My job: Dairy boss keeps big cheese happy

Sheryn Cook balances her demanding role with her job as a mum to two young children. Photo / Supplied

Name: Sheryn Cook
Occupation: General manager
Employer: Kaimai Cheese Company
Age: 38
Salary: GMs usually start out on $100-120,000, depending on size of the company
Working hours: 60-plus
Qualifications: BCapSc from the University of Otago

Describe your job?

I am the general manager of Kaimai Cheese Company. I have about 70 full-time employees across two sites (Waharoa, near Matamata and Havelock North) and I report to the Kaimai Cheese board of directors. My work is varied: I meet with my senior staff regularly and one day I may be talking to key customers, the next I may be talking to shareholders or directors.

What is your background?

On the job, really - I started out with a passion for the dairy industry and have been involved ever since. I do have a university degree in Consumer and Applied Sciences.

I started working for the New Zealand Dairy Board in 1997 as a technical officer for the North Asian Market.

In 2000 I was transferred by the Dairy Board to Swindon in the United Kingdom as sales and marketing manager. In 2002, just after the New Zealand Dairy Board became Fonterra, my role was transferred over to Hamburg, Germany.

I met my husband, Frank, in Hamburg and we married in 2004. We moved back to New Zealand at the beginning of 2005 when my international contract with Fonterra came to an end.

Why did you choose to work with the dairy industry?

I have always enjoyed the down-to-earth nature of the dairy industry - it has always had an appeal. I have stepped outside the dairy industry really only once for 12 months with a pharmaceutical company. It did not take me long to realise it was not my cup of tea.

You were head-hunted to do this job and you have been instrumental in getting Kaimai off the ground - what did that involve?

I was in the right place at the right time - Kaimai ticked all the right boxes for me.

I was there from day one getting the business and the brand off the ground. It has meant a lot of hard work and a lot of tenacity and perseverance.

It is not easy getting a company off the ground and definitely not for the faint-hearted.

What would an "average day" involve?

Getting up at 5.30am to get myself and my children organised for the day. Our nanny turns up at 8am so I head off to the office then.

Generally I am working in the office or meeting with staff until lunch time. Our business is still very much a start-up company, so I spend a lot of time working on business and process improvements.

I am still more involved in the detail probably then I should be - but that would be expected at this early stage of company development. I do spend a lot of time on the phone with stakeholders or customers.

I try to leave the office between 4pm and 5pm to get home to the babies. In the evening, after the kids are in bed, I work from home and I always squeeze in some exercise somewhere.

Why is your role important?

I execute the board of directors' strategy - so I make things happen. Given that I have been involved since day one with the detail, I can direct my attention to any part of the organisation where issues arise.

What are the job's main challenges?

Managing expectations of the board and leading an experienced team of senior managers.

The best part of your job?

I enjoy a challenge and Kaimai has certainly provided me with that.

Any negatives?

A start-up business is tough and being the boss means it can be lonely at times, so good mentoring is important.

What are your strengths?

I have proven I have a degree of tenacity and don't give up easily. My biggest strength, really, is probably being able to put together teams of people to help deliver the result. I always employ people who can do the job better than I can do it.

You have a demanding job but you're also married and mum to two children under 2. How do you balance work and family?

It is a constant juggle, as any working mum will attest to, and requires a lot of planning. I have a great nanny and a great supportive husband, so those are the main areas covered off.

I think I'm also lucky as I live close to work so I don't have the added pressure of commuting, which most working mums would have.

What do you want to be doing in five years?

Not sure - but I definitely will be involved in the food industry.

Advice to those interested in a similar role?

Always expect it is going to take longer to happen than what you thought. An "overnight success" definitely takes about 10 years.