Project Feature DESIGN

Designing for Change – Vanessa Katsanevakis, Director of Sussex

Words by James Lyall Smith

When it comes to innovation, Sussex has always been ahead of the game. Whether undertaking sustainability initiatives from their Melbourne foundry in order to reduce their carbon footprint or shining a light on women working within the design industry to inspire social change, Sussex is committed to designing a better future. Now the woman at the head of this innovative company, Vanessa Katsanevakis, provides insight into what makes Sussex so unique and how the company plans to continue supporting women working in the Australian design industry.

As Director and owner of Sussex, Vanessa heads up the creative arm of the business, overseeing everything from range concepting to marketing and PR.

Design is in Vanessa’s blood. “Sussex was actually founded by my late father, Nicolaas Johannes van Putten,” explains Vanessa. “When he passed away in 2011, I was put in the position to take over the business. It took me some time to gain the confidence to run a team and make the kind of bold decisions necessary to keep the business thriving, but it’s been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life to keep Dad’s legacy alive.”

Since being put in a position of leadership within a traditionally male-dominated industry, Vanessa has made significant strides to ensure that Sussex is a shining example for female designers across the globe. “Sussex is a family,” Vanessa proclaims. “As a female leader in an industry dominated by men, I am always seeking out ways of promoting equality in the Sussex team. We currently have over 70 staff working across three factories in Melbourne. With each one of our staff we aim to create opportunities for career progression – from factory floor to management.”

Vanessa views Sussex as a family. She attributes that to having a very solid core group of staff, who have been with the company from the early days and have instilled strong values of support, of openness and of purpose in all that they do.

Supporting women in the design industry is something that Vanessa has always been passionate about. “Being a female leader creates a big difference in the way Sussex operates in the industry,” she says. . “Our primary customer base is female, so having women in leadership positions really makes a lot of sense to us. Even on our factory floor, our female staff are leading the way in terms of supervisor positions.”

In order to ensuregender equality within the workplace, Vanessa pays special attention to harnessing the potential and passion in her staff and she views this as the most effective way to break down traditional gender stereotypes. “Team members stay with us because they are given that opportunity to develop,” explains Vanessa. “, I’d like to see more cross-pollination between sectors so that we get a more varied mix between men and women in all disciplines.”

“As a female leader in an industry dominated by men, I am always seeking out ways of promoting equality in the Sussex team.”

Ultimately, Vanessa seeks to lead by example, andto send a message of change to all women currently undertaking, or thinking about pursuing, a career in design, particularly in areas such as industrial design. “Now is the time for women to make their mark on the world and be recognised for it,” she exclaims. “I’d like to see the industry provide more opportunities and platforms to encourage women to let the full breadth of their talent and imagination run wild.”