Waikato Business News March/April 2020

14 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS March/April 2020
REMARKABLE WOMEN
Remarkable Women
- The Asset Recruitment team
For more than 30 years Asset Recruitment
has been ‘positioning excellence’
throughout Waikato, and between
their eight-strong team, they have close to
a century of experience in the recruitment
industry.
Manager and Temporary Recruitment
Consultant Carmel Strange has been with
Asset for almost 30 years. “We’re very experienced
in knowing it’s all about having the
right people, and it is certainly our team that
makes Asset what it is,” says Carmel. “It’s
a busy and fast-paced industry and we all
work very hard, but we are all very supportive
of each other and ensure we find the time
to have fun.”
“It certainly wasn’t a conscious decision,”
says Carmel, “but we have become an
all-women recruitment agency”. The company’s
temporary recruitment division is
headed by Carmel, while executive recruitment
is led by Judy Davison, who has been
with Asset Recruitment for more than 20
years. Permanent recruitment is a joint effort
between Paula Jorgensen and Judith Bright,
with combined recruitment experience of
more than 35 years. Temporary industrial
recruitment is run by Pearl Parsons, who
sources hard-working staff to fill a range of
roles. Rachael Griffin works with the team in
a marketing capacity.
“We have a lot of experience and knowledge
within our team and everyone plays an
integral part,” says Carmel, “we’re very for-
Positioning Excellence
our clients’ business environment, so we can
confidently match the right candidates with
what we do here at Asset Recruitment, the right organisation.” and it is
The team keeps a close eye on the market
and has that with has the ability seen to be us flexible,
that commitment to excellence
anticipate changes and pursue opportunities.
Reflecting on company current events across in the
recognised as a leading recruitment
globe, Carmel says, “the markets constantly
Waikato for more than 30 years. change, but we’re now all moving into
unchartered territory and like any other business,
we’ll be under pressure for a while.”
We work with you to ensure you hire the But right as we fit navigate for your these company. uneasy times,
A job seeker who shares your company’s the Asset values, team is is passionate focused continuing about to
tunate that we can all jump in and help each provide support and guidance. “We are here
other their when work needed, and plus will we’re be the supported best ambassador by for our clients for your and candidates organisation. to discuss any
our fantastic admin team.” Frontline Administrator,
Aysha Townsend and Recruitment are a business owner or want to discuss
questions or concerns,” says Carmel. “If you
your
Coordinator, Shaye Tudor have been with
Asset for 13 years between them. “Aysha
and Shaye are most definitely the backbone
The Asset team: Aysha, Judith, Judy,
Carmel, Paula, Pearl, Rachael and Shaye.
that holds us all together”, says Carmel.
She believes Asset’s success is based on
building relationships and being extremely
particular about finding the right people for
the right roles. “The relationships we build
with our clients and candidates are extremely
important.” Some of these relationships span
many years. “We work hard to understand
Positioning Excellence – it’s at the heart of
Recruit with Excellence. Recruit with Asset.
Temporary | Permanent | Executive | Industrial
07 839 3685 | www.assetrec.co.nz
current employment situation, please reach
out, our communication channels are fully
open.”
Women
with a
mission
With the world
celebrating International
Women’s Day earlier
in March it was an
opportune moment for
Waikato Business News
to approach a group of
women in Waikato who
play key roles in business
and learning.
While there are many
more, who we have
introduced to you over the
years, we know you will
enjoy reading these brief
profiles and discovering
more about what has
encouraged this group
to head their fields in
academia and commerce.
Passionate about Waikato Business
Joining Hamilton law firm McCaw Lewis eight years ago has given Laura
Monahan the opportunity to give back to the community she grew up in.
Brought up in a family that
owned a Hamilton panel
beating firm, she got her
law degree from the University
of Waikato.
After qualifying came a stint in
the corporate and commercial team
at a large Auckland law firm, and
then in-house legal counsel for a UK
healthcare company.
McCaw Lewis was the perfect
fit when she returned from London
in 2012. Monahan knew and liked
some of the lawyers working there,
and it was the only practice she
applied to work at. Now a Managing
Associate in the Commercial
Team, she is a leader of the future
for the firm.
A lot of her work now is with
small and medium enterprises, and
she sees her role as helping make
things happen as painlessly as
possible for her clients.
McCaw Lewis and Laura
understand our business
and how we operate very
well. This enables Laura
to cut to the chase. It is
a very straightforward
relationship and works
well for us.
“Growing up with small business
owners, I am passionate about helping
business owners “get it done”,
she says.
Client Phil Deason, General Manager
and Director at FocusThree,
a privately held investment company
dealing in commercial property
and investments, says Laura is
a great lawyer who operates with
efficiency and humour.
“McCaw Lewis and Laura
understand our business and
how we operate very well. This
enables Laura to cut to the chase.
It is a very straightforward relationship
and works well for us.
“We trust Laura and the team to
look after us and occasionally protect
us from ourselves (and tell us when
they need to).”
Laura’s range of practice includes
commercial shareholder arrangements,
sales and purchases of businesses,
contractual work and limited
partnerships. She is also increasingly
moving into Māori commercial
governance, which sees her learning
te reo Māori, and she has joined
the firm’s kapa haka rōpū. She is
enjoying it.
“The legal concepts are the same,
but you get a real people and whānau
element - different personalities and
different dynamics. I find it really
interesting and it’s great to be able to
contribute in this space.”
Laura and her husband now have
two daughters, aged six and two-anda-half,
and she says the firm has been
supportive of the need for flexibility.
“The firm doesn’t just pay lip service
to the concept of a work/life balance;
the Directors and senior management
actively encourage staff to have lives
outside of work, whether that is for
family reasons or otherwise.” This
supportive environment has attracted
top women lawyers to the firm for
P 07 838 2079
many decades, through all levels of
the business. Having children has
also influenced Laura’s community
involvement: she is on the Board of
the Angel Casts Charitable Trust and
Chair of the Board of the Waikato
Family Centre Trust.
The former creates tangible memories
in the form of casts of children
who have passed away or are terminally
ill, while the Waikato Family
Centre provides support for families/
E reception@mccawlewis.co.nz
Level 6, 586 Victoria Street, Hamilton 3204, New Zealand
whānau with young children.
“It’s important to me to feel that
I’m giving back to the community
at this point of my life. Children
are something that, obviously, are
factoring quite highly in my life.
So I’ve picked two children-based
charities to focus on for now.
“Hamilton’s in my blood,” she
says. “I just think Hamilton’s such a
lovely place to live, and a fantastic
place to raise a family.”
Laura Monahan - Commercial lawyer at McCaw Lewis