Shaun Moate

“When I was growing up, I didn't even think about university. My family had never been to university,” he said.

He came home one day to his mum reading a letter from the University of Melbourne. Moate and his family are Indigenous, from the Taungurung nation to the north-west of what is now called Melbourne. The letter was encouraging Indigenous students to study a Bachelor of Commerce.

Soon, Moate was moving from his home in Yarra Glen to the University’s esteemed Queen’s College. Starting out, Moate found himself isolated. Looking back, he feels that many of his peers didn’t know how to connect with an Indigenous person who looked white.

“It was extremely tough… I really struggled to meet people because I think the worlds were very different,” he said.

In his second year, however, both Moate and the college made an effort to help him settle in. Once he’d graduated, he’d loved his time at Queen’s College, and achieved a significant family milestone. Moate was also told during this time that he was the first Indigenous person to complete a Bachelor of Commerce.

Grief brings a new perspective

Shortly after Moate’s graduation, however, his sister Kelly passed away in a car accident. Shocked by the initial grief, Moate started to feel a new motivation within him.

“A lot of it is just trying to do something bigger and better, almost in her honour,” he said.

“She can't live her life, so I'm going to try to live mine bigger, to sort of make up for it.”

This mindset has stayed with him ever since. When he was younger it meant he lived daringly, staying out late partying and travelling on a whim. These days, it’s the basis of a career built from hard work.

Life beyond Melbourne

After short stints in graduate roles, Moate spent 4 years at Suncorp as a commercial analyst. While he was there, his boss recognised his adventurous mindset and encouraged him to leave the job and embrace life. Moate took it on, deciding to travel to England – but not through the air.

Instead, he was determined to go from Bangkok to London without stepping foot on a plane.

“That was seven months of me just traveling by myself, seeing the world. I then landed in London, pretty much with nothing,” he said.

He still lives in London today.

Embracing the startup world

After several roles in London, Moate is now Chief Data Officer for internet review site TrustPilot. After working in businesses of different sizes, he feels he’s found his natural preference in startups.

Working in teams that are typically smaller than in established corporations, Moate enjoys getting to contribute directly to the product, doing the ‘hands-on’ work outside of the board room.

“Startups are when you’ll find your growth,” he said.

From a career point of view, the natural expansion of a business means that individual progression can follow.

“If you find the right rocket ship, that career will grow naturally. You’ll be attached to that rocket ship if you work hard enough,” he said.

Like that rocket ship, the trajectory of Moate’s career, and his broader life, has been propulsive. Almost 20 years since his mum opened that letter from the University of Melbourne, Moate continues to keep his eyes open for the next opportunity, whatever form it may take.