123- Moira Harris - Managing Director - Hygrade Water

In this episode, I chat to Moira Harris, the managing director of Hygrade Water Australia, a family-owned startup. The company manufactures, imports and distributes specialised water-related products for the civil construction industry, and employs 25 people across its two branches in Brisbane and Sydney. Moira is a strong business leader with experience in operations management, sales management, negotiation, marketing and stakeholder relations - all roles she held since emigrating from Scotland to Australia in 2000. She shares the lessons she’s learned along the way as a female in male-dominated industries, and as the managing director of a ‘isolated’ startup in Australia. Moira also touches in the pressure to assimilate and how executive coaching has taught her to stay true to herself. Episode highlights: Background of Hygrade Water Australia - a startup of parent company, New Zealand-based Hynds Group Most of Hygrade Water’s products are brought in from Europe - specialised products Why the owners of Hynds wanted to branch out Moving from being distributors into the specialist space Morphing Hygrade Water in New Zealand and Australia Corporate vs family-owned business Moira’s background - born in Singapore, moved back to her family’s small village in Scotland and the youngest of her 7 siblings Moira’s first job working for the Ministry of Defence delivering mail to warships Why Moira emigrated to Australia in 2000 - bored with everyday life in Scotland The different jobs and companies Moira has worked for up until now Succession planning for external candidates - a surprise for Moira in her career What executive coaching has taught Moira - never change yourself Working in male dominated industries The pressure to assimilate as a female Moira’s thoughts on the lack of female representation - looking at why they’re not attracting female applicants How Moira came back to Queensland from Melbourne - Humes’ $120m superplant in Ipswich, QLD Moira finding out she had breast cancer in 2013 - working through it to maintain a shred of normalcy and reflecting on what she wanted to do The mandate for Hygrade Water Australia - slow and steady conservative growth by building up its customer base that won’t go anywhere else Preparing to grow into the manufacturing space in the future What Moira does to invest in growing herself professionally - industry forums and workshops How the manufacturing space is changing and what Moira thinks about it Five-year plan for Hygrade Water Australia Moira’s professional future - nothing is off the cards Being an introvert in business - forcing yourself out there How Moira switches off - a member of F45, not for her fitness but for her mental health Arete Website: http://areteexecutive.com.au/ Richard Triggs LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardtriggs/ Tap Into the Hidden Executive Job Market: http://areteexecutive.com.au/free-book/ Moira Harris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moira-harris-a7a7a622/?originalSubdomain=au Hygrade Water Website: https://www.hygradewater.com.au/

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