Meet the Team

• Anna Thomson, General Manager

• Paul McGirr, National Business Manager

• Lynley Ross, Auckland Regional Manager

• Murray Gordon, Accountant

• Wayne Jamieson, Supplies and Marketing Manager

• Anne Johnston, Board Services Manager

• Susie Minchington, Reception/Executive Support

 

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.

 

Paul McGirr, National Business Manager

Paul has an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the education sector as prior to coming to CES he worked as Financial Advisor to Schools with the Ministry of Education. 
In that role Paul’s responsibilities included working with school management, Boards of Trustees, Accounting Service Providers and Auditors to provide advice on accounting matters and also legal and governance issues relating to this important sector. 
Paul’s strong relationship focus has led to linkages with many schools and to a wide reputation amongst our clients for being helpful and knowledgeable.

Paul brings a wealth of commercial knowledge and experience to the role, with commercial accounting experience gained in senior posts across government departments and other commercial entities. 

Paul can also claim to know the business back to front! He’s the father of three boys, has had extensive community involvement as a Board member on two Trusts and served on the board of a local primary school for a period of 12 years.
Originally from the West Coast, completing his tertiary study through Canterbury University, Paul’s a member of the NZ Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Based in our Christchurch office, Paul provides leadership across the Financial Service Divisions.  Travel is part of the role and you’ll see Paul and he moves around the country meeting with clients.

Paul has a passion for the education, trust and not for profit sector and development of solutions to fit clients’ needs.

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.

 

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.

In addition to CES internal accounting Murray has been looking after the financial aspects of Trusts, schools and preschools for over 10 years.

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.

Susie Minchington, Reception/Executive Support

The move from several years in customer service roles in retail 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.

Susie has settled into this with ease and has quickly become part of the CES family.  Susie is enjoying her role as ‘GM, first impressions’ for CES, recognising the importance of being the first point of contact with schools, trusts and not for profit clients the length and breadth of New Zealand.

Outside her busy role Susie is one of seven children and has 12 amazing nieces and nephews. Susie enjoys getting outdoors on weekends and socialising with friends and family.