International Women's Day - Ngaire Mansfield

Ngaire Mansfield

General Manager/Director
Straight Flush Group

What do you do in your current role?
Oversee operations across three sites in a very broad sense, also some business-as-usual work with accounts payable.

What do you particularly enjoy about it?
I enjoy looking for ways to do things better and watching people succeed.

How long have you been with your organisation?
16 years almost to the day!

How do you find working in a male dominated industry?
No problem at all. Certainly not in our business where we have men in the office and women on the tools.

Have you encountered any specific challenges?
Burnout is a big problem for any business owner. The last three years have tested that immensely, the next two will even moreso. We all think we can do more than what we actually can. Delegating is a skill that takes some mastering.

Please share any standout moments in your life.
Having my children

What does your organisation do for inclusion and diversity?
We employ go-getters and it doesn't matter a stick to me what age, gender, race or background they have, as long as they can prove themselves and do the job.

What or who inspires you?
Against the odds stories.

What do you wish you had known before you started in your profession?
How much it would butt into normal life after working a day job on salary. Especially when kids came along. How it can sometimes take priority over personal life. But success doesn't come from luck; hard work pays off. When you own a business it's not really about going to work whenever you like just because you can. You have responsibilities on your shoulders that don't always occur during business hours.

What would you tell another woman interested in the plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying industry?
Start approaching companies like ours, there are plenty of us out there willing to give them a chance or point them in the right direction if they have the right attitude and show some aptitude towards what we do.

Any final comments?
Diversity and inclusion will one day be normalised to the point where we don't need to make special mention of it anymore.

International Women's Day is about a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that's diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women's equality.

Find out more: www.internationalwomensday.com