Marie, what is your background?

Facing a major restructure at one of the big four banks back in 2004, I decided to take voluntary redundancy and enrolled in Bachelor Business Degree with Double Major in HR and Industrial Relations. From then on, I sought specific roles within mechanical engineering, manufacturing, lighting and service industry to gain more practical industrial relations exposure. I have since graduated with a Master of HR with Distinction in 2019 at WSU.

How long have you worked in HVAC / trade services?

I have worked in trade services since 2011 (German Crane Company) and more recently in HVAC, Mechanical and Fire industries for the last 4 years as General Manager, People & Compliance, overseeing all HR functions, WHSEQ and Compliance.

What are the challenges you see over the next few years?

The global pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on every industry, however we have seen an increased demand for hybrid heating, ventilation and cooling systems to filter indoor air, keep the environment healthy while at the same time ensuring energy efficiency and minimising our environmental footprint.

There is a significant push for more HVAC innovations in general – given our extreme climate conditions and with energy costs continuously rising, there is a real potential for emerging smart HVAC technology focused on sustainability.

The challenge it creates for HR is a shortage of qualified technicians, exacerbated by border closures, however we can certainly work on some strategies starting with our employer branding, showcasing our values of Integrity, Safety, Customers and People, and putting a solid plan in place to promote and/or re-establish an inclusive culture that embodies these values.

With the right tools and approaches, it will put us in good stead to win the war on talent.

In the short time you have been at Precise, what has impressed you?

PAG, from what I have experienced so far, has a good workplace culture where employees have been empowered to put the customers first; they are passionate about their work and about the business.
There is a good structure in place, great policies and perks, and the business has made significant investment in implementing the required tools that will further drive efficiency, productivity and compliance.

With external forces exerting more pressure on organisations, this new regulatory environment creates the need to balance the customer experience and compliance without compromising on either. The leaders have sensed that change is required and have embarked on a journey from top down to instil a process performance culture within PAG while still maintaining focus on delivering service excellence.

What are you looking forward to achieving?

As the dust continues to settle from the pandemic and we come out of crisis mode, I am looking forward to supporting the business strategy by taking a holistic approach to developing a blueprint for the culture we want to have.

Focusing on a renewed attention to the employee experience from recruitment to onboarding, training & development, career progression, reward & recognition, communication and transparency etc and adopting best practice to set expectations for desired behaviours to ensure our business is well-positioned to cope with regulatory change.

I am very excited to be part of that cultural transformation with the Executive team to drive our objectives for the benefit of all stakeholders.