Career Conversations
Ideas, stories and practical tools for navigating your career
Career Conversations shares the stories behind remarkable careers. Some women knew exactly where they were headed. Others changed direction entirely. Some founded businesses, others transformed organisations, communities and industries. Every conversation offers a different perspective on work, leadership and finding your own way.
Originally published between 2018 and 2021, these conversations have been lightly edited for readability and updated where possible to reflect where each person is today.
Leadership
Career Change
Confidence
Entrepreneurship
Money
Wellbeing
Women at Work
Creativity
Purpose
STEM
Governance
Communication
Networking
Alexia Hilbertidou
Founder and CEO, GirlBoss New Zealand
Auckland, New Zealand
Alexia Hilbertidou was just 16 when she founded GirlBoss New Zealand. Driven by a desire to see more young women in STEM, business and leadership, she's built a movement that encourages girls to think bigger, challenge expectations and create opportunities for themselves and others.
Melissa Baer
Entrepreneur and Business Owner
Christchurch, New Zealand (and Canada)
Melissa Baer has always done things differently. From funding her own rugby career as a teenager to building businesses across two hemispheres, she's created a life driven by freedom, purpose and financial confidence rather than following a traditional career path.
Ivett Lengyel
Media Strategy Lead
New Zealand (originally from Hungary)
After building an award-winning media career in Hungary, Ivett Lengyel made the bold decision to leave it all behind and start again in New Zealand. Her story is a reminder that reinvention isn't about starting from scratch—it's about backing yourself, staying curious and embracing lifelong learning.
Sharee Harper
General Manager, Swazi
Levin, New Zealand
As General Manager of Swazi and a single mum of two, Sharee Harper knows that leadership isn't just about running a business. It's about resilience, communication and creating a working life where family and career can genuinely thrive together.
Brough Johnson
Film and Television Editor, Founder of Narrative Muse
Auckland, New Zealand
Award-winning film and television editor Brough Johnson has spent her career telling stories from behind the camera. She's also passionate about creating more opportunities for women in the screen industry, where representation matters as much behind the lens as in front of it.
Suran Dickson
Leadership and Inclusion Consultant, Flipside Consulting
Christchurch, New Zealand
After founding an anti-bullying charity in the UK and leading it for six years, Suran Dickson returned home to New Zealand with a renewed focus on leadership, inclusion and helping people build healthier, more resilient workplaces and communities.
Charmaine Nguru
Media and Events Leader
Media and Events Leader
From chef training to radio, television and leading major events, Charmaine Nguru's career proves that no experience is ever wasted. Her story is about continuous learning, staying adaptable and redefining what success looks like as life and work evolve around you.
Monique Surges
Chief Executive, German-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce
Auckland, New Zealand
Monique Surges has built an international career spanning Germany and New Zealand. As a leader, mother and advocate for sustainable business, she shares why curiosity, resilience and lifelong learning have shaped every stage of her career, both at home and abroad.
Sandra Clair
Founder, Artemis
Dunedin, New Zealand
Sandra Clair has spent decades exploring the connection between people, plants and wellbeing. Combining science, traditional knowledge and entrepreneurship, she's built a career centred on helping others live healthier lives, while continually challenging herself to keep learning and growing.
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