Saule joined the Sustineo team a little over a month ago, so now that she has settled in, it’s time to get to know her a bit better! With her impressive agricultural economics qualifications and experience, she’s a hugely valuable addition to the team. We asked her a few questions about how she ended up here and her passions outside of work.
What drew you to Sustineo?
I am new to Canberra and have only recently begun to call Australia my home. I would occasionally browse through job ads on LinkedIn, but nothing really spoke to me until I saw Sustineo. It felt right. After thoroughly researching Sustineo’s projects, people and values, my initial reaction solidified into a firm decision—this is it. The rest is history.
What do you hope to achieve during your time at Sustineo?
Working in Sustineo is a unique opportunity to be at the crossroads of research, industry, and policy advice. Sustineo’s team is made up of experts from a wide range of fields. It is an amazing opportunity to come out of my usual ‘economist bubble’ and be part of such a multifaceted and multidisciplinary team that works together to achieve meaningful outcomes. I am also looking forward to learning more about development in the Asia Pacific and Australia.
What has been your biggest learning experience from your career so far?
Sticking to your values, especially when it comes to research ethics and integrity. This is something that is held to a very high standard in Sustineo, and I am happy to be surrounded by likeminded people in that regard.
Tell us something we don’t know about you.
At uni, when I wasn’t studying in the library, I was at the computer club playing Left 4 Dead. The graphics were impressive at the time. Recently I made my childhood dream come true—I bought myself a Nintendo Switch. Now I play a different zombie survival game that actually has impressive graphics.
Outside of work, what are you passionate about?
I am passionate about many things. My most recent passion is pickleball, one of the fastest growing sports in the world. It is not well known in Canberra yet, but I think this will change.
What was the last book you read?
‘The Culture Code’ by Clotaire Rapaille. It was a gift from my partner who always seems to know what books I would be keen to read.