Her Magazine is New Zealand’s only women’s business lifestyle magazine! Her Magazine highlights the achievements of successful and rising New Zealand businesswomen. Her Magazine encourages a healthy work/life balance.
Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/108312
:a voice worth hearing A voice worth hearing Sandy Burgham is out to turn the volume of selflimiting beliefs down – especially if they're coming from imaginary voices in our heads WHO IS SANDY BURGHAM? Sandy is an executive coach/brand strategist/writer/speaker. Her 30 year career includes roles as Managing Partner for Mojopartners, Consultant for Beaufort Management Consultants in London, Founding Director of The Providence Report social insights research company, Director of Barkers Men's Clothing and Max Fashions, the latter where she was Acting CEO, Marketing Director and a founder of the Max Foundation for NZ Women. She is recognized as one of the NZ communications industry's most senior representatives and has frequently judged industry awards. Sandy has provided social commentary to the wider public via news, columns, public speaking and latterly her blog the wtfproject.com. A half Japanese New Zealander, she is married with two children and lives between Auckland and Great Barrier Island. "My working life (the word 'career' seems so dated) has been in distinct phases. Phase One: Advertising; from office junior at 18 to Managing Partner at 33. Phase Two: The social insights researching and writing years. Phase Three: The board positions and retail years in my 40's. I was the Marketing Director and on the board of Max and also Barkers for a number of years. Phase Four: I have just started Phase Four which will feature Exec Coaching and Writing amongst other things." 26 | www.h e rmagaz i n e . c o. n z Where did you grown up? Pakuranga, Auckland. I thought it was great and that everyone wanted to live there. In the 60's, new suburbs like this were all very "now"! What did your parents do? After years of being a housewife, Mum was starting to find her feet as a Japanese teacher before she died way too early when she was 56 years and I was 18. After retiring from the army, Dad became a toll-booth operator on the Auckland Harbour Bridge. They sought ex-military personnel for values like dependability and stability. Dad said it was a stress-free job he quite enjoyed. I remember thinking it was quite glamorous! How did your culture influence your career choice? Both parents focused on who we were as people, our value system and were uninterested in "careers". My Mother was Japanese, an intellectual and spiritual person and my Japanese heritage is increasingly influential in my work/life choices as I mature. I am interested in the philosophical nature of who we are and how this is expressed in all realms including work. Where did you attend school? Edgewater College Pakuranga. Looking back I'd call it a fairly standard unremarkable state school. But being a positive and optimistic sort, I thought it was fabulous. I had a great time and did well. What qualifications do you hold? Diploma of Marketing, Certificate in Advertising from years ago when AUT was ATI. I have a global certification in Coaching as well. Sometimes I think academic qualifications are overrated in certain vocations. My view of study is changing and certainly I have become more interested in the sheer joy of learning and am currently assessing study options for 2013. What has been one of the proudest moments you've had as a parent? The word 'proud' makes me squirm a bit I think we should be saying "Good for you!" not "Good for me!" Aren't we always kind of proud as parents? This week I watched Pete who is 12 finally nail his backhand turn thing in surfing. Pippi just got NCEA2 endorsed with excellence. I was happy for them…. not me. What does your husband do? He is passionate about innovation and creativity for kids. He has a TV show called Let's Get Inventin'. How important is it to have a supportive spouse with a demanding corporate role? Completely critical. A lot of planets have to align for women to swing these top jobs. When I was in the corporate game Luke was supportive conceptually but I thought fell a bit short practically and could have done a lot more housework. So I brought in a cast of thousands to make it all work.