What do you do?
I am responsible for all marketing, advertising and corporate communication initiatives for the organisation. This can range from forming great partnerships with up-in-coming organisations like IT Wire, to working with the Exec team to develop our key messages, to planning the annual Sales Conference and surveying our IT Contractors. It's a broad but senior marketing focused role and I love it!

What has been your biggest career highlight to date?
This might sound a little corny, but my appointment at Paxus has been a huge career highlight. It's very rewarding when you join a company and it just works... when I say that I mean things like; At the time of my appointment, Paxus needed marketing expertise which means my talents have been warmly embraced... and thats a really nice position to start from... In terms of actual achievements, the recent review and launch of the Paxus brand has been a great journey and a very rewarding achievement. When the people within the company totally embrace the new brand including the core values that drive that brand, its a great feeling.


What is the best and worst thing about your job?
The best thing about my job is the people - I'm a big people person and I love the people at Paxus and given that we are in the people business is just a bonus for me. The worst thing about my job is merchandise!! Yes, some would think that its just a whole load of fun, but trust me merchandise is a painful! What one State loves, the other hates. But I must say, since taking the whole brand journey it has been it a lot easier to identify merchandise that works with our brand. For example, this year Paxus in NSW gave away green data sticks; very complementary to our tag of 'get connected'!


Any tips on how to get and stay ahead?
Being open and honest with people helps with the karma aspect. You know those basic life principles.... if you don't give you don't get... and remember its one big circle; what goes around comes around....


How do you encourage loyalty with your staff and clients?
Creating an environment that encourages open and frank discussion that has positive outcomes. Being honest and up front with our customers, but presenting that in a positive light.


What do you think employees want from their employer?
It is a little generation dependant these days. Back 10 years ago, most of us just wanted to add value and if that was recognised then we were pretty happy. The younger generations today, want to be heard and involved a lot more; managing that can be quite challenging!


What does your company do for its staff that you feel is different from what other companies provide?
Open forums of discussion. No matter how confrontation the issue, we encourage discussion. Being honest about not having all the answers and encouraging staff members to help us find those answers. I have just introduced a 'green card' initiative, which is used at the MD's quarterly roadshows (yes our MD tours the country every quarter!) which gives any person the right to challenge anything that is in his presentation. We trial this next month so I am hoping he comes back unscathed!


What is the biggest ICT issue the industry is dealing with at present from your perspective …and what should be done about it?
From a technology perspective its probably the increasing ways to communicate with our audiences. Once upon a time we only really had the phone and fax and today we have so many more choices. We called or more often visited customers, hell we even accompanied JobSeekers on their first interview with a perspective client, now we have some many more means of communicating with our customers. Its not all bad, there are lots of positives, it's more about disciplining our people to use the best medium of communication to reach a positive outcome. Things like... don't play email tag if you're trying to resolve a difficult issue with a customer; pick up the phone... sure we connect people using every possible medium, but sometimes the best way to make that connection is in person.


How long have you been with Paxus?
Since Dec 04, so just on 2 years.


What keeps you there?
The variety of work and the way in which the business is managed. Tony Cooke, the MD of Paxus is a very steady and professional operator, who lets you get on with it and puts a lot of trust and faith in his people; I like being managed like that.


What's the secret of your success?
Listen, grow, adapt and evolve. I've been fortunate to have had a lot of great mentors in the my career and when you're young and ambitious sometimes you miss a lot of great wisdom if you don't listen.... yes mum I hear you!


What makes a good marketing consultant for an IT recruitment company?
Being approachable, making good decisions based on data and research, being disciplined in your approach towards research and campaign development, listening, taking the pulse of the company and mixed with some intuition is pretty powerful.


What's the most unusual thing that's ever happened to you at work?
Not sure I've had anything 'unusual' happen.... flowers from my boss and I freaked.... but that was just over reacting....


What's your favourite holiday destination?
My beach house at Metung.... ah... its just bliss.... lots of water and happy days.


What's your all time favourite movie?
The Castle - I just love the aussie humour.


What's your favourite word?
Ohhhhh just one! How about communicate and connect!


Imagine you could invite five guests to dinner, who would they be? (You can include all people throughout history alive or dead) My mum because she's just hilarious and dares to say the things one would not normally say..... my best friend Marion because she's just so easy going and great fun to be around..... Owen Wilson because I'm single and he's single (yes look out Kate) and he's such a sexy sod, Jeff Janz because he's a great cook and he's pretty hot too (although married!), and probably Jana Wendt because she's such a stylish, worldly and intelligent person (and I love the Sunday progam!).


If you were the Grand Ruler of Australia for a day, what would be your first action?
I'd reduce foreign aid - charity begins at home and I think we could do a lot more in our own country.