Intro
It’s been five years since Renee Edwards joined Maxum Foods and the MaxCare team, and we’re celebrating this milestone. We caught up with Renee to have a chat about her journey and to talk through some of the highlights during her time with us.
Tell us a little bit about yourself
I grew up in the South Burnett which is a few hours north-west of Brisbane. I moved to Brisbane in the early 2010’s to make the most of the greater opportunities and I have worked in a variety of customer service roles.
Since moving to Brisbane I try traveling as much as possible, and I also enjoy the live music scene. I like trying different restaurants and spending time with my family.
My partner and I recently purchased a beautiful bit of acreage in the Somerset region which has been a welcome change from the city lifestyle. .
Tell us a little bit about your journey at Maxum Foods
I started at Maxum Foods as a Sales Support Executive in the Foods division in 2020 working alongside the Sales team supporting our customers. Just a few months into my role COVID hit and we were thrown into working from home which was a whole new challenge to work with. Thankfully the team was fantastic through this period, and we came through it as strong as ever. I worked in this role for 3 years, really enjoying how each day was different, ensuring we were making our customers’ lives easy.
In April 2023 the role of Customer Service Manager became open in our Animal Nutrition division as part of the MaxCare team. I saw this as an amazing opportunity to take the skills I had learnt over the years to further and challenge myself. I have worked in this role since then and love being a part of the MaxCare family.
What do you actually do?
I am the Customer Service Manager for MaxCare, so I look after a lot of different things in my role across Australia and New Zealand. A key part of this is looking after our customers and ensuring we are meeting and exceeding their expectations on all fronts. I help facilitate this by working with our warehouse and transport suppliers as well as our production team to ensure we are meeting demand.
I also work on projects focused on business efficiencies and growth, all of which keep me quite busy on the day to day but this means my days are always changing and I am always learning which I love.
What’s the one thing that has changed the most during your time at Maxum Foods?
The main change I have seen at Maxum Foods is the amazing growth of the company. We seem to be constantly moving forward bringing on new customers and suppliers within all divisions and constantly evolving to ensure we are providing the best service and support in all areas.
The MaxCare division is a recognisable name in the infant animal nutrition field and the team are always visible in the community supporting farmers and our stockfeed stores.
Nicknames: What do they call you in the office?
I don’t actually have a nick name; (that I know of) Renee is a bit of a hard one to shorten!
What is the best ‘work perk’ at MaxCare?
There are quite a few work perks at Maxum, a lot of us are lucky enough to be able to work from home some of the time, which is fantastic work life balance.
Maxum and nominated staff also host and cook for a monthly team lunch where all the team can get together and enjoy some good food and good company.
Do you have a favourite story from the last five years that you would like to share?
One of my favorite memories from the last five years was a team-building activity at a Noosa conference. We built boats from cardboard and plastic, then raced them on the Noosa River. The results were… mixed—some teams followed the plans, others got creative, and plenty of staff ended up soaked! It was a hilarious, unforgettable day that brought the team together.
What’s the best advice you’ve been given?
The best advice I have been given would be that you should work to live and not live to work, which to me says that you should focus on doing things you love outside of work and maintain a healthy work life balance.
What do you get up to when you’re not at work?
When I am not at work, I spend way too much time in my pottery studio making all manner of ceramic goods like dinnerware, vases and sculptures. I love the creativity and the calm environment. I also spend time in our yard/property doing gardening and maintenance which seems to be a never-ending endeavor.
Congratulations on 5 years Renee. We look forward to many more years with you on the team!