Fiona Leeming speaks from experience at Swinburne Faculty of Design’s alumni event

Around 120 Swinburne Design alumni, dignitaries and staff were wined, dined and entertained at Faculty of Design’s annual alumni networking event at Melbourne’s Hilton on the Park.

The presentation by keynote speaker Fiona Leeming was a highlight of the evening. After a career of thirty years in advertising which spanned several continents, Leeming reflected on her take on the theme of the night ‘Speaking from experience’.

“I tell my kids I’m a cross between – Liz Lemon and Don Draper. Liz is the producer from 30 Rock attempting to get a group of dysfunctional creative types to produce great work and Don is the Creative Director who likes to christen his latest campaign with a well-earned martini.” said Leeming.

Leeming’s talk included excerpts from her award winning creative work from her early days working with fashion icons such as Sportsgirl and Jag, through to her latest work for National Australia Bank. The audience was highly appreciative of her often humorous take on the advertising profession and of her career highlights.

The night was hosted by Faculty of Design’s Director, Industry Liaison, Stephen Langdon.

“It was great to see so many of our alumni attend the dinner – we had graduates from as far back as 1948 and right through to 2012 – such a broad representation from the design and film and television industries,” said Langdon.

Alumni who attended the event contributed to a new Design scholarship intended for low socioeconomic status and/or rural design students.

Film and Television alumna Lani Kingston, herself a recipient of a Swinburne scholarship, gave a brief presentation on the educational and professional value scholarships can bring. Lani gave a snapshot of her career since graduating in 2009, which she has designed around her passion for film, media, food and cooking. She also talked about the important contribution the scholarship made to her professional success upon graduation.

“Everyone had a great night. I think you can see that from the photos, and we’re looking forward to an even greater response from design alumni, year on year. Everyone benefits from the opportunity to reconnect and engage,” said Langdon.