Tell us a bit about yourself…
I am Business Lead of Design for Taylors, responsible for leading a team covering Urban Design, Architecture and Landscape Architecture in both New Zealand and Australia within a multi-disciplinary consultancy. I am a Registered Architect (NZ, Victoria, and Queensland) and have been working in the Property Industry for 25 years.
Originally from the USA, I have delivered a variety of different projects from large commercial and residential developments through to small community based projects both locally and internationally.
The past 16 years have been spent working across New Zealand and Australia and in 2014, Taylors asked if I would come to Christchurch to assist with our part of the rebuild effort. I have found it so rewarding seeing the positive impact we have on the community, businesses, and people’s lives through the rebuild. The resilience and sense of community here has inspired me to make Christchurch my home.
I think one of the biggest things i’m proud of is having come back from Parental leave in 2021 after the birth of my son to a promotion to General Manager of Design at Taylors. I went away on parental leave in the midst of Covid. For any new mom it’s a bit of a transition time and there is that uncertainty about what your return to work looks like. For me it ended up being the opportunity to lead a new team, becoming General Manager of Design (and now Business Lead of Design) which I have found one of the most exciting parts of my career.
I am so pleased to work for a business like Taylors that “Walks the Talk” when it comes to DEI. Taylors is a business that appreciates hard work, dedication, and from that opportunities can come in spades regardless of your background. With 25 years in the property industry, I can proudly say that I have never felt anything other than included and having a seat at the table.
Which women inspire you the most?
My biggest inspirations in life and my career have been the women directly around me; My Grandmother, my Mother, my Aunt and now my Stepdaughter. As a child I would go with my grandfather every day to pick up my Grandmother from her work at a law office. My mom was also very dedicated to her career, smashing glass ceilings in the 80s and 90s as I was growing up while my dad was a stay-at-home dad. Some of my earliest memories were being with her in her office, under her desk playing with sticker books.
In my teenage years, I spent my summers volunteering at a hospital where she was the Director. Women in business roles were all around me and because of not knowing anything different I always saw it as a path that had been paved for me.
Forward on to today where my stepdaughter, Kaea Anderson, is now in Wellington forging her own career in the property industry in Planning. To see her take on the industry with passion and drive and determination inspires me more every day as well. It is so important to see others like you doing the work that you want to do, knowing that nothing can hold you back.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme is #AccelerateAction—what does this look like to you?
Challenge the status quo and recognise that we all have a part in progress no matter gender, race, religion, etc. It’s not just women that hold the keys to progress, it’s everyone one of us that open the doors for each other to walk through.
If it wasn’t for my father being a stay-at-home dad and challenging that ‘Status Quo’ in the early 80s, my mom would have had a much harder of a time smashing the glass ceiling. Not only did mom inspire me in business, dad inspired me towards construction and architecture by helping him with home renovations and playing with Lego. If it wasn’t for Taylors supporting me through my career and now my parenting journey, I wouldn’t be doing the things I am doing today.
What do you think is the key to building a workplace where women thrive?
Flexibility, Support, and Celebration. I also don’t think that is just for women, I think that’s the way that we can build inclusive workplaces where all thrive. Flexibility in the workplace means that we can all share the load, and sharing the load means we can get to the end goal while also taking care of the well-being of ourselves and family.
Flexibility in work extends as well to men; to help pick up the kids from school, or look after a family member when they are sick, or split parental leave if mom wants to go back to work. This is all also important to women thriving in the workplace. Support means recognition and understanding, seeing the potential of someone in your organisation and helping them grow to their potential. Then celebrating those accomplishments by putting them on display so that others can see people like them in positions they can aspire to.
What advice would you give to your 18-year-old self?
“You’ve got this” and “Back yourself”. I don’t think I gave myself enough credit early on in my career. I was a sponge and looked at every task handed to me (no matter how big or small) as an opportunity to learn and to try to do it well. However, I always felt somewhat nervous or intimidated by a new challenge. After a quick internal pep talk, I would face it head on. Those internal pep talks have been so important and I would tell myself to recognize the importance of them earlier.
I also always thought opportunities in my career came to me through “luck”. One of those was being accepted to the Property Council of Australia Mentor Program 13 years ago. In my first meeting with my mentor, he pointed out that it wasn’t “luck” that presented the opportunities, I had achieved them because of who I was and what I had done; my skills, positive attitude, determination, and dedication. It wasn’t until then that I realised who I was professionally and what I had to offer to a project, or a committee, or the industry. Sometimes I wish I had recognised it sooner but also i’m proud of how 18-year-old me got to 45-year-old me.
We all belong in property
There is no denying that a diverse industry is a more adaptive industry.
Property Council’s D&I initiatives are proudly driven by our Diversity & Inclusion Committee, a group of 16 property leaders gathered to lead initiatives that bring the industry together and move us forward.