Lucy McLaughlin: from Christmas casual to leasing

Lucy McLaughlin is approaching her five-year milestone having built a career with us after initially joining us as a Christmas casual team member.

I joined Scentre Group in 2021 as part of the Concierge team at Westfield Warringah Mall during the busy Christmas period.

As our local, Westfield Warringah Mall was always more than just a place I shopped with my family. It is where we went to spend time together, eat, browse and enjoy. The Concierge role gave me a chance to be part of that experience for other families and customers.

The team supported me to explore my interests beyond my role in marketing and administration. This opportunity allowed me to gain valuable experience, deepen my understanding of the business and shaped the next steps in my career.

In 2024, I joined the Centre Experience Executive Program. The program focuses on leadership and development by completing centre-based rotations, shadowing leaders and experiencing various roles while supporting the broader Centre Experience team. As part of the program, I worked alongside the Westfield Bondi Services team, gaining valuable insights and practical experience in delivering premium customer service.

After the program I had the opportunity to return to Westfield Warringah Mall as the Services Supervisor supporting the Carpark, Valet and Concierge teams.

As I neared the end of my university degree I wanted to explore pathways that would build on my skills and experiences within Scentre Group. I spoke to my manager about my career goals and he encouraged me to seek out opportunities aligned with my interests. My Centre Experience Program mentor supported me do this by connecting me with the Retail Administration team.

I was offered a Leasing Assistant role supporting both the Retail Administration and New Zealand Leasing teams. In this role I continued to build my knowledge and learn how to adjust my approach and keep things moving when challenges arise.

This allowed me more recently to move into a Retail Administrator role supporting the Westfield Parramatta and Westfield Hornsby in teams, which is another great learning experience to continue my career journey.

The Scentre Group team encourage growth through mentorship and providing opportunities for learning. My advice to anyone thinking about starting a career with us is to be open to opportunities – some of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned have come from observing great leaders, asking questions and stepping outside of my comfort zone