In her 23+ years with Ulton, Donna Doss has never had the same day twice. And that’s the way she likes it.
Looking back, her unquenchable curiosity has always been a powerful shaping force of her career.
With a double degree in Accounting and Information Systems, Donna began her journey working 50% in the accounting team and 50% in the IT department. With a foot in both camps, Donna was uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between technical knowledge and user experience.
Today, Donna takes on the position of Quality Assurance Officer.
While her role may have changed from when she first began with Ulton, her appetite for variety was here to stay.
On top of ensuring all regulatory requirements, policies, and practices are being complied with, Donna is also a system administrator for a number of practice systems. She takes care of the rollout for new company software modules, has a hand in developing training programs, and supports new team members with onboarding.
“I guess I have a bit of a need to know how everything works. And that means that if there’s a problem, I can usually find a way to figure it out,” said Donna.
Her hunger to learn and embrace new things isn’t just something that shows up at work – it’s a part of who she is.
“I have pretty eclectic taste across the board. There’s just so much out there in the world – why pigeonhole yourself?”
To understand the extent of Donna’s eclectic interests, you need only catch a glimpse of her bookshelf.
“I’ll read everything from Twilight, to a Prime Minister’s biography, to a book about fungus. I usually have about four books on the go at one time because it just depends on what I feel like reading”
From cheesemaking, to lego-building, to gardening, to learning all there is to know about wine – when it comes to trying new things, Donna doesn’t just dip a toe in – she deep dives.
Image: Brett and Donna Doss chatting about all things wine.
“I tend to pick up things, work to become proficient at them, and move on to something new. I suppose I’m just a curious person,” she said, smiling.
This curiosity has proven fruitful for Donna, figuratively and literally.
Not only has her drive to embrace new challenges helped her shape a long, satisfying career, but recently, her determination in every arena has led to her first ever dragon fruit plant bearing its first ever fruit.
“It’s pretty exciting – the feeling of growing something from scratch”
Image: Donna tending to her desert roses
If you see Donna around, online or in the Bundaberg office, don’t hesitate to say hi or ask her for a book recommendation. Just don’t ask her to pick a favourite title – she’s read far too many to ever choose just one.