SPECIAL PEOPLE
Following the completion of my Bachelor of Commerce and Master’s of Business I began my career at Mainfreight working on the floor at one of our Christchurch Logistics facilities.
My initial role involved picking, packing and dispatching orders for a variety of clients, and learning a variety of concepts used in stock control. Now pleasantries aside, the first few weeks were hard slog, I found myself saying “I have spent the last four and a half years studying, and I’m doing this?” Whilst this was an initial set back I soon learnt and understood that I was literally building my Mainfreight career from the ground up. The first couple of months on the floor taught me the core principals of what makes this such a unique and successful company, things such as hard work, team work and the ownership team members are given even at low levels within Mainfreight.
Three months into my career and I was managing one of our warehouse’s marquee customers in Ecolab Hygiene, and along with it, three team members. Suddenly I was faced with a challenge, not only was this a valuable client to our warehouse and Mainfreight in general, but I had never had to worry about anyone’s performance but mine. The ensuing weeks and months were a very steep learning curve, most of which involved developing the ability to balance customer demands and those being placed on you by team members in both a firm and fair manner.
Seven months of hard work later and I got the call I had been waiting for. Mitch Gregor, at the time our National Supply Chain Manager rang me and offered me a role in the Supply Chain National Support Team in Auckland, specialising in Business Development. At first I thought it was a joke, because what sort of company would let a 23 year old deal with major clients on a day to day basis, seek out new business and even negotiate terms of engagement? Fortunately for me it wasn’t and two months later I donned a shirt and tie and walked into our Auckland facility for the first time to begin my new role in Business Development. Now as I write this from my desk just two months into my new posting, I find myself looking back at the past 14 months and see how much I have progressed and can’t fathom what the next 14 months have in store for me.