Our Head of Services, Rod Nadwie-Smith, recently celebrated his one year anniversary at SDN. When asked how he describes his experience at SDN so far, Rod shared three words – inspiring, motivating and authentic.
“The rich history of SDN was one of the factors in my decision to work here. Our history is attached to the values of the organisation, which are embedded in our culture. It is organisations such as SDN that can stand the test of time, that survive.”
When looking back over the last year, Rod shares that what he has most enjoyed about working at SDN is our ability to be large enough to have scale, advocacy and reach but still be small enough to feel authentically connected. “SDN is at the sweet spot of size and impact. We can still intimately understand our customers and teams, and yet make a positive difference to the lives of children and families every day.” While Rod continuously balances a demanding schedule, he enjoys the various opportunities he has to physically spend time at our services and see the lived experiences with children every day.
At SDN, we have children at the centre of all decision making. This influences the decisions we make in our processes, for our workforce and also in the partnerships we form with external organisations. One of the key initiatives that Rod has implemented at SDN has been our new association with Woolworths at Work. “Partnering with such organisations that are aligned to the work we’re doing, who support our commitment to children’s wellbeing, learning and development and who share the same core values is really important.”
Looking ahead, Rod is excited about the opportunities that SDN has to influence the sector and Government reforms. “We at SDN are privileged to have a voice in areas not only limited to Early Learning, but also on inclusion and how we support children at risk.” With the introduction of our new 5 year strategic plan, Rod shares that “it is a great time to be a part of SDN. I’m looking forward to building our contribution both in the sector and for us as an organisation, in creating an equitable world where all children thrive.”
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7moCelebrating dKomplex IT and Justin Loza, MPA today!! I remember the #ideation phase & our chats at Paris Bakery. #youvecomealongwaybaby #hardwork #celebrate #professionaldevelopment #innovation