Strata Community Association (NSW) has two new Directors following the 2018 Annual General Meeting.
Anne-Maree Paull is the newest Director representing the Strata Services Chapter. She is passionate about the strata industry having been in it for the past seven years through her roles within CHU Underwriting Agencies where she is currently Chief Customer Officer.
Anne-Maree has contributed greatly to SCA (NSW) already by serving on the NSW Strata Services Committee, the NSW Policy and Legislative Committee, both the NSW and National Events Committees and Professional Standards Scheme Sub-committee.
She has coupled this with her completion of the AICD Company Directors course so she could achieve her goal of serving on the SCA (NSW) Board. Anne-Maree also holds a Bachelor of Economics from Sydney University where she majored in accounting and law.
Also being a strata owner herself, Anne-Maree comes from that unique position of being able to both identify with the needs of strata owners and the requirements of the strata industry especially after working through the recent NSW strata legislative reform.
Anne-Maree’s career started in general insurance and saw her also work for a time in Singapore in the late 1990’s when her husband James, took a role with Fuji Bank. As luck would have it, Royal and Sun Alliance (RSA) where she had been working had a regional office and so Anne-Maree found herself working with expats from the UK as well as the local Singaporean team in the Asia Pacific regional office. She loved working with and being a valued member of the local team.
During this time she completed a Diploma in Direct Marketing and this lead to a new role within RSA as Marketing Director for Asia Pacific, but this meant a move back to Sydney. Eventually the path took her to CHU and the strata industry which she says feels like home.
Anne-Maree says her career passion is helping others and she feels she has been lucky to work in roles where she has been able to make a difference. Despite recent adverse publicity, the insurance industry does benefit people and Anne-Maree has had the satisfaction of handing cheques to people who have been unable to work, who have suffered major health issues or to people who have lost spouses, parents or their homes. She says that in strata, helping people when disaster strikes their strata property is vital.. That’s what makes the job so satisfying.
Being a mentor is also something Anne-Maree is passionate about. She enjoys mentoring and guiding other embarking on their careers, particularly young women juggling family and career. She says there is nothing better than seeing their personal development and success.
Within the strata industry, Anne-Maree says that the industry is about to see higher levels of regulation and compliance as well as more work. She says that professional standards for strata managers will be paramount to the future and higher standards will be expected for both new and existing entrants to the strata industry.
For anyone starting or thinking of starting their strata careers, Anne-Maree says do your research. Look at the SCA (NSW) website, NSW Fair Trading and key industry players. Talk to as many people as possible in the industry and as them for referrals to people they know. She says that those in strata are a pretty open and helpful bunch who may lead to new opportunities and other industry contacts.
Where does Anne-Maree see herself in 10 years’ time? She says she hopes to be happy, healthy and travelling as well as volunteering at the local children’s hospital and using those board qualifications serving on a board or two. Even in retirement, Anne-Maree firmly believes in having a purpose and reason to get out of bed each day. She has even hinted that it would be great to be a grandmother (but not quite yet!) and be able to help her children out.
Welcome Anne-Maree to the SCA (NSW) Board.