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
Alice Shopland
Founder, Angel Food
Auckland, New Zealand
Long before plant-based food became mainstream, Alice Shopland founded Angel Food with little more than conviction, curiosity and a willingness to learn. She shares what it takes to build a business around your values, navigate uncertainty and define success on your own terms.
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.
Melissa Gollan
Founder, RIP Global
Wellington, New Zealand
Melissa Gollan didn't expect her career to take the path it did. After working towards a future in policing, an unexpected life event forced her to rethink everything. Today, she's the founder of fintech company RIP Global, championing women in business and innovation.
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.
Abbe Hyde
Entrepreneur and Innovation Consultant
Dunedin, New Zealand
Abbe Hyde never imagined becoming an entrepreneur. What began with a university enterprise programme and an exchange semester in the United States eventually led her into the startup world, where she's learnt that curiosity, trust and saying yes can open unexpected doors.
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.
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