Q&A with Hannah Webb-Cameron, Manager of Operations & Service Management

Hannah joined Fronde two years ago and looks after our Operations Centre and Services Managers, as well as being responsible for our Managed Services offering for customers.  She says, "It’s fast-paced, always busy, and keeps me honest!"

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What do you remember from your first few days at Fronde?

I remember my first few days feeling completely overwhelmed by just how much happens in one small (by comparison to my last employer) place!

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How did you get started in the IT industry?

I fell into IT, it was never my ‘when I grow up’ plan (although I don’t know what that was either!). A long (long, long) time ago, I was an ANZ Phone Direct Consultant, cancelling lost and stolen credit cards for people and helping them with their automatic payments. A friend asked me if I’d be interested in working on a help desk, and I managed to find myself in the National Bank internal support team. From there I was offered a number of opportunities to expand my IT career and I never looked back. 

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What do you enjoy about working at Fronde? What attracted you initially, and what makes you stay?

Our ability to effect positive change here is seemingly limitless. You’re not expected to stay in your lane, you’re encouraged to contribute across the board. Everyone’s opinion is respected and treated with care. Plus, Fronde is like a family - once a Frondie, always a Frondie - regardless of where you go.

What’s something you know now that you wish you knew when you started out in this industry? 

Don’t force yourself to operate outside of your core values - it’s exhausting and takes its toll.

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What’s something you’ve learned about yourself since working in IT? 

I used to think my introversion held me back, but I’ve now realised it’s one of my superpowers.

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What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve been given?

Three things: Worry is a wasted emotion; Focus on your circle of control; Don’t be a smaller or quieter version of yourself just to suit the people around you.

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What challenges have you had to overcome during your IT career?

Being the odd one out is hard - women are generally the minority in IT, and sometimes it’s lonely being the only different voice in the room. Learning how to bring my perspective to the table without feeling like I had to ‘out-bloke the blokes’ has sometimes been hard.

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Can you tell us a bit about yourself outside of work?

I met my husband when I was 17, and we’ve been together over 20 years. We are both very into our sports, but our pursuits couldn’t be more different. He’s a runner, plays football, and is currently prepping for the Queenstown Half Marathon. I’m a powerlifter, hold multiple NZ records, and am currently training hard to break a World Record. We have a couple of pets - Moochie, a cat with an attitude problem who just moved into our house one day and never left, and Ranger, a rottweiler puppy who is teething and chewing everything in his reach, including a Nespresso coffee machine recently. Our house can be a little chaotic at times but I wouldn’t change it!

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