INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY 2023

INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY 2023

To celebrate this years International Women’s Day theme to #EmbraceEquity, we invited our Office Manager, Melissa Sandona to share her personal experience on the challenges and opportunities that arise in embracing equity.

“I haven’t always been this confident, when I started working I was always fearful that I wasn’t good enough – it really is only the last 10 or so years I can say that I have been more confident in myself and my abilities. When I think about what it is that helped me be more confident and have a voice it is definitely Marty, Bruce and Mark – they had confidence in me, the support they give, while being challenged, and held accountable, all encouraged me to grow and learn. I am so thankful for them.

My role as Office Manager is unique, I assist Steve, Marty, and Bruce as well as the other senior leaders in the business, I am responsible for payroll, ensuring compliance with policies and processes things such as tax with the ATO, down to travel – no two days are the same. I started out in the Hire department but back then that also included doing payroll, bank reconciliations, accounts payable, you name it we did it. I guess the payroll/finance side has always been a strength of mine and my role has morphed over time to eventually be what it is today. The real joy for me is seeing other people happy, seeing the company grow, constantly changing and improving.

The advice I would give other women in the industry as well as my younger self would be keep driving towards what you want, there is no limit to what you can do and where you can go. Never give up on your dreams.”