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| Chris Rowe- a Profile |
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One of the important matters to consider with any choice of mediator, facilitator, or consultant is: is this person the “right fit” for our needs? This is the kind of information about Chris which might help you decide…… Chris was brought up on a farm near Palmerston North, New Zealand, and enjoyed the benefits of early education in a tiny country school. Following her secondary education and Bachelor of Arts in languages at Massey University, she joined the foreign service. During a posting to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from the age of 23, Chris developed a strong interest in Asian cultures, and made many longstanding friendships throughout the countries of South East Asia in particular. Chris’ preparation for her specialist work in employment matters began with her role as Graduate Recruitment Officer for the public service in the late 1970s. During numerous on -site interviews at universities she developed a “nose” for the very best candidates, and was able to persuade them of the benefits of a career in the public service. As sole executive support for the “Danks” Committee on Official Information, a team of 8 Chief Executives and Academics, which produced New Zealand’s Official Information Act, Chris was exposed to the consultative processes which surround commissions of enquiry. She learned how to deal effectively with a mass of varied documentation and opinion on a subject which required careful consideration of the law, privacy and public policy. Chris was intimately involved with the writing of the Report on the Committee’s work, the notes to the legislation, and the preparation within departments for the implementation phase. For several years during the 1980s Chris headed a team of State Services Commission and Foreign Affairs executives who set and monitored conditions of service for New Zealanders posted overseas. This work involved careful research, consultation and negotiation in the many countries where New Zealand was represented, requiring frequent travel to all parts of the world. But Chris had other passions, and in 1985 she succumbed to her creativity side by purchasing a clothing boutique which incorporated a factory and a shop. This was a baptism by fire into the ragtrade, a most difficult industry at the best of times, but New Zealand was heading into recession. She survived and enjoyed the challenge for 4 years, before being coaxed back into corporate life by a client of the boutique who wanted a Personnel/Administration Manager for her large and reputable public relations company. During this period Chris met her current partner Michael, who lived and owned his own business in Melbourne. She moved to Melbourne in 1989, where she worked as a Human Resources Consultant, initially for Deloitte Ross Tohmatsu, and then for Corporate Dynamics Ltd, the company Michael and Chris set up and run to this day. After 8 years in Melbourne, Chris moved back to New Zealand with Michael, and they are based in the tiny settlement of Sandspit on the Mahurangi Peninsula, near Warkworth. Here they indulge their love of nature, as they live among 2 acres of mature kauri and other native trees, surrounded by native wood pigeons and other bird life, and just a short walk to the sea. Their purpose-built office allows them to practise as management consultant (Michael) and mediator and employment relations advisor (Chris), enoy the utmost in tranquillity, while being just one hour’s drive from Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city. Since returning to New Zealand in 1995, Chris returned to study and completed her Graduate Diploma in Business Studies (Dispute Resolution), and, following a further series of examinations and practical experience, was admitted as a Fellow Mediation of the Arbitrators' and Mediators' Institute of New Zealand (AMINZ), and to the AMINZ Panel of Mediators. This additional study has reinforced the extensive international experience Chris has had in the fields of negotiation, conflict management and mediation. In her limited leisure time, Chris enjoys playing and listening to music, reading, writing, daily coastal walks, and socialising with her many friends, family and associates. |