Michelle Hollinshead - Office Manager

When I saw the job description for Office & Facilities Manager at ING Real Estate, it sounded perfect. People immediately identify with the ING brand and it feels good to work for a global company, but the initial attraction for me was the new role. There’s a positive work/life balance, good career prospects and the remuneration package is generous.

As Office Manager, I liaise with a lot of departments including HR, IT, Legal, and Compliance and have regular contact with their staff, virtually on a daily basis. I’m busier than ever now as the Sydney office has quadrupled since I joined 3½ yrs ago, but I’m looking to expand my role in the New Year so that I can focus on bigger tasks that need my attention.

I left college aged 18 after completing a secretarial course back in the 1980s. Since then I worked as a Personal Assistant for 12 years before becoming an Office Manager. Being a PA was always very hands on and, as I mostly worked for small companies, I got involved in all aspects of running the office including setting up new offices.

What I love most about my work is the variety; it’s always busy and I thrive on looking at ways to improve things. I need to be extremely well-organized, efficient, proactive and have the ability to deal with people at all levels.

What I learned

I’ve had to learn that you can please some of the people some of the time, but not all the people all of the time. I appreciate being valued by my peers for the service I provide. I would say that the culture within ING Real Estate can best be described as work hard, play hard.