Past, Present & Future

Becky: I was dropped off in NZ with zero English at the age of 13. For the first time in my life I thought I would starve to death because I couldn't speak.  While you can learn to get food without words, I realised crossing the migrant-local barrier needs English language, but you also need so much more.  Collecting building blocks from mentors along the way, despite the challenges, I ended up working for Helen Clark, the Prime Minister, in communications. The transformation from a world where everyone said second language speakers couldn’t succeed to standing tall in the epicenter of New Zealand's political scene put me on a mission to ensure other migrants don’t just survive, they thrive. There I met a kindred spirit, Shilinka Smith.

Shilinka: Growing up in NZ with mixed ethnicities but looking like the majority culture means I regularly see both the opportunities that workplaces miss out on by not being open to diversity.  I also see the miscommunication that happens in cross-cultural spaces if people are not used to it.  Becasue of this experience, I have always studied and chosen work in diverse environments, whether at Oxford, INSEAD, AUT or Victoria  University of Wellington, whether in Maori Development,  Multicultural Affairs, Pacific Island Affairs or working to enhance organisational performance at the Public Service Commission, NZ Treasury or Office of the Auditor General.   After meeting Becky, we knew we had  to use our diverse skills to try new ways to ensure everyone benefits from all of our diversity.