Different roads to the top

By MARK STORY

To Claire Eeles, deciding whether to accept a supplier's invitation to a blokes' rugby trip to today's Bledisloe Cup match in Sydney was a no-brainer. If this was something her male predecessors would have accepted, she felt compelled to do likewise.

Her appointment as the first woman CEO to run family owned building products company Stevenson & Sons in its 91-year history had staff wondering whether the board had finally flipped.

At face value the former bagpipe-playing head prefect who studied romantic languages at private girls' college St Cuthbert's was an unlikely candidate for top dog of a company dominated by older males.

But because of her building industry background and experience in supply chain management, Eeles was shoulder-tapped to take the top job at Stevenson's last year. At the time, she was working in Sydney helping to turn around the cost side of the Warehouse Group's Australian operation.

But her decision to build a career around helping businesses to implement change was more accidental than planned.

Having had her hopes of becoming a career diplomat dashed after graduating from Victoria University in 1989, Eeles had to quickly rethink what she could do with an honours degree in Political Economics.

Not really knowing where it might lead, she took a job in HR with Mobil NZ. While far from being her dream job she got her first taste of business and learned a lot about people processes.

So what sort of thinking underpins Eeles' unconventional road to the top?

With more than 13 years' experience in senior executive positions in New Zealand, Australia and the US, Eeles carved her way to the CEO's table by making daring career decisions.

Had she been comfortable with the prospect of joining the unglamorous world of paving and concrete, Eeles doubts she would have ever been attracted to the Stevenson's offer. The litmus test that it was the right move was the fear she felt in deciding to say yes.

Eeles decided long ago that if she only took jobs she was totally comfortable with she'd never extend her boundaries. That's why she has been attracted to companies brave enough to break industry conventions and undergo large scale change.

Much of her thinking as a "change-agent" was cultivated during a lengthy stint with Fletcher Challenge in the mid-1990s. Charged with developing the Learning Group within Fletcher Building Products, Eeles implemented best practice and operational excellence principles throughout the organisation's supply chain.

That meant rubbing shoulders with leading business gurus of the day and travelling extensively to find out what made the world's best companies tick. Her fascination with what made multinationals such as McDonald's, Wells Fargo Bank and SAP so successful led her to try her hand in the United States.

Despite being totally out of her comfort-zone, at the start of the new millennium Eeles applied for a job with Chicago-based business strategy and technology firm DiamondCluster International.

Looking back, she says putting herself on the line was like being on New York tycoon Donald Trump's reality TV show The Apprentice. But instead of being fired she ended up with a plum job.

Vying for this position against the cream of America's Ivy League graduates, she never really expected to be hired. "I never thought they'd pick me, but I knew if I could pull this off I'd double my knowledge," recalls Eeles.

"The other candidates were my age, but had spent so much time at university that I had an edge in the experience stakes. Coming from New Zealand also meant I had broader exposure to different business processes."

So what influences have had the biggest impact on Eeles' career development? It was some strong female figures at St Cuthbert's who implanted in Eeles the importance of learning how to learn.

What they also did, she recalls, was show her that being successful and competitive doesn't mean having to be aggressive. To Eeles, much of what it takes to be successful at anything is encapsulated within the writings of African-American poet Maya Angelou.

One poem in particular dares people to risk being themselves and pursue their passions.

She says many women in business forget they have inherent qualities that complement managing the changing business environment.

For example, the calmer and more collaborative approach women often take can make them better relationship builders. "As a result, they're often better all-round communicators."

From her observations businesswomen who assume the "perfumed steamroller" persona are their own worst enemy. Instead of trying to be men in women's clothing, she says they should focus on doing a good job. "That means not being afraid to get your hands dirty and earn grassroots respect."

That's why every Friday Eeles dons overalls, hard-hat, and plays side-kick to one of the Stevenson's drivers. She says washing trucks, sweeping the yard and talking with customers in the rain is a great way to learn what's really happening within the business.

"Being a 'new generation' business leader is as much about strategy and numbers as it is about communicating and collaborating on change," says Eeles. "Connecting people together is a big part of my approach to business integration. It helps me to understand which hot buttons will implement the right changes."

When it comes to career development, what skills does Eeles value the most? A post-graduate Diploma in Business from Massey helped her to cut her teeth on the first principles of business. But she says people skills, drive, and a willingness to develop are equally important.

From her observations the hardest thing for graduates to cope with is evolving from a self-centred student's existence into a business environment where performance is judged on team contribution.

"Crucial to career development today is knowing how to handle the personal team aspects of working in a large business, dealing with ambiguity and having an instinct for what you need to learn next," she says.

Over the next two years she plans to focus on getting Stevenson's fit for major growth. Meantime, in an effort to be more useful to the guys on a Friday, Eeles is planning to learn how to drive a forklift truck.

Once she has mastered that, she is contemplating learning how to drive a concrete mixer. "Sometimes taking an opportunistic approach to career development means being flexible enough to take the path less travelled.

"It may not be the easy path but you'll develop a new level of skill and experience."

Ten career development tips for women

* Accept roles that will make you grow

* Be yourself

* Always try something new

* Don't try to be a man in women's clothes

* Tackle jobs you are passionate about

* Be opportunistic about career development

* Be flexible

* Learn to handle ambiguity

* Accept responsibility for self development

* Expose yourself to learning opportunities