Career Stories: ChristieLee Tsacos

Being able to make quick decisions, problem solve and maintain strong relationships are just some of the essential skills needed to thrive in Operations.

We sat down with Altona Gate and Sunshine Marketplace Operations Manager, ChristieLee Tsacos, to hear how she built these skills through various roles in Sales and Risk and Compliance and how partnering with our asset teams in her corporate role, led her on a new career path in Property Management.

How long have you been at Vicinity?

I've been with Vicinity for 2.5 years now. I joined as a Risk and Compliance Analyst and took the opportunity a couple of years ago to move into Operations.

Tell us how your career started?

My career started in sales at NAB, working across various departments from home loan retention to sales coaching, and after a few years I moved into similar roles within the health insurance industry with Iselect. I eventually moved into a compliance role, then during the COVID pandemic, pursued a Diploma in Building and Construction. I was contacted about an opportunity at Vicinity in the Risk and Compliance team, which sent my career on a new and unexpected trajectory!

What does a typical day look like for you?

Oh it could be anything from dealing with a blocked pipe, following up trades, forecasting and budgeting, planning and designing CAPEX projects... it’s all about challenges and problem solving.

What has your career progression looked like?

My career progression at Vicinity has been quite dynamic. In my role as Risk and Compliance Analyst, I was lucky enough to travel to a lot of our centres and spend time with our asset teams. It blew my mind – there were a lot of commonalities but really each centre is so different. I loved the fast pace and all the moving parts so knew I wanted to work at a centre, so after a conversation with my manager, I shadowed the Altona Gate team to get an idea of what was involved in a day in operations.

When an Assistant Operations Manager role came up there soon after I jumped at it, and thanks to skills built in my previous roles, I’m able to quickly assess risk, make fast decisions and communicate clearly, but the “ops” part was my stretch. My manager has been an amazing help and building strong relationships has also been key. I’ve also found many good mentors, and these catch ups have made all the difference.

Is there a memorable project you've worked on or something you're particularly proud of?

I’m particularly proud of my first few months as Operations Manager at Sunshine Marketplace. It’s a small, sub-regional asset and there was a lot of low hanging fruit and opportunities to improve processes. One example that comes to mind is transforming our emergency control room, following visits to a few other centres, including Chadstone. It shows how important it is to connect with people at other centres, particular in similar roles to see how they do things and get ideas to bring back to your centre.

What's the best thing about working at Vicinity?

The best thing about working at Vicinity is the people, specifically the supportive and open culture. The flexibility to work at different centres and the encouragement to learn from various environments is fantastic.

How do you achieve work/life balance?

Achieving work/life balance is always a challenge, especially with young kids. I focus on being efficient and maximising my work hours and set clear boundaries between work and family time. While my role requires me to be available 24/7, thanks to the support from my manager and team, I’m able to prioritise things like being there for my daughter’s first day of school.

What's your advice to team members wanting to develop their career at VCX?

My advice is to take the leap of faith and pursue opportunities that interest you, build strong relationships and seek out mentors who can guide you. Don't overthink things—back yourself and make decisions confidently. Continuous learning and being open to new experiences are definitely key to career development.

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Inspired by ChristieLee's career change? See which roles match your skills on our Careers page.