Andraea Zambakides: Thriving in a career shaped by belonging and support

"I never thought I would have a corporate career, yet here I am,” says Andraea Zambakides, who joined Macquarie’s Technology team in the Sydney office in 2021. Surprised and excited about the opportunity, Andraea credits Macquarie’s inclusive culture and supportive people with helping them carve out a fulfilling career.

“I have multiple disabilities, so I’ve always had a bit of a tough time securing professional work,” Andraea explains, whose preferred pronouns are they/them.

“Entering the workforce was always going to be a challenge. I often felt very excluded.”

“I grew up with Semantic Pragmatic Disorder, which is a communication disorder. This means that I have challenges with both non-verbal and verbal communication skills used in social settings,” Andraea says. “I also have a form of dyslexia which means my brain skips words and sentences, making reading difficult. Additionally, I’m deaf, so I wear a hearing aid in each ear. It’s a lot.”

Andraea says their experience with Macquarie was very different from other organisations.

“It’s amazing to work for an organisation that not only supports people with disabilities, but also other forms of diversity, including neurodiversity and LGBTQ+ inclusion.”
 

Pivoting into a tech career

Andraea arrived in Australia in 2019, having worked in various roles across the globe. 

“I’m half Australian, half Greek-Cypriot, but I was born and raised in Britain and went to university there,” Andraea explains. “I never planned to live on this side of the world, but a friend from New Zealand encouraged me to go visit her.”

When the pandemic began in March 2020, Andraea decided to leave New Zealand and live with family in Queensland. Border closures meant they ended up staying longer than expected and it seemed like the perfect time to make a career pivot.

“I enrolled in a coding and design bootcamp, and a neighbour, who became a bit of a mentor, told me about a program that helps individuals from marginalised communities - including women, and other minorities - fast track into tech careers.” 

Andraea completed six months of training in Java, before being assigned to Macquarie on an internship as a Software Developer.

Andraea enjoyed working with three different technology teams aligned with Macquarie’s retail bank and was pleased to continue working with the organisation when the year-long internship ended.

“I never thought I would have a corporate career, yet here I am,” Andraea says. “I’m really happy here in Australia and at Macquarie.” 

A supportive environment

Andraea describes their career pivot into tech as a great decision.

“As a person with a disability, working in technology ticks so many boxes for me,” Andraea says.

In mid-2022, Andraea began working as a Site Reliability Engineer. Then in 2023, Andraea joined the Employee Experience Technology team, supporting Macquarie’s MacBook and Slack solutions, including onboarding new starters. Andraea continues to work on Macquarie’s Slack solution as part of the Digital HQ team within Control Tower supporting Banking and Financial Services (BFS).

Andraea credits Macquarie with offering a range of support.

“HR reached out to see if there was anything I needed to ensure I could do my job to the best of my abilities,” Andraea explains. “They continue to be a huge support.”

Andraea also appreciates the support they have received from managers.

“Having supportive managers makes all the difference,” Andraea says. “It really helps to have someone who stands by you and sets you up for success.” 

Living inclusion through Macquarie’s Employee Network Groups

Andraea is an active member of Macquarie’s Spark (neurodiversity) and Pride (LGBTQ+) Employee Network Groups (ENGs) and has also joined Unity (multicultural).

“Having these ENGs demonstrates Macquarie’s inclusive culture, where you can join a group you feel aligned to,” Andraea says.

Andraea’s passion for inclusion is driven by their personal experience.

“Throughout my life, I’ve often felt excluded. That’s why I’m passionate about including people and creating connections. It’s one of the reasons I’m involved in these ENGs.” 

Andraea was originally invited to join the Pride ENG by a colleague who noticed their enthusiasm for International Pronouns Day in 2021.

“I use they/them because it's neutral and reflects all aspects of who I am, not just one part,” Andraea explains.

“It is important to me. This is what I identify as, it is my full complete self, so if you use it, you are acknowledging that and creating a sense of belonging. It’s like using someone’s preferred name and pronouncing it correctly, which I always make an effort to do. It creates a sense of belonging”. 

Andraea's work with Pride ENG has seen them be a part of many LGBTQ+ opportunities, including attending the Pride in Practice conference and being involved in the working group for Wear it Purple Day. A highlight was being invited to be a speaker on an internal panel for International Non-Binary People’s Day.

Through Spark, Andraea has hosted events including afternoon teas which is aimed at encouraging Spark ENG members to connect with each other.

“I was very excited when I heard about Spark because I thought a neuro-inclusive ENG would be great, and I’m trying to make people feel more included,” they said.

Andraea has also earned a Macquarie Award for their contributions to inclusivity and involvement in ENGs.

Building networks across Macquarie

Andraea says Macquarie has a very welcoming culture and this, combined with networking through the ENGs, has provided valuable connections across the organisation.

Andraea’s advice to anyone seeking a career at Macquarie is simple.

“I give the same advice I was given myself: see and be seen,” Andraea explains.

“Get involved in everything and try different things, enjoy it all. Play netball, sing, go to Run Club, join the ENGs, and meet people”.

“Being part of the Macquarie team is really wonderful,” Andraea says. “I feel included”.