Profiles

Profile: Alexandra Vranyac – Wheeler, CEO, Master Electricians NZ

How are you finding life as CEO of Master Electricians NZ? I’m loving working with passionate people who are committed to advancement of this industry, which in many ways is at the centre of the energy transition. I’ve found that the people around me share many of the same values – a desire to support members in a proactive way and grow the industry, and a willingness to take risks and innovate so that electrical contractors are future-ready. What are the challenges in this role? The electrical industry is undergoing rapid change – from technological innovation and sustainability imperatives to regulatory shifts and evolving consumer demands. In this dynamic environment I see every challenge as an opportunity. There are opportunities to enable technology adoption at a faster rate. There are opportunities that flow from convergence of industries and infrastructure in terms of dynamic careers for electrical contractors and diversified business opportunities. We need to lean into regulatory reform and having the funding needed to keep up with rapid changes in standards – both in terms of product and practices. Another step up is that the industry is currently served by multiple ministers and parts of government which often means we never have the ability to communicate about the impact across the value chain! Do your members have issues recruiting the right staff? Yes and no. We have got a workforce skill shortage, and the economic situation does mean we don’t recruit and train enough. There is also the need and desire to innovate and adopt new technologies – the electrification of the NZ economy relies on individuals and businesses who can pick up micro skills faster than ever before and in ways that meet their needs in terms of experiential learning. That is why we are investing in a new […]

Calling women ‘too emotional’ weakens us all

The stereotypical and unwelcome practice of calling women ‘too emotional’ is still all too common in New Zealand’s business environment, and while it is easy to call for change, any real shift will only happen when society starts to recognise emotion as a strength and not a sign of weakness. Simone-Ellen Keller, founder of Genius You , says the stereotype of seeing emotions as a weakness is deeply ingrained, as most women will have experienced. Keller says emotions are not a weakness—they are a fundamental part of the human experience and a source of strength. The issue lies not with the emotions themselves but with our collective discomfort and misunderstanding of them. “Women are better at expressing their emotions. Men just hide it, or they shout, but without emotion, it is difficult for us to connect both personally and professionally. Emotions make us human, but how we translate emotions triggers how we respond to a situation, for better or worse. “Part of the problem is that New Zealand society often allows men to express anger—a defence emotion—while shaming women for showing vulnerability, a core emotion.” Keller says our discomfort with emotions stems from a lack of understanding. “We have been taught to suppress them, particularly in professional or public settings, under the guise of being ‘rational’ or ‘professional’. But this suppression does not eliminate emotions; it only drives them underground, where they can fester and influence our behaviour in ways we may not fully understand,” she says. Emotional literacy is key to navigating this landscape. “The difference between feeling an emotion and expressing an emotion is critical. Use them to navigate your life, and that’s not just about moving towards emotions that make us happy and away from those that do not—all emotions have a purpose, and we should not run […]

Cassandra Nadira Lee, Founder, COMB (Connecting Mind and Body)

What inspires you? I am inspired by the resilience and strength that comes from overcoming personal challenges. My experiences with clinical depression, temporary blindness, and the determination to balance work and family life have all fueled my drive to help others. Witnessing the positive transformations in my clients and their teams also motivates me to continue advancing our mission at COMB. Tell readers about COMB and what it offers clients? COMB(Connecting Mind and Body) is a learning and development consultancy that focuses on improving team dynamics, collaboration, and communication through a holistic approach. At COMB, we emphasise these elements in our programs, helping clients to become more self-aware, manage their unconscious biases, and enhance team dynamics and performance. Our goal is to align the heart, mind and body so they are able to be confident and not be blinded by “fears and insecurities”. Our services cater to a diverse clientele, including both MNCs and SMEs, with a special focus on sustainable solutions that drive meaningful results. You are aspirational and bring about meaningful change? Tell us about this. I would like to contribute the learnings that I have acquired for meaningful change. I feel blessed with all that I have gone through and learned in the process. Through COMB, I aim to bring about meaningful change by focusing on both individual and team development. My intention is to create and enhance environments where people can connect their mind and body to achieve their full potential. By addressing both soft skills and personal development, I believe we can empower individuals to overcome limitations and foster high performing and engaged teams. Your journey has had challenges. How are you now? I have made significant progress since overcoming my challenges. My vision for COMB and my personal experiences have shaped me into a […]

Darlene Winston_Director of Advice, Peninsula Australia

Profile: Darlene Winston (MAICD), Director of Advice, Peninsula Australia

www.womengoingplaces.net What is your role at Peninsula Australia and what does it involve? I head up the Advice division and our employee relations specialists at Peninsula Australia, a leading provider of HR and WHS support for small to medium-sized businesses. We provide 24/7 expert advice to our clients that reduces their risk of non-compliance with workplace law, giving them piece of mind and allowing them to focus on their business knowing their HR concerns are in hand. I lead a management team comprised of people leaders who drive performance, as well as a best-in-class training and workforce planning team. Essentially, I drive the people and operations management to ensure we’re providing the highest standard of service possible. Why have you chosen this career path? My career background is incredibly varied, spanning Executive roles in 13 industries across three countries. I love this role as it encompasses every business discipline, with responsibilities including leadership and people management, finance and sales, as well as operations and efficiencies – no day is the same! What has been the highlight of your career and why? I’m very lucky to have many highlights throughout the varied roles I’ve held. One that I have very fond memories of is residing in mainland China overseeing an SAP end-to-end integration in seven languages with several countries in my remit. I was there for three years and completed the final country, Thailand from Sydney. It was a big project, millions of pounds sterling and reporting to the Group Board. I love a challenge and absolutely loved the opportunity to jump into this regional role. What has been the greatest challenge in your career, and how did you overcome it? I have worked in many industries and never the same one twice, so I’ve encountered challenges in every position […]

Cassie Price-McCoy

Cassie Price-McCoy is General Manager, Services ANZ for GE HealthCare, where she’s been for over 11 years. Cassie is an energetic and senior service, operations, sales enablement and customer experience leader with over 25 years’ experience across functions and industries. As General Manager, Services ANZ, Cassie oversees service strategy, safety and customer experience. At GE HealthCare, you lead a large team of field engineers. What is that experience like for you? Leading this team is a great honour. The work they do is vital—ensuring that life-saving equipment is always available for accurate patient diagnoses. They need to be highly knowledgeable, communicate effectively, follow processes, and at the same time think on their feet, stay patient, and remain confident. They are incredible people doing extraordinary work. There are currently five women on your team. Can that number be increased? That’s absolutely the plan! In fact, I now have nine women working as field engineers with strong technical expertise, and another four in field service leadership roles. We are intentional in our recruitment, particularly at the levels where we have open roles. We recently launched a graduate program, and we ensured that at least one of the successful candidates was female. One challenge we’ve identified is that universities aren’t fully communicating the range of career opportunities available to students in modern engineering fields—like biomedical, electrical, and mechatronics engineering. Being a medical field engineer isn’t something many students even consider. We need to change that. Another aspect is showing the exciting travel and variety that comes with field engineering work. We know this appeals to many, and we’re leaning into that as a recruiting point. Involving more aspirational women leads to excellence. Do you agree? I believe all women have aspirations, though some are more intentional about their path and goals. We all […]

Profile: Shivani Gupta

*Motivating staff – what’s the secret? The secret is being truly interested in your people and understanding what their passions are. People look for 3 things in their work. Something to believe in which is the vision. Someone to believe in, which is the leader. And for someone to believe in them which is their self-worth and passions. *In challenging times, what keeps people going? That their business leader is truly interested in working on the challenge together and they have support no matter what. That they are working on something that matters. Also the person needs to have an open heart and open mind (called Shoshin) so that they can solve that challenge. *Is being happy at work about money? Money is not the key reason people leave a business. The #1 reason is their direct relationship with their manager. This is why it is key to have managers trained in how to manage people. However due to the increasing cost of living, money has jumped up from the #4 reason #2 reason people. *A highly commodified world gets in the way? At times business leaders and owners may need to cut the costs down and this can impact a person and their pay and performance. Businesses need to embrace technology and couple it with their people’s development in a highly commodified world. *Did you fall out of love with electrical engineering? I loved being an engineer. It was black and white. However I loved the leadership side of business. I also wanted to climb the corporate ladder and had a mentor guide me to do and MBA and apply for leadership roles which is exactly what I did and it worked to move into leadership roles. *Favourite book? This is the hardest question. I read between 30-40 books a year. If I had to […]

Mariana Costa Checa

Mariana Costa Checa Mariana Costa Checa is a Peruvian businesswoman and the founder of the education nonprofit Laboratoria, which is addressing one of the toughest challenges facing the modern workforce: providing training and upskilling needed to elevate the playing field for underemployed women. By focusing on high-demand digital skills such as web development and user experience design, Costa’s social enterprise is preparing women who have been out of the workforce, or employed in low-paying jobs, to launch and grow promising careers in technology. After graduating from the London School of Economics and Columbia University, Costa returned to her native Peru. She started a web development company but was inspired to create Laboratoria when she noticed very few women working in the field. The start-up began in Peru in 2014 as a six-month intensive bootcamp with 15 students. It’s now in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and soon the rest of Latin America, and has graduated more than 2,400 women, with an employment placement rate of more than 85 percent since 2019. Its graduates have worked in more than 950 companies across industries, increasing their incomes by an average of 2.7 times and contributing to closing the talent and gender gap in tech. Costa has received countless corporate and media awards for her disruptive way of tackling one of society’s greatest problems, and even had a Mattel Barbie doll made in her likeness. “Our work at Laboratoria is a bet on the talent of Latin American women,” she said. “With the digital economy transforming our region, we want to make sure women can benefit from its opportunities and be part of building our future as technology creators.

Laura Boccanfuso

Laura Boccanfuso started her PhD in computer science after being a stay-at-home mother for eight years to her three kids. She’s been building AI-enabled classroom tutors ever since. As the founder and CEO of Van Robotics, Boccanfuso wrote the original code in her home workshop while undertaking postdoctoral studies at Yale University, far from her home base in South Carolina. Her mission? To find ways to support children with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and other special needs, in their classroom learning time. Like all entrepreneurs, Boccanfuso faced pushback when she initially approached venture capitalists (VCs) to fund her business. Yet her hurdles were different: one VC wouldn’t support her because her husband wasn’t part of the business or leading it with her, and another because she held too much equity, even though it was her first round of funding. “There was this perception that women don’t have technical capabilities,” Boccanfuso said, adding VCs would address technical questions to men even though she wrote the code herself. VCs also pushed her to design a retail model of her robot, named “ABii,” even though its purpose was to support classroom learning—not double as a babysitter or tutor. Boccanfuso ignored them and found talent and resources from her academic circles in child development and robotics, and ABii by Van Robotics is now being used in schools and homes in 38 US states and seven countries. More than 100,000 students and teachers have already benefited from robotic reinforcement in the classroom—as well as from Boccanfuso’s experience as a stay-at-home mother, which helped her build a learner-centric, school-based solution. “I think moms are phenomenal problem solvers,” she said.

“Inspiring inclusion” in the manufacturing industry

Helen Blomqvist, President,Sandvik Coromant,Europe Despite progress in gender inclusivity, the underrepresentation of women in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields still persists. According to a 2023 report from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), women make up only 28% of the STEM workforce. Looking across the world, the MIT reports figures stand at 24% in the United States, 17% in the European Union, 16% in Japan and 14% in India. Driving the shift While the STEM gender gap remains apparent, there are several factors at play that could bring about better inclusivity. Manufacturing stereotypes are moving away from perceptions of dirty, dangerous environments. As industry embraces digitalisation, the rigid, manual jobs of the past are being replaced by roles centred around innovation, collaboration and problem solving. The growing focus on experimentation, flexibility and hybrid working is making manufacturing a more modern and inclusive place to work for all. Changes brought about by the pandemic have invited a greater sense of flexibility, with an uptake in digital tools further fostering a more inclusive culture. There is also increasing recognition of the benefits of an inclusive workforce. According to a Wall Street Journal report examining diversity and inclusion among S&P 500 companies, “diverse and inclusive cultures are providing companies with a competitive edge over either peers”. What’s more, a pre-pandemic McKinsey report Delivering Through Diversity showed companies in the top quartile of their rankings for successful gender diversity on their executive teams were 21% more likely to have above-average profitability. For ethnic and cultural diversity, that figure was 33%. It’s clear that businesses have to take strides to truly reap the benefits of diverse teams. One way of inspiring a more balanced working environment is to promote the voices of those already in the industry. Sandvik Coromant spoke to its president, […]

We talk to:Sherry Lu, Country Sales Manager, Swisslog Singapore

Your business nous goes a long way, what do you specialise in? Swisslog is a leading global company with a rich history dating back to 1900. Headquartered in Switzerland, we’ve grown into a major player specialising in automation solutions for warehouses and distribution centres. Our offerings cater to various industries, including grocery, retail & e-commerce, and F&B. My journey with Swisslog started in 2012, and over the years, I have combined technical expertise and commercial acumen to deliver unique solutions tailored to meet customers’ supply chain needs and challenges. As the Country Sales Manager of Swisslog Singapore, I specialise in: Logistics consultancy and planning for automation Warehouse automation, encompassing pallet technology, bin/carton/single item technology WMS software AGV/AMR systems What are key developments in supply chain at present? In the rapidly evolving supply chain industry, we are experiencing a number of key developments that will shape our future: Digital transformation: The integration of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and big data analytics is revolutionising supply chain operations. These technologies enhance forecasting accuracy, optimise inventory management, and improve decision-making processes. Automation and robotics: Automation is becoming increasingly prevalent in supply chains, particularly in warehouse operations. Robotics solutions, such as Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), are enhancing efficiency and reducing human error in material handling. Sustainability: There is a growing emphasis on sustainable practices within the supply chain. Companies are adopting eco-friendly initiatives such as reducing carbon emissions, reducing energy consumption, optimising transportation routes, and implementing energy-efficient technologies. Resilience and risk Management: The recent global disruptions have highlighted the need for resilient supply chains. Businesses are investing in strategies to mitigate risks, such as diversifying suppliers, increasing transparency, and developing more agile and flexible supply chain networks. E-commerce growth: The surge in e-commerce has transformed […]

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