Update 27/5: unfortunately this session will need to be postponed due to illness. We are working on rescheduling what we’re sure will be a wonderful conversation to later in the year, keep an eye on our website for updates. 

In this instalment of the What a Career series, we sit down with Julie Warke, Head of Distribution Control and Operations at AusNet, one of Australia’s largest energy infrastructure businesses.

Julie’s career spans network reliability and performance, customer service, operational technology, data governance, regulatory environments, and strategy, giving her a broad view of how the energy system fits together end-to-end. What’s consistent throughout is being drawn back to the operational heart of the business, where decisions are real-time, consequences matter, and teams rely on trust, capability, and calm leadership.

Her career hasn’t followed a neat or linear path. It’s been shaped by curiosity, learning on the job, and saying yes to opportunities that stretched her — and she brings that same openness to conversations about career pivots, building confidence, and finding fulfilling careers in places you might not initially expect.

In conversation with NAWO Member Relations Director Fiona Evans, Julie will share candid reflections on her journey, the moments that shaped her, and what she’s learned about leadership in a male-oriented industry.

What to expect:

• Insights from Julie’s wide-ranging career in energy and operations
• Reflections on career pivots, stretching opportunities, and non-linear paths
• An open conversation about building confidence and finding your place in operations