High-flyer quits career to become real success

Diana Judge specialises in volunteer tourism. Photo / Logan Davey Photography

A former high-flying Shell executive who once led a 600-strong marketing team has turned her hand to volunteer tourism to help build homes for the poor in Mexico and Africa.

Diana Judge grew up in Whakatane and completed a Bachelor of Property Administration at Auckland University before working her way up the corporate ladder at Fletcher Building and ASB Bank.

Looking for more of a challenge and a return to a job where she could put on a hard hat and steel cap boots again, she joined Shell New Zealand in 1996.

She then spent 10 years with the company, moving to Australia and the United States in a global marketing role before she had what she calls her Slumdog Millionaire moment on a visit to India.

"There I was in my chauffeur-driven limousine going to the airport when a little girl holding a baby began banging on my window asking for help. There was nothing I could do."

So when her contract in the US was ending, she told Shell she would be leaving to "retire" at the age of 37.

"I wanted to come back to New Zealand but there weren't many jobs at my level."

She had only been back for a short time when a conversation with Christian rock band Newsboys led her back to the US to help set up an aid organisation.

"I finished at Shell at midday on a Wednesday and then that night flew to New York."

She spent weeks on the road touring with the band and afterwards was asked to stay in Nashville.

But she had lived there before and preferred to move to Papamoa, near Tauranga, to live by the beach.

It was from there she set up Break-free Expeditions.

The company now runs trips to Mexico and Uganda where Kiwis pay to travel to a community and help build schools and homes.

Judge said those who go on the trips vary from parents who take spoiled children to give them a wake-up call, to the wives of corporate leaders.

She has taken 80 Kiwis so far and is now looking to set up similar trips to help communities in the Pacific and Asia.

Those who go on the trips pay for their airfare, accommodation and food costs as well as putting some money towards the building materials.

For the rest of the building materials she spends her time fundraising with her latest campaign focused on selling toilet paper.

Judge says her marketing experience at Shell gave her the ability to sell the concept to people here.

The only two things she misses about corporate life is the pay cheque and the people. "I have never worked so hard for no money in my life."

The upside is no corporate politics. In her business she is the cleaner, the MD and the tour guide.

She hasn't ruled out going back to corporate life. "I would never say never - I do get the corporate head hunters contacting me. But I haven't seen anything that would whet my appetite."