From experience working in Melbourne’s elite art scene to being a small business operator and then heading up one of Australia’s first private higher education providers, Jocelyn Martin has had a diverse career path on the way to the top job of Australia’s most respected residential building association. 

In 2014, Jocelyn joined HIA as the chief executive of operations, overseeing the Association’s finance, IT and HR departments. This broadened to incorporate HIA’s businesses, including membership, apprentices and training. Her oversight extended further when she took on the role of Deputy Managing Director - Policy and Industry at the start of 2023, focusing on the aspect that first drew her to the Association.

‘What attracted me to HIA was the strong sense of advocacy,’ she reveals. ‘After working in the education sector, this was a familiar space to be in. But it was a lovely surprise to see how we capture member views and develop policy. This aspect of the Association is so important.’

Jocelyn now comes into her tenure as managing director from 28 August 2023, taking over from Graham Wolfe. 

Jocelyn believes increased engagement with everyone across the entire housing continuum will enable HIA to better meet the needs of the residential building industry.

‘We need to ensure we are developing policies and approaches to advocacy that hit the mark and benefit the sector as a whole,’ she says. ‘We also want to understand the pain points in business so we can better support our members and help them to reduce their risks.’

Over the past decade, Jocelyn says she has been impressed by the volunteer members who contribute to our committees and take time out of their own businesses to make the industry and the Association better. Equally, she is frequently encouraged by the ways HIA has and will continue to help members in their businesses every day. 

‘I believe we have a stable and experienced leadership team that collaborates effectively and purposefully,’ she says. ‘Our challenge now will be to capitalise on our talent and make sure we meet the needs of a growing customer base.’

As for technology, she comments that digitisation is valuable, but we can never assume that every customer interface must involve a device. ‘Home builders will always value quality information and support, but tastes and trends change,’ she says. 

‘Residential construction is a hands-on people business and I want HIA to get back to basics in that sense too. We need to connect human to human with our members more in the future. I want to build on our reputation for trust but have the agility to keep reinventing ourselves.’ 

Jocelyn also feels HIA has a central role to play in fostering innovation and connecting manufacturers and suppliers to respond to proposed regulations. However, she says a big part of our purpose is to support connections and relationships within the industry.

‘Governments understand that as an association, we have gathered considerable feedback for policy development that properly represents the industry – they value that and take notice,’ she explains. ‘But an association is also a community where like-minded professionals can learn, share and celebrate success. HIA is all those things.’

And as the new managing director, another of her objectives is to be brave, take risks and make incremental changes. ‘If we can maintain our reputation as a respected and influential authority, and appeal to new generations and a broader component of the industry, I will be very satisfied.’ 

First published on 15 August 2023