Lyn Lewis-Smith

I would like to begin by acknowledging the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, the traditional custodians of this land, and pay my respects to the Elders past, present and emerging.

My thanks to the Deputy Chancellor, Provost, Dean of the Faculty, University Secretary, Chair of Academic Board, members of the university executive and Council, staff, family, friends and of course, graduates.  

I’m incredibly honoured to be standing up here in front of you all today, to congratulate all students on your achievements. You have put in the hard work and I know you will be rewarded for that. I also want to recognise your families and friends here today, I couldn’t have achieved my post graduate studies with a young child at hand without the help and guidance of those close to me. So be very proud and enjoy celebrating today together.

I’ve had a close association with the UTS for 15 years now and so I know you have learnt from the best and have great foundation for the many opportunities that will come your way.

My career started working part-time while finishing school, so I could immediately travel the world (irony is I’m still traveling the world but for work). I moved to Sydney from Adelaide in the late 80’s (yes the 80’s). I’ve since worked for publicly listed companies, public private partnerships and for the most part of the past 20 years, in tourism and the business events industry – a career that I highly recommend!

I’ve had many functional roles – from customer service, working in finance doing manual accruals (way before computers were invented), moving to sales and marketing, operations, CEO, Chair boards and non-executive director roles. 

There are many things that have driven me throughout my career, but three things stand out more than the others:

1. the need for a sense of purpose,
2. a love of innovation and
3. a thirst for lifelong learning.

I’ve had a great career with some wonderful opportunities come my way. In my current role as CEO of a not-for-profit organisation called BESydney, what gets me out of bed every morning is purpose: it’s working in an industry that has such a huge impact in so many areas. Not only do international business events drive economic value, in the longer term, they often lead to breakthroughs that save lives, change society, or redefine policy and best practice. And I know I’m contributing to this impact.

I work with a talented team who identify, pursue and secure global business and professional conferences for Sydney and Australia. We compete against cities all around the world to win the hosting rights, and just like bidding for the Olympics, it’s a long, intensive and complex process.

Traditionally, the global business events industry was measured in terms of “tourism dollars” – the expenditure of a business tourist staying in a hotel, eating at restaurants etc. And while the economic contribution of tourism to a host destination is certainly significant, it presents an extremely narrow view of the broader legacy impacts on a whole field of study or industry sector, including global innovation, education, trade, research and academic practice. 

This misunderstanding - the way our business and industry was perceived – was a problem for my business. I didn’t set out to change the industry, I just saw the problem and set about fixing it.

I needed research to prove what I knew anecdotally to be true, and when I looked around the world for evidence, there was very little data available. So I tapped into my UTS connections, and this led to a decade of collaborative research with the UTS business school and professors across many faculties. Our findings were ground-breaking and have changed the way cities and governments all around the world now view and value the global meetings industry.

Not bad for a girl from Adelaide who was driven by purpose and passion to deliver a global impact.

The key message here for all of you, is to find purpose in what you do. Keep the intellectual curiosity you’ve had as a student and never let that go.

Never stop seeking new answers, and when you can’t find them elsewhere – create them yourself.

Just because you can’t find a current solution, it doesn’t mean one can’t be found. It just means no one else has had your unique perspective and applied themselves with a passion to finding the solution.

What has also become very clear to me over the years, is that the connection between commerce and academia, where people and organisations come together in a place to share, curate and commercialise ideas, is when innovation happens, and the future is made.

Make your connection with this university and Sydney a lifelong one – no matter where your career takes you.

Today more than ever in history, maintaining an intellectual curiosity and desire for learning, is becoming a trademark of true leaders.  

Learning to work in professional environments, learning to work with teams, use our skills and developing new ones. Expanding your knowledge by building a diverse range of local and global relationships is key. Meeting and talking face-to-face as often as you can increases your knowledge and creativity, this ultimately leads to influencing the behaviour and thinking of others towards great outcomes that leave a legacy for future generations.

My final plea to each one of you. No matter what you do next, I want you to lean in. To maintain your curiosity and be bold in seeking answers. Importantly, be future focused and think global – never confine yourself to the geographic or subject bubble in your immediate vicinity – find a bigger bubble no matter what career path you choose! 

And most of all become an ambassador for Sydney and Australia and the UTS – you’re now alumni!

I’ve spent many years building my global network, mentoring emerging leaders and giving back to community – I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve achieved.

This is a great country with so much to share with the world. Be positive and talk up your experiences wherever you go. Get involved in the future of your profession and find ways to make your own mark. Most of all have fun and enjoy the journey! I’m excited for what lies ahead for all of you here today.

Again, my congratulations and best wishes to all graduates, families and friends.

Thank you once again.