From the beginning, Queensland Steel & Sheet (QSS) has done things differently. In 1985, the business was formed on a handshake, rather than a formal contract, in a dusty old shed with no concrete floors. And today, QSS is led by the only woman CEO in charge of an Australian steel distribution company.

For Cecily McGuckin, being a leadership pioneer is just one aspect of heading up her family’s business. Her hard work and strong direction have helped QSS grow beyond her father’s original vision and earned her a finalist spot at The CEO Magazine’s 2025 Executive of the Year Awards in the Manufacturing category.

“What makes me proud isn’t just the size we’ve grown to, but how we’ve done it,” McGuckin says. “We’ve modernized every part of the operation – our systems, trucks and processes – while keeping that same family feel and genuine care for people.

“Our team truly believes in what we do, and our customers feel that difference every day.”

Delivering the best

QSS provides one of the state’s broadest offerings of quality steel products to clients across Australia. From galvanized steel to zinc-coated sheets, its range is sourced from the highest grade steel available around the world and has been put to use in myriad ways by the company’s passionate customer base.

McGuckin says it’s both a challenge and a pleasure to deliver top-shelf products through innovative means to an industry driving tangible change around the nation.

“As more manufacturers invest in automation and robotics, steel quality has to be spot-on,” she says. “There’s also increasing global competition and changing supply dynamics. The biggest shift is the push for precision and reliability.”

QSS’s response has been to strengthen its technology and cultivate its solid relationships in the industry.

“Our KONA enterprise resource planning system gives customers real-time tracking and transparency,” McGuckin adds. “And by always maintaining our strong relationships with steel mills both at home and abroad, we can stay competitive while supporting Australian manufacturing.”

And all this under the leadership of McGuckin, who has taken the company to heights undreamed of in her father’s time, but admits she was initially reluctant to join QSS at all.

“It wasn’t easy stepping into the business and continuing my father’s legacy,” she says. “It’s not something I ever expected to do when I was watching it grow as a child.

“I literally grew up with the business and watched it evolve into the amazing, modern company it is today.”

Initially, McGuckin forged her own path in retail tenancy management for Mirvac and other firms before her father made her an offer to join the family business. The opportunity to take the helm in an industry where women seldom excelled was enticing, as was the chance to modernize the company’s culture.

“When I first became CEO, I remember feeling the weight of wanting to do everything perfectly, to honor what my dad built while also modernizing the business for the future,” she says.

“But I quickly realized leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about surrounding yourself with good people, trusting your gut and having the courage to make the hard calls when they need to be made.”

McGuckin’s father had done exactly that, working from a mantra that resonated with her throughout her career.

“My dad always said, ‘It’s not that a problem happens – it’s how you get out of it that really matters and will be remembered. So do the right thing,’” she recalls. “Things go wrong in business – that’s inevitable – but how you respond defines your leadership and your reputation.”

In McGuckin’s case, she’s responded to every challenge and hurdle by doing the right thing, even when it’s tough or uncomfortable, and over time has developed her own leadership style that has set her – and thus QSS – apart in the steel sector.

“That’s what builds long-term trust with your team and your customers,” she says. “For me, leadership is about strength, honesty and heart, in that order. It’s not about titles or control, it’s about setting the tone for how people treat each other and how we show up every day.”

Solid foundations

Now, McGuckin says she feels incredibly proud of what she and her team have achieved.

“We’re a part of something that was built on hard work, honesty and dedication not just from its founder, but from the loyal people who’ve stood beside us for decades,” she notes.

And while that achievement had McGuckin in the running for this year’s Manufacturing Executive of the Year Award, she says everyone at QSS earned the nomination.

“We all play an essential role,” she says. “Our culture is built on care, accountability and teamwork. We celebrate long service with events like our annual ‘7 Year Itch Dinner’ and we’re proud to have people who’ve been with us for anywhere between 10 and 30 years.

“That kind of loyalty doesn’t happen by accident; it’s the result of mutual respect and genuine care.”

And over that time, QSS has repaid the loyalty of its people through greater empowerment and agency, the strong example set by its leader and the qualities she works so hard to embody.

“I don’t believe in ego or hierarchy. I believe in leading by example, being approachable and staying true to your values,” she says. “You can teach skills, but you can’t teach loyalty, care or persistence, and those are the qualities I value most in people.”

One often overlooked benefit of the culture shaped by McGuckin is that customers enjoy a sense of consistency in their dealings with the company, which is highly conducive to repeat business.

“People want to deal with businesses that do what they say they’ll do,” she says. “So much of our world now runs on automation and technology, but at the end of the day, service still matters. At QSS, that’s what we’re built on, and it’s why we’ll keep investing in technology to make things easier for our customers.”

Strength and heart

But, she insists, the company will never lose its personal touch – the kind of care, communication and follow-through its customers have come to rely on.

“As we head into our 40th year, my goal is for QSS to keep setting the standard for what good service looks like in this industry.”

It’s an example that McGuckin hopes will be appreciated far and wide as well as closer to home.

“It means a lot to me that my three boys get to see the company grow firsthand,” she says. “They’ve grown up around the business and have worked here during school holidays, which has given them a real understanding of what makes a good business.

“It’s not just the product, it’s the people behind it.”

McGuckin believes there’s a lesson for life in what she’s accomplished, even if her sons don’t follow in her footsteps.

“My hope is that wherever their careers take them, they carry those lessons of hard work, care and respect with them,” she says.

“You can run a strong, competitive business with heart, and that’s exactly what we’ve done at QSS. Steel might be our product, but people are our power – both our team and our customers.”

And earlier this year, when the business conducted an independent customer survey. McGuckin says she was heartened, but not surprised, by the results.

“Words like reliable, caring, easy to deal with, and honest came up over and over again,” she says. “That kind of feedback means more to me than anything else.”