When I look back on what I have achieved with Toll Global Freight in Penang, Malaysia I’d have to say setting up the Centre of Excellence team here has been a definite highlight. Growing it from 9 to 300 people, has meant we’ve become one of the most well-known employers in the Shared Services industry in Penang. We couldn’t have got there without the drive and support of the team we have. We have a positive culture with some outstanding employment engagement activities we’ve developed along the way. To be responsible for training and developing young Customer Service staff into managerial and specialist roles has also been very rewarding.

When people arrive here, they’re amazed by the positive energy. We are in a period of rapid growth and enjoy a very active workspace. We have an open layout, free of barriers and cubicles. You can see people in action and there’s always a lot of communication making it quite a vibrant environment. Our area is offshore processing and when people join, they tend to stay due to our positive culture. Turnover is low and people are willing to support others – there’s a real sense of belonging and teamwork. The structure is flat and so you get to know people well, right down to their children’s names. It’s fantastic when I’ve been introduced by my team as one of their best managers. It makes me feel great and that feeling stays with me. It keeps my morale high.

What I really thrive on at Toll are the values we share, and the experiences shared with the people around me. We’re all here to support each other for the benefit of Toll as a whole. Everyone is collaborating freely and there’s excellent knowledge sharing. The high priority placed on safety is also something you really come to admire. A lot of work goes into the continuous improvement of safety. Here it’s more than talk. We have policies and programs that ensure mistakes don’t happen - your life and wellbeing is precious and valued.

What’s also excellent is how I have been pushed out of my comfort zone since the very start and handed opportunities. Being petite and female at other workplaces I had to talk louder to be heard, but not at Toll. People listen and are respectful. As a HR Manager I have been given full opportunities and support to move into operations – something I’d never done before.

These opportunities also opened doors to greater access to management and mentoring, and I got to attend the Senior Leadership Conference, which was excellent. When you can have one-on-one meetings with your direct boss’ boss, it allows you to learn an incredible amount. Just the opportunity to have that access meant a great deal to me.

“After working remotely, it was great to be back at Toll and see everyone again. We went through some extremely difficult challenges in 2020 but we got things done. You come back and are excited to see everyone, and to have lunch!”