Radha reflects on over 15 years at Gallagher

“I thought I’d be here about 5 years, and I’m still here 15 years later,” Radha Mehta smiles.

Radha’s part of our over 350-strong Operations team in Hamilton, New Zealand. Her journey with Gallagher started in 2006 with a range of roles on the manufacturing line, followed by a step up to be a Continuous Improvement Coordinator in 2006 – her first office-based role.

“At the time I joined Gallagher I was actually studying to be a nurse,” Radha explains. “So I never thought I’d be doing this sort of work, but the culture, the people, and the focus on learning and development here is great and that’s what has kept me at Gallagher for so long.”

Her current role as Quality Coordinator sees her ensure Gallagher technology goes out the door meeting stringent requirements. Radha is closely connected with product leads, development specialists, and manufacturing teams across Gallagher.

“Our logo represents the very highest levels of quality in the market. We don’t want to ship faulty or damaged products. Part of my job is to ensure we spot and rectify quality issues relating to electronic parts before products leave our site.”

Radha expressed an interest in experiencing other roles within Operations to gain a broader appreciation for the wider process, so for a few months over the Covid period, she supported the Procurement team.

“That was a really different experience and I loved it. There are opportunities at Gallagher. All you have to do is stick your hand up if you want to upskill.”

Radha’s love for growth and development has also seen her learn a few basics of a completely different craft – graphic design – because the creation of artwork has always interested her.

“While I work in a completely different field, having the chance to train in InDesign has been really helpful – not only for me personally, but for Gallagher too. One of the key ways we connect the dots between Operations’ longer term strategy, our maturity journey, and day-to-day activities is through our Go Beyond programme, and knowing the basics of InDesign means I’m able to take the lead on updating our visual materials relating to this across all of Gallagher’s sites globally.”

Refining her core skills is something Radha prioritises too, and one thing that has helped her amongst a busy schedule is blocking out chunks of time dedicated to learning. Over the years she has researched and proposed a few LinkedIn Learning modules, seeing her tick off courses spanning the likes of the six-sigma methodology, and removing wastes in lean manufacturing.

“At the moment I’m looking into a quality related course,” she says. “The great thing with online learning is that it can be done at a pace that works for you, and in blocks of time that suit.”

Radha explains public speaking and leadership have also been a couple of other areas of focus throughout her journey with Gallagher. She says all of this learning has opened new doors, and ultimately made her roles easier.

“It’s been a beautiful journey,” Radha smiles. “If you want to learn and grow, my advice is to start a conversation with your leader. Gallagher backs people to progress in their careers. Give new things a go – if it’s for you that’s great, and if it’s not there’s always another opportunity. Never give up.”