{"id":18522,"date":"2026-05-19T08:22:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T07:22:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocs.com\/nz\/?p=18522"},"modified":"2026-05-19T08:22:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T07:22:17","slug":"diversity-works-when-respect-comes-first","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocs.com\/nz\/news\/diversity-works-when-respect-comes-first\/","title":{"rendered":"Diversity works when respect comes first"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Respect comes first for the Northern Administration Team \u2013 always.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s what anchors a team built across cultures, where the majority have chosen Aotearoa New Zealand as their new home.<\/p>\n

Maoko Kubo, Mary Ramirez, Claudette Canoy and Giang Nguyen came to Aotearoa with different skills, expectations and perspectives. Led by Nely Deluman, they\u2019re working alongside colleagues Annie Phillips, Jane Busacaino, Jewel Gandionco and Kay Edwards.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the team\u2019s differences that drive better outcomes for customers.<\/p>\n

Broader thinking. Wider skill sets. Adaptability. Diversity is what drives our organisation.<\/p>\n

For Maoko, it\u2019s the shared experience of finding a sense of belonging in New Zealand that fosters a deeper respect for her colleagues.<\/p>\n

While selling cosmetics at Narita International Airport in Tokyo, she overheard a customer question why staff could not speak English. The comment stuck, so she enrolled in an English language course in San Francisco, which then led her to work in Australia and New Zealand.<\/p>\n

\u201cJapan was an isolated country when I was growing up,\u201d she says. \u201cYou rarely met foreigners. Now working with so many nationalities in New Zealand, I feel much more open-minded.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, Maoko is confident in her English but explains that miscommunication happens regardless of language skills, because everyone interprets things in their own way.<\/p>\n

Mary echoes this, recalling a time when a working relationship was strained due to different expectations and approaches.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce we took the time to understand each other properly, we could focus on solutions. One of my closest work friendships came from that experience,\u201d says Mary.<\/p>\n

Previously an IT consultant in the Philippines, Mary was also raising a family of two boys, whom she could only see on weekends due to work and traffic challenges. Her life took a 180-degree turn when she landed in Aotearoa. She\u2019s now home with her boys after school and is the end user of the SAP software she once consulted on.<\/p>\n

Mary says her time in New Zealand has demonstrated the value of kindness.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt sets a country apart when kindness is a shared value. I see it in my children\u2019s school curriculum and in their peers\u2019 behaviour. I feel it in our workplace, as well as when I\u2019m walking down the street.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Claudette, kindness and respect go hand in hand. She intentionally takes the time to understand her colleagues and says this was already in action when she started at OCS.<\/p>\n

Formerly a director of business training in the Philippines, Claudette met her husband in 2023 and moved to Aotearoa for love. She says work is different in New Zealand because everyone feels like family.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt OCS, people respect your time and your skills,\u201d says Claudette. \u201cWithin our team, we understand each other\u2019s strengths, limits, and boundaries. That allows us to provide support when it\u2019s needed and step back when it\u2019s not.\u201d<\/p>\n

Giang, the newest member of the team, joined OCS in February 2026 after changing careers and moving to a new country. Previously working in a high-pressure role as a legal executive in Vietnam, Giang had reached a point where she wanted more flexibility in her working life. That decision eventually led her to complete a Master of Supply Chain Management at Auckland University of Technology last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cLaw felt too rigid for me, so I looked to business for more flexible thinking,\u201d explains Giang. \u201cIn my role at OCS, there\u2019s no expectation to work overtime. There\u2019s no overwhelm. This feels sustainable for the long term.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI appreciate my colleagues\u2019 patience and commitment to helping me learn the role, and I like that there is a sense of togetherness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maoko, Mary, Claudette and Giang have all discovered a better work-life balance in Aotearoa, with flexible hours and a culture that prioritises family. Claudette says she can request annual leave without explanation for the first time in her career, and Maoko has the time to be in nature during the week.<\/p>\n

Across the team, there\u2019s an understanding that everyone brings different experiences, communication styles and perspectives to work each day.<\/p>\n

Respecting those differences and taking the time to understand them have helped build a team where people feel supported, valued, and comfortable being themselves.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

\n \n \n \n \"\"\n <\/picture>\n <\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Respect comes first for the Northern Administration Team \u2013 always.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s what anchors a team built across cultures, where the majority have chosen Aotearoa New Zealand as their new home.<\/p>\n

Maoko Kubo, Mary Ramirez, Claudette Canoy and Giang Nguyen came to Aotearoa with different skills, expectations and perspectives. Led by Nely Deluman, they\u2019re working alongside colleagues Annie Phillips, Jane Busacaino, Jewel Gandionco and Kay Edwards.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":10000026774,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,54],"tags":[251],"country":[224],"class_list":["post-18522","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-type","category-our-people","tag-cultural-diversity-day","country-new-zealand"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDiversity works when respect comes first<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Respect is the foundation of the Northern Administration Team, uniting people from diverse cultures who now call Aotearoa New Zealand home.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ocs.com\/nz\/news\/diversity-works-when-respect-comes-first\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Diversity works when respect comes first\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Respect is the foundation of the Northern Administration Team, uniting people from diverse cultures who now call Aotearoa New Zealand home.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ocs.com\/nz\/news\/diversity-works-when-respect-comes-first\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"OCS - 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