Anna Thomson, General Manager
“Client’s needs change and understanding those needs and objectives helps us deliver a service that is relevant and provides the depth of support required”.
A strong customer service ethos accompanied Anna Thomson when she was appointed to the role of General Manager of CES in 2008.
Anna was already based in Christchurch working in a senior management role at LINZ for the previous five years. The role involved development and implementation of significant HR and IT process change, transforming the way the LINZ interacted with its customers. The transition to CES, has been a logical step, using her experience with IT and people change management.
Under Anna’s leadership CES has updated its IT platform, using technology to mechanise some processes, increasing clients’ efficiency and access to their accounting information. She encourages clients to provide feedback about CES service delivery, noting, “It’s important for us to understand how our clients regard CES and the level of service we provide. We can then use this information to improve what we do, and how we deliver our services ensuring we are meeting our clients’ needs”.
Anna feels it’s also important that clients tap into CES and the organisation’s significant reserve of expertise, whenever they need to.
CES has further development planned too, that will deliver benefits to clients across all of its divisions.
Anna originally trained as a nurse. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce, has held a number of senior managerial roles in health and has had prior business interests developing and running a small business.
Physical activity plays a big part in Anna’s life, with road biking being one of her favorite sports. Getting out into the hills around Canterbury, events and rides with friends, coffees and the stories that develop and are exchanged along the road are part and parcel of her ‘unwinding’.
Despite her penchant for process change, Anna never loses sight of the end game — a better business result for her customers. She welcomes calls from client schools with any feedback they may have.
Anne Johnston, Board Services Manager
Anne has always lived in Christchurch. She is married with two adult children and three grandchildren. The expansion and development of the CES organisation is reflected in Anne’s career.
After holding a number of Personal Assistant positions in various large companies she joined CES in 1992 as Company Secretary/Administration Manager and Personal Assistant (responsible for 5 staff). Only the following year she was promoted to her current role, managing the Board Services Division.
Anne’s is a busy role. The Board Services Division team consists of both fulltime and part-time secretaries who attend secondary, intermediate and primary school board meetings. The client base also includes Not for Profit organizations and the Community sector.
Outside her ‘formal’ career, Anne also extended her capabilities into administration work with Plunket, Kindergarten and school committees, when she was at home raising her children full-time. A busy person always has time!
Outside work Anne is keen on travel and playing bridge.
Geoff Gillam, Financial Services Manager
Geoff has been looking after the financial aspects of schools and preschools for over 10 years. Managing the CES team responsible has been a rewarding task and during that time he has seen significant growth within the organisation's financial services client base.
Geoff brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role, with commercial accounting and software support experience. While with CES he has also been involved with board training for NZSTA, acted as the South Island financial advisor for the Ministry of Education and has also been a Board Member at the school his children attended.
These experiences allow Geoff to bring practical knowledge and solutions to the schools requirements
Lynley Ross, Auckland Regional Manager
Lynley can legitimately claim to know her business back to front!
She’s been a mother of school aged children, has served on a school board of trustees and has worked extensively in finance, both outside and within the education sector.
The early part of Lynley’s career was spent in accounting positions both in NZ and in England. Prior to joining Multi Serve Lynley spent 10 years away from her profession while her children were young, although she served on their primary school Board of Trustees for six years.
Lynley is well known in the Auckland education community and has accumulated a wealth of knowledge relating to school finances. She has enjoyed the challenge of introducing CES to the Auckland market and its unique “not for profit” nature has been extremely well received by the Auckland schools.
Outside work one of her interests is in water-skiing; she is the Treasurer of the NZ Tournament Water Ski Association and a Class 1 Judge of the sport.
Murray Gordon, Accountant
Following some 20 years accounting experience in industries as diverse as grocery wholesaling and retailing, supermarkets, shopping centres and commercial printing, Murray joined CES as the organisation’s accountant in 2001.
Murray’s a member of the NZ Institute of Accountants and served on the Halswell Primary School board of trustees 2004-2007, gaining valuable insight into fulfilling the requirements of schools.
Married with 2 children (both currently at Lincoln High School), Murray keenly follows and supports his children’s sporting activities in rugby, cricket and netball.
Summer holidays away from home with the family are always enjoyable while good food, good wine and good company are year-round favourites!
An avid follower of sport, (particularly rugby — Canterbury, of course) Murray still enjoys the occasional game of golf or tennis.
Wayne Jamieson, Supplies and Marketing Manager
Spending more than 30 years in the education services sector hasn’t dulled Wayne Jamieson’s enthusiasm for meeting people, developing relationships and looking for new opportunities.
Wayne believes firmly in the power of a positive attitude — ‘Wherever there’s a problem, there’s always a solution’.
Beginning in property management with the Department of Education in 1989 before being seconded by CES to develop their supplies business, Wayne has gone on to become an active force in the development of its wide suite of products and services.
Constant contact with schools around New Zealand throughout his extensive career has given Wayne an unrivalled background knowledge and intuition that have enabled him to hone existing CES services and develop new business units.
He has now undertaken a fixed asset register upgrade for over 400 schools!
Describing his range of responsibilities as a ‘gumbo of activities’ modestly describes: direction of marketing for the supplies division, preparation of fixed asset registers and active involvement in the conference and seminar programmes.
Outside work, Wayne enjoys splitting his time between his other two loves in life, whanau and music, playing another ‘gumbo’ of string instruments from bass guitar to ukulele.
Katie Steere, Reception/Executive Support
The move from a call centre environment in a florist to providing both reception and executive support at CES hasn’t been quite as spectacular as you might imagine.
Both require a high degree of organisation, versatility and multi-tasking. Those have proven to be Katie’s forte’. Previous to this Katie worked in childcare providing before and after school care for children up to twelve years of age.
Katie is enjoying her role as ‘GM, first impressions’ for CES, recognising the importance being the first point of contact with schools the length and breadth of New Zealand.
Outside her busy role Katie enjoys movies — drama and action are her favourites —and swimming.
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