It’s been five years since Shari Despot joined the Maxum team and we’re celebrating this milestone. We caught up with Shari to have a chat about her journey and to talk through some of the highlights:
Tell us a little bit about yourself
I’m a Queenslander through and through and love the lifestyle up here. I have two young boys, Brodie and Harvey and with my husband we love to take every opportunity to get out in the sunshine – whether it’s a swim in the pool, kicking the footy outside or a weekend away.
Tell us a little bit about your journey at Maxum Foods
After working in professional practice for a few years, I decided I wanted a change and that’s when I landed at Maxum Foods. Since I have been at Maxum I have seen a lot of change – number of employees, locations, systems, you name it! I have been lucky enough to have had opportunities to get involved in plenty of projects.
What do you actually do?
It depends what day you catch me! I’m the Financial Controller at Maxum and over time I have touched a bit of everything finance related – debtors, payments, payroll, reporting and compliance. These days, I manage the finance team in Manila and Brisbane, look after the compliance obligations across the group including our dairy farm and work on system improvements.
What’s the one thing that has changed the most during your time at Maxum Foods?
The size of the team and the systems – hands down!
Nicknames: What do they call you in the office?
S, Shaz, Shaz-dog.
What is the best ‘work perk’ at Maxum Foods?
It would have to be the culture. I get to work alongside such a supportive and diverse group of people who know how to work hard and play hard.
Do you have a favourite story from the last five years that you would like to share?
Our 20-year celebration would take the cake. We got to celebrate the success of our Directors in growing the company with our colleagues from Melbourne, NZ and Manila. It was great opportunity to catch up and reminisce on the “good old days”.
What do you get up to when you’re not at work?
It’s mum-life. My boys keep me on my toes – we are always exploring outdoors and enjoy a long weekend away in our caravan. If we can jag a babysitter, I also enjoy a nice meal out and a couple of cocktails with my husband.
Congratulations on 5 years Shari, we are looking forward to many more years with you on the team.
