see this become a priority project across all Belgravia Leisure venues.
“Another highlight was working with BelgraviaPRO when we first transitioned to holiday parks. I really enjoyed working with the team to learn more about this business and understand the industry.”
How have you and your team been impacted by COVID-19 and what have you learnt?
“I don’t think there was anyone, anywhere who was not impacted by COVID. It was a very tough time for all however, a lot of good things did come out of COVID. I think business communication improved through the use of Microsoft Teams. We’ve seen increased engagement within our teams through our CEO Live and Q&A sessions with our CEO Nick Cox. Our Venue Management Teams sessions have also helped our business progress. We also managed to gain some new businesses and sites during this time.”
What is your favourite thing about your career?
“I like the pace of change. I really enjoy improving processes, solving problems and investigating issues. I want to make things easy, streamlined and sensible. No double handling of items, no repeated requests. The business will prosper when people love their jobs and it’s easy for them to complete all required tasks. That’s my aim.
“I remember when I ran venues and sometimes it was hard to just keep the doors open. It’s a challenge being in a venue and delivering services to our customers often with competing demands.”
Where do you see yourself in the next 3-5 years?
“I am thinking about going back to University to complete a Master’s in Environmental Management and Sustainability. I believe sustainability will only get more important in business operations and especially in tenders. Belgravia needs to work on this area and sustainability needs to become embedded in our culture, from upper management to our teams in our venues – similar to Workplace Health and Safety.”
What are 3 things you’re most passionate about in life and why?
“I love a good bushwalk, especially in Victoria’s high country, I snowboard too which I enjoy on fresh snow days. I enjoy getting outdoors in nature and enjoy this the most when I can convince my family to come with me. Family is very important to me and being helpful and supportive to others makes my day. Life is not complete without a dog and I’m also a passionate Tigers (AFL) supporter who is still on a high from the 2017 grand final,” Alexia concluded.
