Halinka Panzera: Workplace warrior

Corporate strategist, social trend expert, thought leader and author, Halinka shares her brilliant professional life.

Qualifications: Master of Business Administration, 2001
Job: Managing Director and owner of BDC Market Research, author of THEKEY2

Halinka is the founder and CEO of BDC Market Intelligence, and is highly regarded for her strong grasp of the changing consumer landscape. A recognised global business innovation thought leader, she is regularly called upon by multinational companies and government bodies to share her expertise as a future global trends expert.

She is a serial entrepreneur with two start-ups to her name - both built on a social enterprise model, as she believes business should connect with and support local communities. Halinka is passionate about business, as well as understanding what consumer’s want and where the market is moving. She has been instrumental in helping clients create award-winning global brand strategies.

Halinka credits her success to Victoria University (VU) and its MBA program for providing plenty of grit and an environment that fostered diversity in ideas and creativity. She also believes strongly in never giving up, constantly learning new things and not letting others dictate her path.

Halinka once had a recruiter suggest she change her name to Susie Steel to be more mainstream. She knows how difficult it is to get a foot in the door and lives by her motto of “opening doors for others”.

In the spirit of “opening doors for others”, Halinka has mentored over 100 VU students since 2001 and accepts up to six students in her internship program every year. Her second in charge is a VU alumni, with two other staff at BDC, both VU PhD students.

She has also:

• featured in CEO Magazine in 2014 when the VU MBA program was ranked sixth globally
• presented her findings on diversity to the VU Diversity Council in 2012 and had her book featured in the VU magazine
• represented VU in Hong Kong at the Australian Universities International Alumni Convention (AUIAC) in 2004, and then continued on with the delegation to China, on the VU Business Connections Program
• presented at numerous VU business breakfasts
• served on the VU Alumni Advisory Group
• been part of the Dean’s business network
• been a finalist for the Distinguished Alumni award in 2012 and 2015.

When What's that Super Model doing in my Workplace was published Halinka thought she was at the pinnacle of success, but quickly realised this was just the beginning.

Halinka thrives on her interaction with her student mentees and young entrepreneurs, helping them achieve what they set out to do.

Halinka is now busy with a new project called Uchews, putting together years of knowledge and experience in the food industry in one website and app, which she hopes will transform the way Australians eat and choose their food.

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