International Women's Day 2023

Hannah Hoff, TEKSystem Recruitment based at Stanbeth House

Tell us a little bit about TEKsystems and your role

TEKsystems Recruitment is a subsidiary of the global umbrella brand of The Allegis Group who are the 4^th largest privately owned recruitment companies in the world. We service most of the Fortune 500 companies across the world. TEKsystems are an IT staffing, talent management, and services provider.

I joined TEKsystems down in Wellington 1.5 years ago as a Recruiter. In November 2022 I was given the opportunity to move up to Auckland with the business to co-lead our new office here. I’m now an Associate Consultant working with clients across Auckland looking after contracting resources in the Core Applications market.

Why is IWD important to you?

I think it’s definitely important to continue to celebrate IWD and the leaps and bounds we have come in gender equality, and there’s still more work to be done. Out of 195 countries, only 17 are led by women, only 4% of the Fortune 500 CEOs are women, and women still get paid less on average to men. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of women and raise awareness of the challenges we still face.

Who are some women that inspire you and why?

I love the book ‘Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead’ by Sheryl Sandberg. It taught me different ways to lean into and speak up on difficult situations and gives a clear explanation as to why women are still underrepresented in the workforce and how we can support them and encourage them to step up into those leadership roles.

What piece of advice would you give to your younger self?

Embrace who you are and trust your gut.

Learn more about TEKsystem here.

Pollock Consulting, Caitlin based at Waring Taylor

Tell us a little bit about Pollock Consulting and your role

Kia ora I’m Caitlin and I am a Senior Consultant for Pollock Consulting. We are a small team of consultants that work in the decarbonisation, micro-mobility, public transport and infrastructure sectors.

Tell us a little bit about how you got to where you are today.

Well, this has been a bit of a career change for me. I previously worked in student politics both as politician and a manager and have had a range of governance roles, including being a board member on an educational institution. My current role has meant I can use my passion of having a more sustainable society and have a better work life balance.

Why is IWD important to you?

In my eyes, women are the powerhouse of society but are constantly left out of the conversation. Every year we need to remember how far society has come to create an equitable playing field, but there is so far to go.

Women still earn only earn $0.80 for every $1 a man earns. It’s time for people, men in particular, to step up and say that’s not good enough.

What’s something you’re most proud of doing?

I ran a political campaign that received twice the number of votes needed to win.

Who are some women that inspire you and why?

• Katherine Switzer- first women to run the Boston Marathan. She was attacked while trying to run because she was a woman, crazy to think it was only in 1967.
• Ruby Tui- proud wāhine toa who is changing the way we look at women’s rugby in Aotearoa.

Learn more about Pollock Consulting Limited here.

Melville Design, Celia Melville based at Bowen Campus

Tell us a little bit about Melville Design and your role

I run my own business, Melville Design, which means I have quite a few different roles and hats to wear, but the main one being graphic and digital design. I’m Wellington-based and I work alongside and support SMEs, digital agencies, not-for-profits, and some Government agencies across NZ. I love supporting businesses and organisations doing cool stuff.

Why is IWD important to you?

I love IWD because it gives the opportunity to reflect and be inspired about how far we’ve come, but also to continue to look at what absolutely isn’t working and continue to shine a light on that.

When you were a young girl, what did you dream to be when you grew up?

I think I probably dreamed of being either an architect or an interior designer. I was obsessed with other people’s houses.

Who are some women that inspire you and why?

I recently read ‘Take Your Space’ by Jo Cribb and Rachel Petero and loved it. Jo Cribb co-founded ‘Mind the Gap’ and is doing an amazing job of shining a light on the gender pay gap, I see her pushing things along and I find that really inspiring.

I also find a lot of inspiration from the women around me. I’m incredibly lucky to have an amazing whānau, friends, and women that I work with that are driven, thoughtful, incredibly smart, and just give the best advice and support.

Learn more about Melville Design here.