Cleaning might have been in the blood for Stacey Hubac, who started at OCS when she was just 14 years old. But it was the women around her who inspired a career out of it.
Today, she’s the Otago/Southland Operations Manager and has spent the past 23 years developing her leadership style, showing up for colleagues and customers when it matters most.
It was Stacey’s mother, Diane Hubac, who encouraged her to work with OCS part-time, so she could afford to buy the little extras that all teenagers want.
The pair cleaned side by side at the University of Otago site. An opportunity they later realised set Stacey up for success.
“Mum was working as a supervisor and taught me absolutely everything I know about the industry. To this day, I believe that role is the hardest in the industry, being on the frontline, ensuring client standards while looking after colleagues.
“She laid the foundation for my career,” Stacey says.
In 2015, then Dunedin Operations Manager Anita Clarkson helped Stacey progress into a supervisor role herself. Stacey was determined to grow the university contract that she knew so intimately, while also asserting OCS as a trusted partner.
While Stacey was helping polish OCS’s reputation, Anita was on a similar mission to create positive change: opening communication channels so that knowledge could flow through the team, empowering everyone to be the best in their roles.
“There used to be a perception that the more knowledge you held, the more powerful you were,” says Anita. “But as soon as you learn to let go and share your knowledge, the easier your job gets.”
Stacey absorbed this knowledge – from her mother and from Anita – like a sponge.
“From day one at OCS, I’ve always tried to involve everyone in the process, bringing people up with me,” Anita says.
With encouragement from her mother and mentorship from Anita, Stacey was promoted from supervisor to contract manager in 2017.
The opportunity surprised Stacey by expanding her interest into regional and national accounts, where she could translate her front-line experience into real value for customers.
This shift into contract management came with a learning curve. In addition to managing her team, she was now also juggling the needs of many customers. This was a time when the OCS TRUE values – Trust, Respect, Unity and Empowerment – became her toolbox.
“When I was offered the role, I thought, I want to be a part of the difference. I want to transform people’s idea of OCS,” Stacey says.
The University of Otago is now OCS’s largest contract in the Otago/Southland area.
“I’m very proud of my journey here. I’ve been provided so many opportunities to grow, and Anita has helped shape me into the leader I am today,” Stacey says.
After 16 years working alongside each other, Anita and Stacey have developed the same philosophy for success: looking after the people at the heart of the business.
“It can sometimes feel like we get more criticism than praise in our industry,” says Stacey, “so we make sure our colleagues know they’re heard and appreciated at all times.”
Together, Stacey and Anita have plans to further strengthen and empower their team, placing the right people into the right roles, making OCS Otago/Southland the best-performing area in New Zealand.
“Our goal is to have a strong, united team here in Otago/Southland. A place where we sync like clockwork and responsibility is shared, so no one feels pressure alone,” Anita says.
“I’m on a mission to find more of the Staceys in this world,” she laughs.
