Jillian Ferment’s journey to becoming the Australian Professional Engineer of the Year wasn’t just about mastering technical skills—it was about mastering her own narrative. Through intentional career decisions, embracing her strengths, and crafting a compelling story, Jillian has created a career that not only elevates her but inspires others.

Jillian’s journey to becoming an influential leader in the engineering community started long before she was awarded the prestigious title of Australian Professional Engineer of the Year. Growing up, Jillian was always seen as career-focused. However, it wasn’t until later in her career that she realized the importance of directing her trajectory in a purposeful way. She recalls the difficulty in answering the classic career question: "Where do you see yourself in 10 years?" For years, she couldn’t pinpoint a clear direction.

However, things began to change about 10 years ago when Jillian was consulting in the fields of safety, leadership, and team development. Though her consulting career was both fulfilling and lucrative, she yearned for more autonomy in her career decisions. It was then that she decided to take control of her professional narrative, diving into FOT (Fundamentals of Transaction) training in 2016.