After a decade at OCS, Emma Wildon has learned that vulnerability can sit alongside strength in leadership – though she still keeps tissues in her office, just in case.
Today, Emma is the Wellington Area Manager, leading a team of 443 colleagues. Alongside seven other area managers across Aotearoa New Zealand, the role now has an even gender split – a shift that reflects how leadership across the business continues to evolve.
She describes facilities services as an industry that can be demanding, where resilience is important. What keeps her focused is a strong sense of responsibility to her customers and her team.
Emma is a leader who pays attention to the little things for customers and creates an inclusive workplace that brings out the best in every person.
“I’ve created a new type of team culture where there is no hierarchy,” she says. “We’re all in the same game, we’re just responsible for different parts of it.”
Emma has moved across the business, starting in human resources before taking on operations management. In 2021, she decided to broaden her experience and spent a year working for the New Zealand Government. When a national accounts manager role opened at OCS, she realised how much she valued the industry’s pace and variety and returned.
Throughout her early career, most of Emma’s direct mentors and leaders were men – largely reflecting the makeup of senior roles at the time.
Today, she values the opportunity to provide visible leadership and support for the women in her team.
She takes a practical approach to investing in people, understanding that for some colleagues, OCS may be their first role in Aotearoa New Zealand, or a stepping stone during a period of change.
“I’m not shy about investing my time and energy into my people,” she says. “I don’t expect them to stay with OCS forever, but it’s important to me that I equip them with the skills and confidence to be the best version of themselves while they’re here.”
Over time, Emma says she has learned not take challenges personally. At the same time, she doesn’t hide her passion for the work.
“I used to cry a lot at work. It came from caring deeply about what I was doing. My manager once said, ‘I don’t like seeing you cry, but it shows how much you care’,” she says.
“We’re a people-centred business, so if things go wrong, we take responsibility. That can feel personal, but I’m learning to channel that into positive action – and helping my team do the same.”
Emma has observed differences in working styles across teams, noting that diverse perspectives often lead to more considered decision-making and stronger outcomes.
That focus on detail and accountability helps her align her team’s work with customers’ changing needs, building trust through consistency.
For Emma, strong leadership isn’t about removing vulnerability – it’s about using it with intent. And yes, the tissues are still in the drawer.
