Fiona Dunster: A downturn and two new initiatives
 Fiona Dunster
Alumni
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"Many aspects of my MBA particularly business strategy, negotiations, diversity and marketing equipped me with vital skills to prepare, launch and manage Fidun."
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Just over two years ago Fiona Dunster left a secure career path as a senior executive in the building and construction industry, had a baby and started her own property consulting business.
And that's just for starters. In an industry still overwhelmingly dominated by men, Fiona's company, FIDUN Pty Ltd has demonstrated solid growth with clients in both the corporate and government sectors.
After graduating with her MBA from Melbourne Business School in 2004, Fiona continued working as executive manager of development at Cbus Property. At the time she reported directly to the CEO, also her mentor.
The catalyst to leave and start up her own company-based on a business plan she'd written two years earlier-came when he died suddenly in the office. She left seven months later and was three months pregnant at the time.
FIDUN is a professional consulting business with services falling into four categories. The first is strategic property services, which involves negotiating commercial deals in the commercial and retail sectors of the property market and assisting clients with ‘challenged' projects - one's that for whatever reason require re-evaluation and new direction or leadership.
The second is in development management - providing expertise to organisations and corporates who are investing in property development and helping them to determine what they should be developing and then managing the process for them - generally dealing in the $100 million plus project values.
The third service is in the area of project management which involves taking a project through design and construction to completion.
The forth offers Business Solutions--assisting clients with commercial contract negotiations; providing strategic and practical advice on improving efficiency, control, risk allocation and service quality; business development; business planning; and market re-positioning.
In 2007 Fiona won both the state and national level, Crystal Vision Awards for Advancing the Interest of Women in the Property and Construction industry.
Fiona entered the workforce in 1993 with a double degree in B Planning & Design and B Building at the University of Melbourne. These qualifications were later strengthened by her MBA and an Advanced Negotiations course at Melbourne Business School.
Fiona says, "Many aspects of my MBA particularly business strategy, negotiations, diversity and marketing equipped me with the vital skills to prepare, launch and manage FIDUN."
