Lydia Stjepanovic | Barr Automotive | Joined 2019

Having the Chair of Capricorn call me up and tell me I had been voted in by NSW was one of the most magical days of my life.

"I think the start of my business journey was really, has been when I was born. And mainly that's because both of my parents have owned businesses as long as I've been alive. And so I've really known my entire life that at some point, I will have my own business.

So, I joined Capricorn a week after I opened my ABN. And it was the first account that I opened. And I opened that account because I knew how important Capricorn would be to my business because I watched and saw how my parents used Capricorn. How many businesses I had access to, and the protection side of Capricorn as well, as being an asset to my business.

In 2021, we saw that there was an election happening in New South Wales to join the board for Capricorn. and I thought, wow, what a great opportunity to be part of something so amazing. My husband came up to me and he said, have you thought about this? Maybe you should apply to join the board? I said, do you think that anyone will vote for me? And he said, why do you think that they wouldn't? And so I put in my application. 

I watched and I waited and I got a phone call. And it was one of the most magical days of my life. Hearing the chair of Capricorn call me up and tell me I had been voted in by New South Wales. I felt overwhelmed. But I also felt so proud. And I felt so privileged to be in a position where I could help the industry."