I joined Safety Source in 2012 as the Apparel Division Manager, a position I am still challenged by today.
I felt WIS was attractive due to its values and diversity of businesses and the potential opportunities these businesses may bring. I wasn't looking for a job, I wanted a career.
I've spent 25 years in a mixture of leadership roles in Sales, Design, Service and Manufacturing and my role incorporates all of these skills. Largely I am a change manager and WIS gives me the autonomy to do just that.
My role has allowed me to challenge what the Apparel team classed as "the norm" and put a fresh pair of eyes on my business. As a result, there have been some significant improvements with the Apparel design and manufacture areas with new ranges being launched in 2013 and 2014. As my role incorporates International travel and negotiation with offshore business, I have the confidence I am supported by a large successful organisation.
This year I was selected as a member of the WIS Development Program which gave me an in-depth understanding of Blackwoods in Australia, working with a team that came from across WIS' New Zealand and Australia business units. I found this program challenging, educational and very rewarding. Now it's complete I miss both the program and my team. I can transfer the knowledge from the Development Program directly with my team here in New Zealand.
As an ambitious female professional, I know there are opportunities to grow within WIS. Every day brings a new challenge; it's exciting to wonder what will be next.
My career began after graduating from University of Maryland, in USA, working for multinational companies primarily in Finance. After gaining a few years' experience, I came to Australia to pursue further studies and completed an MBA at Macquarie University. Since then I have worked in various companies in Sales, Marketing and Business Services. Prior to joining Coregas (a WIS subsidiary), I worked for a leading IT company in Sales Planning for the Asia Pacific Channel division.
Having worked at Coregas previously, I was contacted regarding a new opportunity to start up and head the Cyltrack Analytics Team which focuses on customer cylinder holdings and scanning and process efficiencies. I chose to return to Coregas because of the career progression opportunity and the exciting growth and development phase that the company is undergoing through WIS. I enjoy my role as it involves multiple facets of the business and has a direct contribution to the performance of the company. Every day is a different day, filled with challenges which makes my job more exciting. The best part is coming up with solutions and being recognised for the effort – that makes it more rewarding. Coregas, being a medium size entity offers the advantage of gaining experiences from different parts of the business. My career aspiration is to further develop my skills in these different areas that will eventually position myself for a role that will be part of making decisions at a strategic level within the WIS group.
WIS' commitment to assist in enabling career progression, encouraging succession into senior management roles, and assisting women to manage the opposing challenges of career and life, are all key attributes for me personally that makes this a good place to work.