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The skills that Maree Myerscough gained during her years as a student at the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ of ¾«¶«´«Ã½ (UOW) are skills that she continues to use to this day, more than 20 years after graduating.

But those skills went well beyond the academic realm. Ms Maree Myerscough (nee Costello), now the Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel for Aquila Clean Energy, Asia Pacific, saw the power of bringing people together and getting things done.

“UOW helped shape me in many ways. My legal education emphasised both excellence and community engagement, and my experiences taught me the importance of leadership through service.

“They gave me the skills to connect with people from different backgrounds and disciplines, balance priorities, and lead with purpose - skills I rely on every day in my current role, working across borders, functions, ad cultures.”

Maree graduated from UOW with a double degree Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) in 2002. She is reflecting on her memories of UOW from her home of 18 years, Singapore, where she has built a stellar career as a sharp legal mind and fierce advocate for social justice causes.

UOW was a natural fit for the girl who grew up down the road in Bulli and who wanted a world-class education without having to move too far from her family, of which she was the oldest of four siblings.

But it was in the warm and welcoming, yet intimate, environment of the School of Law that the aspiring law student truly found her place. Built in the image of founding Dean, Jack Goldring, who believed in education and advocacy for all, the School of Law was a place where Maree thrived, based on leadership and service.

“Staying close to my family was important to me — particularly in those formative years,” Maree recalls. “But more than that, I was drawn to the law school’s student-centred approach, which stood out against the more traditional, lecture-heavy models of other institutions at the time. The smaller class sizes, the welcoming and diverse community, and the genuinely approachable academic staff all made UOW the right choice for me.”

It was the late 1990s and the university experience looked a little different back then, she recalls with a laugh. She was actively involved in campus life while juggling her arts and law studies yet still found plenty of time to contribute to the vibrant community and relax with her friends.

It was the era of Shania Twain, Backstreet Boys, the Spice Girls. Of nights out at Splashes and afternoons spent on the Duckpond Lawn, without the constant distraction of mobile phones or social media.

“The late ‘90s were a time of transition. Technology was still developing and the excitement of getting a university email address was real,” Maree says. “Most of us didn’t have our own computers, so the campus computer labs were our social hubs as much as academic ones.

“Assignments were handwritten in my early years. However did we footnote back then? I still remember carrying my work on floppy disks with me to uni so I could print them out. There was a strong sense of community and optimism as we approached the 2000s and people were genuinely excited to be there.”

Maree threw herself into every experience, both in the lecture hall and beyond.

She was involved in faculty-level committees and student-led groups, including the Law Students’ Society and Golden Key International Honour Society. She navigated the world of governance as a student representative on the Academic Senate, which provided her with valuable skills that she still draws on in the corporate world today.

One of her proudest moments was initiating and organising the inaugural Illawarra Graduates Career Fair, an annual event bringing together students and potential employers that continues two decades later.

“I am so proud that the career fair is still running today. These experiences taught me the importance of leadership through service - something that continues to shape my professional ethos,” she says.

Maree Myerscough (centre) with Shelley King, from the School of Law, and Professor Dilan Thampapillai, Dean of Law, during a visit from Maree back to UOW last year.Her degrees laid the foundation for her career now, which has taken her from ¾«¶«´«Ã½ to Singapore, via London. In 2023, Maree was named In-House Lawyer of the Year by The Legal 500 at the Southeast Asia Awards, a recognition that reflected not only her legal expertise, but also her leadership in a purpose-driven industry.

She is now at the helm of a global company that develops and operates clean energy projects across the Asia Pacific region, including in Australia, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand and Taiwan.

As she has built her international, award-winning career, brick by brick, Maree has stayed true to the tenets that were embedded in her degree.

Expertise and excellence, yes, but also a focus on compassion, an innovative spirit driven by a sense of purpose, and a deep empathy for and curiosity about the world.

“The foundations for this journey were laid at UOW. I began in top-tier international law firms, advising on complex mergers and acquisition and project financing transactions across multiple jurisdictions. Over time, I transitioned into an in-house legal role in the renewable energy sector, drawn by the opportunity to work at the intersection of purpose and impact. Now in a regional leadership role, I enjoy bringing together strategy, execution, people, and purpose. I can draw a direct line from my Honours thesis on socially responsible investment to the clean energy projects I now help bring to life.

“Importantly, my time at UOW gave me the confidence to step outside my comfort zone. After graduating, I spent nearly a year backpacking through Europe and Asia, later working in London and continuing to travel extensively. That global curiosity eventually brought me to Singapore, where I now help lead our clean energy platform’s operations across Asia Pacific.”

In many ways, UOW was etched into Maree’s family’s legacy. Her sisters, Clare Jansen and Emily Costello, later studied for their Bachelor of Education (Primary), while her father, John Costello, undertook a Bachelor and Masters degree in sociology as a mature-aged student. It is, she says, “a place that supported each of us, in different ways, at different stages of our lives”.

Perhaps this is why she still feels such a strong connection to the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ and is an active member of the alumni community. She loves to meet fellow graduates who are visiting Singapore and will always make time for a trip to UOW when she is back in Australia.

“UOW has grown and evolved in many ways since my time as a student, more than 20 years ago, but certain parts of campus still feel wonderfully familiar - like the Arts Block maze or the iconic McKinnon Building. There is something comforting about walking through those spaces and remembering what it felt like to be a student there.

“These days, when I visit campus with my kids, it feels like seeing it through fresh eyes. They love the Early Start Discovery Space and always get excited about trips to the Science Space at the Innovation Campus with their cousins. It is special to watch them experience the campus with the same sense of curiosity and excitement I remember — just in their own way.”