From army to civilian life and a leadership role
Transitioning from the army to civilian life can be a challenging time. Fortunately, the shift was made easier for Shane Miles when he joined Esri Australia. As an experienced geospatial technician, Shane harboured a deep knowledge of Geographic Information System (GIS) technology. Yet, recent roles with our team enabled him to delve into a greater area of interest: leadership. Find out how Shane’s core value of serving others has helped shape his career growth at Esri Australia.
‘Leadership was what I was always interested in, and Esri Australia has enabled me to explore that’
A new door opens
Serving others before self is a value Shane Miles has lived and breathed since childhood. It was instilled in him by a long line of family members who served with the defence force, motivating him to embark on his own army career.
With an aptitude for geography and spatial sciences, Shane worked as a geospatial technician with the Australian Defence Force. In this challenging and hands-on role, he acquired extensive knowledge of geospatial intelligence and became highly skilled in GIS technology. He also gained incredible life experiences - including two deployments to Iraq with the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR).
After eight years, Shane was ready for a different direction. Although he was eager to transition to civilian life, he didn’t want to enter an entirely new profession. A role at Esri Australia proved a perfect fit for his background in national security, defence mapping and GIS.
“Leaving the military is a big jump. It’s a mental hurdle you have to get across, but Esri Australia made the process easy. I knew the technology, I knew the application of it because I was using it in the army, so it was a smoother migration for me.”
Joining our team in 2019 as a Senior Technical Consultant, Shane worked “on the tools” to deliver geospatial technology solutions to clients in defence and security. One year later, he stepped up to Technical Team Lead, providing mentorship and technical advice for our GIS Consultants.
In 2021, Shane joined the Advisory services team, elevating his purpose from delivering GIS technology to shaping strategy and the minds of the decision makers and leaders who rely on it to achieve business outcomes.
Then, in 2024, Shane was promoted to Senior Manager of Managed Services - a role where his results-driven persona is balanced with his purpose of serving others.
“I’ve always liked geography and spatial science, but leadership was what I was always really interested in,” Shane reflects. “Esri Australia has enabled me to explore that. What I’m most passionate about is my team and supporting their development, and contributing to the broader direction of the business.”
Strategising for the future
Shane’s role at Esri Australia has an interesting and complex duality. On the one hand, he’s focused on the day-to-day operations of Managed Services, supporting his team to ensure clients can seamlessly integrate enterprise GIS into their operations.
On the other, he’s strategising and preparing for an uncertain future.
“The biggest challenge for me right now is what does the future look like? We have to build services to provide for a future environment that doesn’t currently exist. And technology changes so quickly. So, it’s about balancing that with managing an operational unit.”
Shane is energised by the challenge. Although no one can predict what the landscape of GIS technology will look like in five, 10 or 20 years, he is confident Esri Australia is well positioned to adapt, evolve and continue to make a positive impact on businesses, governments and communities.
“Esri technology is exceptional. It enables the right organisations and leaders to make decisions in sometimes very serious scenarios. In the army, it helps inform decisions in threat-to-life, emergency response-type scenarios. The services we provide in Managed Services help purpose-driven organisations focus on purpose-driven activities, without having to worry about administrative burden. They can adopt and use the technology faster for better solutions. I like those outcomes.”
A better balance
At Esri Australia, Shane is supported to find the right balance between his personal and work obligations - and that means giving back to the wider Australian community as an Army Reservist.
“Esri Australia has always been completely understanding of my commitment to the Reserves,” Shane says. “Balance is definitely afforded and encouraged. It’s not a culture of working longer hours, and as a manager, I try to ensure my team adheres to that and looks after themselves.”
Shane is also supported to continue his own learning and leadership development at Esri Australia. Currently, he is studying for his Master of Business Administration.
“I have great support from my peers and direct manager. There are people across the business who I talk to for advice and guidance on leadership touchpoints. We also have a leadership program where we receive coaching and development.”
For now, Shane looks forward to continuing to support his team to realise their full potential and help take Esri Australia into an exciting future.
“I feel engaged, challenged and heard at Esri Australia. I can have influence in the business, and I really appreciate that. I want to align my growth with the company’s growth, and that has been facilitated and supported. There really is endless opportunity.”
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