Damien Nicks

“My basketball coach was a big support and she gave me confidence to challenge myself on and off the court.”

For Damien Nicks, the Yarra motto, Levavi Oculos, is all about broadening your vision and being prepared to step into the unknown. It’s a perspective that he’s embraced throughout his academic and professional life.

“Academically, I’ve always been a generalist – while languages weren’t my thing, I did subjects like Maths, English, Biology, Finance and Accounting. I was prepared to step into a challenge to broaden my horizon. Yarra was good at encouraging that,” says Damien.

When Damien joined Yarra in Year 7, he knew no other students but quickly made friends through playing sport and school camps. One of his favourite Yarra memories is a camp at Glenmaggie in Central Gippsland.

“I remember us jumping into the water off the ledge and getting incredibly wet when a big storm came through the camp. I remember evenings sitting around the campfire with my mates and exploring the bush together – good memories,” he says.

“Some of my old Yarra mates still call me ‘Nicksy’, and I am still good friends with them today.”

Damien enjoyed Saturday morning sport and while he played tennis and did cross country, his talents were mostly unleashed on the basketball court.

After graduating, Damien studied Commerce at La Trobe University and joined Deloitte. Early in his career, a mentor told him it was time to ‘get some feathers on his wings’ – essentially, to learn more by pushing himself outside his comfort zone and into the unknown.

“So, I took on a number of broad roles and put myself out there, including working in the US and London for a while. ‘Let’s have a go at this and step into the challenge’ has been my mantra ever since,” says Damien.

For the past three years, Damien has been CEO and MD of energy company, AGL, the 2nd oldest on the ASX and going through an incredible transformation.

“The energy transition is incredibly challenging and exciting – rebuilding the power system is one of the biggest things this country has done in the past 40 years,” he says.

But it’s a role that energises Damien and one where each day can bring new complexities and achievements.

“When I was at school, I worried about what I would study at uni and where my career would go. With the benefit of hindsight, I now know that you don’t need to worry about that. You don’t have to know everything and have everything planned out, you just need to be prepared to have a go.”