Shannon’s Journey – From Head Girl to Changemaker
Some career paths follow a straight line. Shannon’s has been more like a series of bold leaps, each one grounded in courage, service, and a deep commitment to making a difference. From a Navy gap year to law, management consulting, and now leading a social enterprise, Shannon Ziegelaar (Class of 2008) has built a career defined by adaptability, innovation, and purpose.
Stepping Into the Unknown
Fresh out of school, Shannon made a choice that surprised some: a Navy Gap Year before starting her law degree.
“It was a unique opportunity to experience a large institutional workplace, meet people from all walks of life, and push myself outside my comfort zone at a formative age. It also gave me a practical way to travel and save money, which helped me fund a year of study abroad.”
Her love of learning and service was already well-formed during her time at Santa Maria. As Head Girl in 2008, she embraced opportunities to serve and lead with humility. At university, she leaned into that same spirit, leading Enactus, a student-run organisation focused on enterprising ideas with social, environmental, and economic impact. “I became curious about how business could be a sustainable way to create social change,” she says.
A Career Built on Impact
After graduating, Shannon sought a career that would challenge her daily and create meaningful impact without locking her into a single, fixed path.
Management consulting at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) became the perfect launchpad. Over the years, she worked across industries including utilities, energy, mining, not-for-profits, and government services. Her projects ranged from bipartisan policy development and major business cases to mergers, acquisitions, and large-scale organisational transformations, both in Australia and the Middle East.
Her consulting career sharpened her problem-solving skills and adaptability, but she continued to be drawn to community-focused initiatives.
Buddiup & Sisterup: Creating Inclusive Communities
The inspiration for Buddiup came from her husband’s volunteer work at Wembley Football Club. “Through Alastair’s experience, he saw many young men living with disability grow up and got to know their families. Social connection, maintaining healthy habits, and access to young male support workers were common challenges, especially after finishing school. That’s where the idea for Buddiup was born. It started as a fitness meetup and evolved based on participant feedback and family input.”
In 2023, Shannon launched Sisterup. “We saw growing demand for a female-focused program, so I left my role in management consulting and launched Sisterup.”
Buddiup and Sisterup support people with disability to live healthier lives through health, relationships, community, and learning. Our flagship offering is the Step Up program, a five-hour weekly session where participants engage in physical activity, social connection, learning content, shopping for lunch, and preparing a healthy meal together.
Today, Buddiup and Sisterup support more than 160 participants each week, most in their 20s and 30s, but with some in their 40s and 50s. The flagship Step Up program combines physical activity, social connection, skill-building, shopping for fresh produce, and preparing a healthy meal together.
“The most significant impact for many participants has been connection with peers, in a purposeful and supportive environment,” Shannon says. “Some of the most rewarding moments are seeing someone overcome a personal barrier, whether it’s managing anxiety about attending or completing an exercise they didn’t think they could do.”
The Joy of Growth
Shannon lights up when she talks about the impact of the programs. “Personally, I love watching people grow and supporting them through that journey. The most rewarding part is seeing our participants build confidence and capabilities, witnessing the personal and professional growth of our incredible team, and having the opportunity to challenge and support each other, Alastair and I, to be the best versions of ourselves every day.”
The fact that she and Alastair now run the business together, while starting their own family, adds a personal layer to work. “It gives us the flexibility to share parenting and align our work with our values,” she says.
Santa Maria Roots
Shannon’s dedication to service and leadership has deep roots in her time at Santa Maria. “Santa Maria was deeply formative in instilling the value of service,” she reflects.
As a student, service was closely linked with charity. In her 20s, she began to think more about embedding impact into systems so that positive change could be sustained. “I also grappled with the concept of servant leadership – how to do impactful work in a way that’s sustainable for both myself and those around me,” she says.
Her connection to Santa Maria didn’t end at graduation. As Chief Operating Officer at Bloom, she was invited by Ian Elder to join the College Advisory Council. “I was passionate about youth entrepreneurship and the role it plays in building transferable skills in a rapidly changing world of work,” she says.
Her time on the Council gave her new insight: “Schools are massive social enterprises. They need to be impactful, sustainable, competitive, and future-focused, while also being safe, compliant, and risk-aware. Returning to Santa Maria reminded me how special this community is, and how excellent and humble the staff are.”
Staying Grounded
Balancing family life, entrepreneurship, and community impact requires energy and perspective. For Shannon, recharging is just as important as leading.
“I’m currently on parental leave and slowly transitioning back to work one day a week. Right now, going into the office actually feels like a reset! I love spending time together as a little family in the evenings. Sharing dinner and debriefing the day is a simple but meaningful ritual that helps us stay connected.”
She also makes time to look after her own wellbeing. “To keep myself strong and grounded, I enjoy going to Pilates or Yoga and getting out for a swim. I also love hiking. It’s been a while since I’ve done a solo one, but once my little one starts sleeping through the night, I’m really looking forward to getting back out there. Nature has an incredible power to restore the soul and put things in perspective.”
Words to Live By
Shannon keeps a simple but powerful mantra front of mind, a piece of advice from her husband: “You can do anything, but you can’t do everything.”
“It’s a daily reminder to be intentional about where I spend my attention,” she says. Since becoming a mother, this lesson has become even more important, helping her focus on what matters most, rather than trying to keep everyone happy.
Looking Ahead
Looking to the future, Shannon and Alastair are hoping to collaborate more widely with other organisations, expand their reach, and develop new opportunities for participants.
“We’re especially keen to connect with others who are building innovative support models and share our commitment to creating inclusive, empowering spaces for people with disability,” she says.
From the corridors of Santa Maria to global consulting firms and thriving community programs, Shannon’s journey is a testament to the values of courage, compassion, service, and excellence, and to the power of stepping boldly into the unknown.
- AlumniCareerJourneys, AlumniSpotlight, CommunityImpactStories, Featured, HeadGirlStory, SantaMariaCollegeAlumni, ShannonZiegelaar, SocialEnterpriseLeadership, WomeninLeadership
Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation. Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world. Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.
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