Fiona says it’s great to be home again and she particularly enjoys getting together and catching up with old friends.

Born in Wellington, New Zealand, Fiona came to Australia with her family as an eight-year-old and after completing her schooling she studied psychology and management at the University of Wollongong before joining her father Andrew’s business, Empower Australia, a marketing group established in 1989.

The lure to travel and see the world eventually led her to London and project manage work for such well-known companies as InterContinental Hotels, Whitbread, Black & Decker, the London Stock Exchange, lastminute.com, Casio UK and Carlsberg.

Fiona says her work experience blossomed as she was able to be part of creative teams who generated design ideas and allowed her to work closely with clients to evolve or revamp their brand identity, depending on the type of project.

“I learned how to be a team player, happy to pitch in wherever I was needed, and to make sure that whatever I did I was adding value to the client’s bottom line,” she says.

She says the overseas experience greatly improved her work in marketing and brand communication, packaging design and annual reports and has whetted her appetite for involvement in new media.

During her time overseas Fiona also took the opportunity to visit most of Europe, including a trip on the Trans Siberian Railway, Egypt and Morocco, with one particular highlight being a stopover in an Ice Hotel in Sweden.

Already into business 

Fiona, who is currently en route to New Zealand to visit family, hasn’t wasted any time since her return to Australia, recently completing a major project for accountants and business advisers Tarrants.

Once she’s returned from Kiwiland she’d like to become more involved in her profession in Australia.

Away from work Fiona likes to read and draw and she has a particular interest in trying out restaurants.

If you are interested in discussing her work strengths and what she has to offer, Fiona can be contacted at YourOnlineCommunity, publishers of ParramattaOnline and operators of the SMARTPAGES online business directory on 9516 2000.