Alex’s corporate career spans a variety of industries including aviation, logistics, and healthcare in an executive capacity inclusive of reporting to various Boards in Australia and globally. Since moving to New Zealand, Alex has performed senior corporate leadership roles at Air New Zealand, Fletcher Building, Fonterra, Kiwibank and Sky TV. She serves as Chair of the Board of NZ WaterPolo, and Debtfix foundation expanding her experience in governance leadership in NZ. Alex’s leadership incorporates a strong pragmatic high level Human Resources, Communications and Health & Safety expertise which allows her to translate what would be known as best practice to provide bespoke solutions tailored to meet business needs. Her strong operational leadership background strengthens her overall commerciality. Alex is a member of She Mentors, a global voluntary mentorship program to women in business as a mentor and teaches HR leadership disciplines through global think tank “Hacking HR” based out of Washington USA. In addition, Alex is a global coach through “Connected Success” based out of LA, a program start up by Keith Ferrazzi – global best-selling author of “Competing in the New World of Work” and “Never Lead Alone”.
Alex is a member of AMINZ as a qualified Mediator, HRNZ, AHRI, SHRM and the NZ IOD. She is a qualified LEGO Serious Play consultant, Agile Scrum Master, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and a graduate of the Te Kaa Cultural Competency Program. This year Alex was accepted into the Global Womens network dedicated to furthering women in NZ. Alex is a self-confessed “soccer mom” and all-round sport fanatic spending her spare time coaching her son Archie’s soccer team, managing his ice hockey team and building LEGO. As a little family of two they enjoy exploring NZ, hiking and bike riding and finding their way around this great country taking LEGO with them wherever they go!
Recently, in an exclusive interview with CXO Outlook Magazine, Alex shared her professional trajectory, insights on the three major trends in HR to watch out for, the best piece of advice she has ever received, her secret to striking a work-life balance, future plans, pearls of wisdom, and much more. The following excerpts are taken from the interview.
Hi Alex. Please tell us about your background and areas of interest.
I have a mixed operational leadership and HR leadership background incorporating Health & Safety. I have been living in New Zealand for 10 years and have worked all over Australia however was born and raised in Sydney. I have supported businesses globally and have worked in contract roles globally as well in the country. I am particularly passionate about the user experience of HR and making sure the processes that make up a business promote a people centric leadership culture that enables people to do their best work with great high performing teams
What do you love the most about your current role?
I have recently moved into a business consultancy partnering with a few other like-minded partners in business strategy, advisory, AI and brand. People being the centre of this, we bring thought leadership coupled with practical solutions focused on meeting businesses on their journey and walking alongside them to leverage their success. I love this work, and I love seeing people see and exceed their potential.
What are the three major trends do you foresee in your industry in the next 12 months?
I think the 3 major trends in HR are differentiated leadership, AI and teamship – building growing and enhancing self-accountable teams
What are your thoughts on diversity and inclusion? How important is it to have authentic conversations with leaders, professionals, and changemakers to create more acceptance across the globe?
Diversity and inclusion – must never forget equity. I think the easiest way to think about these concepts is to ensure everything we do includes everyone with the end game of equal access in mind. What we know is by excluding people in society for whatever reason, leaves much of the thought leadership unknown. By focusing on one particular group of individuals without taking the time and energy to make sure there is diversity, and inclusion means you will not get the best or most innovative answers. Not addressing equity means the same problem will present itself over and over leaving any initiatives of diversity and inclusion unsustainable.
Including everyone is the work context builds smarter and innovative workplaces which then reflects a feeling of belonging and contributing to society. These interlinks are well known and it is really important employers understand their role in this cycle.
In your academic or work career, were there any mentors who have helped you grow along the way? What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received?
I have had the absolute privilege in being mentored by some truly amazing men and women over the years and I ensure I pay that forward whenever I can. The best piece of advice I had from my first true manager Dennis “be good to people, it makes it harder for them not to be good back”. In context Dennis was an ex-Union official, ex tradesperson from the north of England so had worked in some of the most challenging environments you could think of. He was an expert union negotiator and generally a beautiful person. He was a really good person, people knew that, so he earned a load of credibility and trust in his business relationships because of it.
What’s a leadership lesson that you’ve learnt that’s unique to being a female leader?
Being a female leader in largely male environments most of my career has taught me to find the commonality. Instead of being “different” I focused on being the same. I was the same as them, I am a person as well. I think normalising women being in leadership positions is a point we need to work on globally and highlighting equal treatment. We should equally ask men how they manage the juggle for example as a parent as much as we do women
What is your biggest stress reliever?
Exercise and quiet time to think are my 2 go to stress relievers. I don’t not get a whole lot of time to myself so being able to combine those 2 things I think resets my brain if I am feeling stuck or if I need to push myself into a new way of thinking
What is your secret to striking a work-life balance?
Boundary setting is crucial to work life balance. Sitting down and setting manageable boundaries that you know you won’t break yourself is the key! Being explicit to others about how you balance your best work and when you are setting boundaries is also really important to lead by example, so your team does the same things for themselves
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?
I have a 7-year-old son so personally I see myself navigating his pre-teens with him. That’s quite scary to think about on its own! I am really confident I will be doing work I absolutely love and that is super interesting – probably deep in AI, and working with people who I have invested my team in over the years seeing them in senior roles also doing work that they know fulfils them
One piece of advice you would like to give to aspiring professionals from your industry.
I think I would say to HR professionals keep learning. Be ahead of your business in professional and self-development and put your hand up to be at the table for every business innovation as it comes forward. Being involved on the ground floor even if it is over and above your day job will certainly forge you a path that will gain you professional success in the long run – as a business leader who happens to be extremely skilled in HR.