Donna Fiegert

My about people led me to pursue a career in marketing but also spilled over into the rest of my life. I have lived in Japan, the UK and New Zealand, gathering an eclectic mix of experiences that have created a rich and layered appreciation for those around me.

In China and India I have managed market research projects for multinational medical device manufacturers. I have also taken Australian wool-growers to China to help them understand what happens to their wool after it leaves their farms.

In Melbourne, I worked with the team behind What Men Really Think About. I analyzed audience responses to issues Australian men traditionally avoid discussing, and translated those into recommendations for local councils and community groups.

And because I needed a new one, I consulted with Crumpler to design a backpack specifically for women – which they did, exceedingly well!

Driven by my experiences with friends and family whose lives have recently changed with the advent of illness, injury or children, my next venture is to find a way to enable public spaces and buildings to be designed from a perspective of empathy and inclusion.

I want people who have different mobility requirements to be able to move through their towns and cities with equal ease and dignity. Through the THNK program, my hope is to develop the skills and networks needed to embark on this mission.

In breaks between this new project, I can be found in my day job as National Marketing Manager for a company helping Australian schools transition from textbooks to digital learning resources. Or I'll be cooking for friends, arranging flowers, busting moves in hip-hop dance classes and enjoying live music in the wonderful hotbed of creativity that is Melbourne.