A powerful rising star staff award

Housing Choices Australia’s Project Management Office Manager Aleisha Wills has taken out the national PowerHousing Rising Star Award 2021. She was named winner at the 2021 PowerHousing Academy Scholarship and National Awards in November.
According to PowerHousing, the award recognises an up-and-coming staff member who has demonstrated leadership potential in the organisation or community housing sector.

PowerHousing is a membership body for community housing providers and the Australian member of the International Housing Partnership, which brings together housing organisations across the UK, USA, Canada and Australia.
Aleisha said she was honoured to win the award and that she was keen to collaborate further with her social housing colleagues.

“I’m looking forward to working with my counterparts across the sector to share knowledge, identify opportunities and ultimately deliver better outcomes for our residents,” she said.

The Melbourne-based manager’s proactive and inclusive approach to work, as well as her ability to develop positive relations in the workplace, demonstrate leadership potential, enhance resident outcomes and make a positive contribution to the community housing sector meant she landed the top spot.

“I joined Housing Choices in January last 2021 after eight years in management consulting with multinational firms EY and Accenture,” Aleisha said.

“Even though I was grateful for the skills and experience I gained as a consultant, I always felt a little out of place in that world. I’m an introvert and not very comfortable with all that climbing the corporate ladder entails: sales targets, schmoozing with prospective clients and networking galore.

“I decided it was time for a change and, wanting to use my skills to make a positive difference in people’s lives, joined Housing Choices.”

Initially responsible for the community housing provider’s relationship with build-to-rent social and affordable developer Assemble, Aleisha quickly found herself pulled into a variety of projects and tender responses.

In November 2021, Aleisha was promoted to manager of the project management office, with a mandate to expand and embed the project management office across the business.