Since the kiteboarding accident that I had Christmas Day my life has changed a lot. I broke my pelvis, my nose and had muscle damage to many parts of my body, but they were nothing compared to the brain injury that happened to me as well. The first 3 weeks I was in a medically induced coma to help me survive from my kiteboarding accident. Originally in the medical team were saying that it would take 18months to 2yrs to recover. After the first 6 weeks they transferred me from the Gold Coast Hospital to the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit (BIRU) at the P.A. Hospital and I had my first great win. The medical staff said it would now take approximately 6 months for me to be out of the hospital instead of the 12 months plus which they originally estimated.

After week 11 at BIRU I had my next win when they told me it would now be 2 weeks before I was allowed to be an outpatient, a total of 13 weeks. I am now involved in the outpatient program and have a family review meeting on the 5^th June.

During the discussion that I have had with my treating team they believe that I will have passed the out-patient program and will be living normally. Well, close to normal. On celebrating the passing of the patient program I will be opening a nice bottle of bubbly. Non-alcoholic, that is, as I am not allowed to drink alcohol at the moment.

I would like to thank everyone for the help and support that I have received during this period, but would like to truly thank Kim Ritchie, Justine Eden and my Family, for all the support that I have received.

Jessica Scerri: As part of the ever-expanding IT Division, Jessica joins ERR as an IT Recruitment Consultant. Jessica’s previous position was Corporate Account Manager for a global telecommunications, responsible for the management of global and national accounts, corporate acquisition and growth.

After hours, Jess loves to cook, loves to shop, enjoys going to the beach and has a keen interest in the property market. Hailing from Adelaide’s Barossa Valley originally, Jess enjoys visiting her family there and enjoying the wine country.

Emma Durham: Emma joins ERR in the role of Client Relationship Manager. Emma wound up in IT Recruitment after a night out with friends somehow resulted in Emma getting interviewed for a job with an IT Recruiter. She left her job as a marketer for a top tier law firm and commenced her career in Recruitment. Prior to ERR, Emma was the HR, Talent & Engagement manager at a Software Development Company.

Outside the office, Emma’s life is ruled by her mini schnauzer, Zara Belle-Jolie. When Emma’s not hanging with her pooch, she’s in the gym, or out running, with the odd night out for special occasions.

Belinda Mulé: Belinda is ERR’s new Manager, Operations. Belinda’s background is in Management, in the Professional Services Industry – primarily the Accounting industry where she was 2IC for 5 years.  Belinda has experience in various industries, including Engineering, Property Development and the Construction Industry.

Away from the office, Belinda loves movies, celebrities, reality TV and everything Hollywood. She loves red wine and is trying to get back into fitness, but is having a hard time slotting it in between shopping or socializing (which is fair enough).

Tom Peard: Tom joins the IT Team as a Resourcer, coming to Eden Ritchie from a small recruitment company with a wealth of experience in IT Recruitment. Prior to recruitment, Tom had an eclectic mix of jobs including Store Coordinator for The Works Australia and working as a jackaroo in Roma.

Tom enjoys playing rugby and fishing (even if he doesn’t catch anything). He’s always good for a laugh and enjoys socialising with his friends.

Sue Torenbeek: Joins us in the role of Health Consultant, with 6 years+ in Queensland Health. In her previous role with Qld Health, Sue was a Senior Clinical Recruiter sourcing healthcare professionals from across a broad spectrum of disciplines. Prior to that, Sue worked in London, for London Deanery as a Recruitment Administrator.

Sue has a passion for travelling and has travelled extensively across Europe and Colombia, with another trip planned soon. She loves fishing and whale watching (complimented perfectly by her sea sickness) and her two dogs.

Katherine Melville: Katherine is a new addition to the IT team, joining us as an IT Resourcer. Katherine’s previous role was as a Contact Centre and Customer Service Recruitment Consultant with a global Recruitment company. Before that, Katherine spent over 5 years with an insurance company as a Commercial Insurance Specialist.

Katherine loves socialising with her friends, listening to music and has a passion for cars.

We at Eden Ritchie are extremely pleased to welcome these individuals to our team.

After discussions with a number of successful and senior Project Managers recently, there is a general agreement on the key attributes that successful project managers possess.

1) They understand the business! They have the patience and communication skills to listen to the key stakeholders and understand what the business is trying to achieve from the project. There is no point in delivering a product or service that will not fit the requirements of the organisation.

2) They are Problem solvers! Projects can vary in size and complexity and it is important that project managers are able to think outside the box to come up with solutions to overcome obstacles.

3) Flexibility! Some projects can change on almost a daily basis and thus, project managers need to be flexible when approaching a project. Project management methodologies are a great way to set the direction for the project but they are not strict procedures. Project Managers must have the flexibility to alter their approach to overcome any obstacles that arise.

4) They are delivery focussed! The reputations of project managers are made or broken on their ability to successfully deliver outcomes to the business. It is imperative that project managers liaise with key stakeholders to set the desired outcomes and do everything they can to achieve them!

5) Outstanding communication and leadership skills! Project managers must be able to engage with key stakeholders to get support from senior management. They also must be able to bring out the best in their teams. This means supporting and delegating to team members to make the most of project resources.

6) Ownership!! Project managers have to take complete ownership of their projects and have the drive and passion to do everything they can to ensure that the outcomes are achieved within time, budget and resource constraints. This is where project managers build their reputations as someone who will get the job done!

Do you have what it takes to be a great Project Manager? With so many large projects kicking off, the industry is booming in South East Queensland. It is certainly an exciting time to be involved in project management!!

You can read more about our company via the About Us link or by clicking through to our website.

Our blog won’t all be about recruitment – we’re going to delve into issues including talent retention, current hiring practices, redefing our role in the value chain and sharing interesting stories from our business, our customers, and our home town of Brisbane.