From army handler in Afghanistan to a massive career change with Katrina Machin

Ep. 71: Figuring out how to change...everything.

This episode with Katrina Machin is nothing short of inspiring. Katrina 's career journey took her from handling VIPs in Afghanistan with the British Army to now being a health authority leader here in Canada. All in a few short years.

Katrina’s story is one of resilience, adaptability, and the pursuit of personal and career growth, all while balancing the demands of leadership and family values centered on adventure.

Check out the full recap and show notes for the episode here.

In this episode, Katrina shares:

• Her transition from the British Army to a thriving career in Canada.
• The challenges and growth opportunities she faced in a new country and industry.
• Insights on leveraging unique transferrable skills from one job to another.

• Tips for anyone considering a major career change or international move.

Time-Stamps:

03:20 – Introduction and Katrina’s background in the British Army

12:15 – Transitioning to civilian life and her first roles in Canada

20:30 – Learning and development: Building a new career path

28:10 – Leadership lessons from the military applied to corporate growth

37:45 – Balancing career and family with a focus on adventure

45:20 – Key takeaways and Katrina’s advice for career changers

About Katrina Machin

Katrina is a powerhouse project manager with over 15 years of experience orchestrating complex projects across healthcare, IT, and organizational design. But her journey started in the British Army, where she mastered team leadership and strategic planning—skills that would shape her into the dynamo she is today.

With a passion for innovation and a knack for transforming vision into action, Katrina currently heads up the Technology Refresh Program at the Provincial Health Services Authority, where she's all about optimising a $200M program, that brought 51,000+ personal computing devices up to speed across three health authorities in the province.

An eternal learner, Katrina is working toward her Executive MBA, adding to her collection of degrees, certifications, and war stories. And if you thought her talents stopped at deadlines and deliverables, think again. Katrina is also a mentor, Agile coach and kids church ministry leader—who’s always down to chat about change management over a strong cup of coffee.

When she’s not streamlining processes or saving budgets, you can find her exploring the North Vancouver trails or plotting her next big multiday hike with her husband and 7 year old son Monty.

Related Episodes:

• Episode with Mark Machin (Katrina's husband)
• Ana Colak-Fustin, former Global 500 recruiter, on figuring out internal job changes and career growth internationally

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About Andrea Barr, host of All Figured Out:

Andrea is a certified career