INTRODUCING: Olivia de Rooy – From Queensland to Queenstown

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White Associates is excited to welcome our latest Cadet, Olivia de Rooy who joined the Queenstown office in April this year.

Originally from Cairns, Olivia moved to the Gold Coast to study a Bachelor of Business, majoring in Marketing and International Business at Griffith University. After completing the three-year degree, she realised that as much as she enjoyed the study, she didn’t want to pursue a long-term career in marketing.

Having arrived in Queenstown with her Kiwi partner three weeks prior to last year’s lockdown, Olivia was introduced to quantity surveying by a family friend.

“This conversation sparked something in me. I’m now in my third semester studying a Diploma in Construction Management, majoring in Quantity Surveying through Open Polytechnic. I love the numbers and factual side of quantity surveying and feel I’ve finally found my niche.”

Olivia was introduced to Elliot Smith who leads the White Associates Queenstown office.

“We were looking to grow the team and introduce a cadet into the local business,” says Elliot,

“Olivia has hit the ground running! She brings a high-level of attention to detail and is enthusiastically supporting us on the wide variety of projects that we are working on within Queenstown and across the South Island.”

Having enjoyed her first four months, Olivia’s impression of White Associates is an organisation that is close knit, supportive and helpful.

“It’s fantastic to be part of a small local team but still feel so connected to the wider business.

“The work to date has been really interesting. It’s analytical and I love the challenge of understanding the detail and finding ways to make positive change that helps the client and overall project outcomes.”

Currently she is providing support for the team working on the Queenstown projects in Jacks Point including North Villas, Clubhouse Lane and Willow Pond. Olivia is absorbing the onsite learning, adapting her previous experience in retail management to hone her communication skills and build strong relationships with clients across the South Island.

Muriel Gondipon, Senior Quantity Surveyor at White Associates, who leads the cadet and mentoring programme for White Associates says:

“Over the 24-month cadet programme Olivia will be introduced to different disciplines and competencies of a quantity surveyor consultant via five key milestones. These provide a learning opportunity and overview of the skills required to help her progress within the industry and organisation. Additionally, we touch base fortnightly to discuss topics and any issues to ensure she feels supported both personally and professionally.”

Read more about our Cadetship Programme here 

INTRODUCING: Corize Olivier

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We offer a warm welcome to our latest cadet, Corize Olivier, who joined us at the end of last year.

Arriving into New Zealand from South Africa two and a half years ago, Corize has numbers running through her blood; both her parents are also quantity surveyors.

After studying a year of urban planning at Auckland University, Corize says that she realised that it was not the topic for her. “I sat down with my parents and they said, ‘why not study quantity surveying’? I realised that I have been surrounded by it all my life, and I have seen first-hand how my parents have influenced and contributed to so many projects through the discipline. So I switched to studying the subject at Massey, and I loved it: it was a great decision. Then I decided I wanted to get a job as a cadet in the industry.”

Discovering White Associates as her father was in contact with the company, Corize is now studying and working at the same time. And, although she wasn’t sure she wanted to consult initially, she now really enjoys it, she says. “In particular I enjoy the way the company is structured and how job processes are handled; I have found it all to be very open and welcoming. Since starting, I have not been scared once to ask people a question, and even if I feel nervous people are so helpful, transparent and open here, which I appreciate.”

Working currently with the team on the Auckland City Mission Homeground redevelopment project and driven by a love of structure and ‘how you can influence it’, she says that seeing the frame being bolted into place on the tallest timber-framed building in Auckland is an impressive process. “When I started here I just saw plans for the project, so to see it rise from them is remarkable. It is going to be a beautiful building.”

Now she’s getting her feet under the table, Corize says that she is most enjoying influencing how to make a process more efficient, and saving money while helping people. “It’s all very important to me. It’s about helping the client and contractor, helping them all to have the same end goal: after all, we all want the building to succeed.”

Director Justin Maritz says:

At White Associates we have seen great success with our Cadetship programme as it gives the next generation of Quantity Surveyors the opportunity to get practical experience while completing their Tertiary Education.  It is very rewarding being involved in facilitating the growth of our employees while we work together in planning their career path.  Our team has really responded well to us facilitating internal growth from within the company, giving everyone the opportunity for growth within the organisation.