“PageGroup is a brilliant environment for individuals who are looking for a career where you are recognised for your results, not tenure.”

What led you to recruitment?

I began my career with Andersen in Sydney as an external auditor. I loved being part of such a global firm and had the benefit of News Corporation being my key client. However, after two years (and just after I qualified!), the Enron debacle happened, and the Big 5 became the Big 4. I chose not to transition to Ernst & Young and went to Michael Page to look for an auditing role – I was wondering why they were so excited when meeting me, as candidates never ask for an audit role! They then spoke to me about becoming a recruiter, and what an amazing ride it has been over the last 15 years.

What skills have helped you in your role as a managing director?

I joined PageGroup not because I wanted to be a recruiter my whole life, but instead because I wanted a business career. I was keen to progress to manage a division and eventually a country - and PageGroup has been an amazing platform to be able to do this. The key skills that have helped me in my role:

1. Communication first and foremost - People are the essence of our business in every way (internally and externally), hence getting the communication piece right and regularly enough is critical.

2. Commercial acumen - My accounting foundation has helped me greatly in the commercial side of my role. I genuinely believe an appreciation of numbers is relevant in any career, however this has really helped me with balanced decision-making and ensuring the right decision is not clouded by subjectivity.

3. Discipline - You need to get things done, and you need to get it done efficiently. A disciplined approach with what you take on and how you execute it can make the biggest difference in the time you have to live your life. It is also critical for anyone in a results-based role to really build on this skill at every level.

4. Planning - As a Managing Director I have had to really sit back at times and plan out where I am steering the ship, or should I say F1 race car! Recruitment happens so quickly and we constantly need to be ahead of the game and our competitors. The learning continues at each stage, however having a clear plan as to where the business is going and answering the WHY so your people follow is something that is so important.

How have you balanced the demands of the job with your life away from work?

We aren’t neurosurgeons, hence the beauty of our role is that we can typically dictate the timing of when our deliverables are due and plan accordingly. I love how the world has changed and people are now asking about life-work balance rather than the opposite, and I have learnt that you really need to prioritise what is most important to you to help you feel healthy and live the life you want. For me, I gear my hours to start early so that I can be home for play and bath time with my two year old son. Also I like to go to the gym two mornings a week to try and stay young!

What is most rewarding about your job?

There is nothing more rewarding than investing in people and seeing them grow and flourish as professionals within our business. They then choose people to mentor and invest in, and the positive cycle continues. I am lucky to be surrounded by 120 incredibly bright, driven, talented and young individuals every day that keep me on my toes and work with me to create an environment that people want to be in, and in return the results flow.

Do you have any advice to anybody thinking about joining PageGroup?

PageGroup is a brilliant environment for individuals who are looking for a career where you are recognised for your results, not tenure. For those that want to immerse themselves in an environment where we impact careers every day, PageGroup is brilliant for it. We are the leader in a global market and there is no better platform to start your career with. Remember, there is a reason that the leadership team choose to be here.