She’s the friendly face and enthusiastic leader of an important organisation advocating for and supporting east Auckland companies, firmly putting East Tamaki on the Auckland regional map as a “powerhouse” of the industrial and manufacturing sectors.
Where were you born and grew up?
I’m the youngest of a family of seven kids, born and bred in Lower Hutt and have great memories of growing up there. That was way back in a day when you didn’t think twice about leaving the key in the front door.
You were brought up in a very musical household. Can you tell us about that.
My grandfather, Harold Temple White, was a leading figure in Wellington’s music scene for over 50 years as city organist, conductor, composer and music teacher. Both my parents were music teachers, and my mother later became a Trinity College London examiner, travelling the world through her work. Growing up in this environment, music was part of our household’s daily life. I went on to study both the piano and violin, though the piano became my focus and gaining my F.T.C.L. (Fellowship of Trinity College London) remains one of my proudest achievements.
Your mother’s grand piano resides in east Auckland. Where is it and how did it get there?
It goes without saying that there were multiple pianos in our household and I was lucky to inherit my mother’s grand. However, two pianos are hard to fit into a small house – especially a grand – so when Uxbridge Arts and Culture in Howick put out a call for anyone willing to loan a decent piano, I offered my mother’s. The beauty of this is she would love to know it’s being well used, enjoyed and appreciated by the community.
What did you do when starting your working career?
I followed in my parents’ footsteps and pursued piano and school music teaching for a period before deciding to spread my wings and head overseas for a change of scene.
You’ve lived in London and Melbourne respectively for extended periods. What did you do there and how were those experiences?
I started out teaching in London secondary schools doing daily supply work – an experience that I was happy to leave behind. When an opportunity came to transition into education recruitment I jumped at it, recruiting New Zealand and Australian teachers to teach in London. That was a great job and a lot of fun, but all good things must come to an end, and I made the decision to return to the Antipodes, as they like to refer to it in the United Kingdom. Somehow, my trip home detoured via Melbourne, and I ended up living there for 13 years working in general management type roles in two other associations: the Tax Institute and the Australian Institute of Architects. I loved living in Melbourne but ultimately the pull of family and New Zealand was too great, and I headed back just a month or so before the country went into lockdown in 2020.
How long have you been with Business East Tamaki and what is your role?
I’ve been at BusET since the end of 2020 in a general management role. It’s a really interesting role that allow me to work with some incredible businesses, and I’ve enjoyed the shift from a corporate membership environment, working alongside business owners, many of whom have built their businesses from the ground up, often starting in their garages.
What is it that Business East Tamaki does?
Business East Tamaki is a business association representing the 3300 businesses and 2100 property owners within the East Tamaki Business Improvement District (BID). In short, our job is to make it easier for businesses to do business. That could be anything from advocating on key issues facing businesses, driving crime prevention initiatives to safeguard our business community, facilitating access to key decision makers, promoting visibility through events and publications or creating initiatives like our recent Future Connect event to link students with local businesses and highlight career paths.
How do Business East Tamaki’s initiatives impact the success or growth of businesses in East Tamaki?
Last year we launched the East Auckland Business Awards to celebrate local businesses – a big success that’s now becoming a biannual event. These awards shine a spotlight on east Auckland businesses, helping them gain recognition whilst strengthening our region’s reputation as a powerhouse in the industrial and manufacturing sectors. We look forward to again showcasing the businesses that make our corner of Auckland special.
Where are some of your favourite places in east Auckland and why?
I do love a good café, and there are some goodies right here in East Tamaki, but the one closest to our office is Hello Stranger on Smales Road – a definite favourite with our team.
If there’s one thing you’d like to see change in New Zealand society, what is it?
That everyone should have a home.
- For a recent Times’ story about the East Auckland Business Awards, read: https://www.times.co.nz/business/chance-to-stand-out-in-east-business-awards/
