Beiersdorf NZ - Merilyn Havler

At home with a global brand  

 

Merilyn Havler juggles family and business with precision and dedication. As the General Manager of Beiersdorf New Zealand, manufacturers of NIVEA, Merilyn has a company to run, staff to manage, and four-year-old to bring up, not to mention the responsibility of New Zealand's top selling skincare brand.

Beiersdorf New Zealand's General Manager and mother of four-year-old Stella, Merilyn Havler, fits a lot into a week. With at least one day in five spent overseas, Merilyn's life features early mornings, diligence and focus, and the immeasurable support of her partner Simon. The rewards for all her hard work are paying off. She has been instrumental in the development of her staff (a team that has grown from one member to 40, in seven years), and the growing success of the NIVEA brand in New Zealand. And her family is lucky enough to sample new products a year ahead of their availability to the public!

OHbaby!: What was the most exciting thing about bringing NIVEA to New Zealand?
Merilyn: Working with fantastic products and a global, iconic brand, coupled with the prospect of growing a business and introducing people to our great product range.

OHbaby!: What was the hardest part about the early days?
Merilyn: Working really, really long hours, making some early mistakes (but then, thankfully, learning from them) and not knowing if I would be able to grow the company as quickly as I wanted to.

OHbaby!: How did you develop your business plan? What specific things did you need to work out in the planning stages?
Merilyn: The first thing we did was work to understand the current situation. We scoped out the competition and considered how we should position ourselves. We also set very clear financial goals, regarding what we expected to sell, what to invest, and what the potential return would be.

OHbaby!: What was your learning curve like?
Merilyn: I thought it would be hard, and it was. But the effort, diligence, and dedication has paid off. I'm fortunate in that I was able to build a brilliant team. The results we've achieved are a fantastic pay back.

OHbaby!: What did you learn about the business that surprised you?
Merilyn: Funnily enough, I was surprised by how quickly we were able to roll out NIVEA into new categories. People really embraced the brand - they wanted more of it.

OHbaby!: What is a typical day like for you?
Merilyn: At 5:30AM I get up to go for a run or to the gym. Back at home, I get Stella up and ready for the day. I get her dressed for kindy then I drop her off. Then I'm into the office in Parnell, Auckland for an 8:30am start. The day usually consists of a mixture of meetings (both internal and external), planning sessions, working on business strategies, dialogue with offshore counterparts, and discussions with our various communications agencies or suppliers. It's fair to say that at least one day out of five I'm overseas, either in Australia or Europe (our head office is in Hamburg, Germany).

OHbaby!: What is the most stressful "working mum" day you have ever had?
Merilyn: We were in Singapore and my partner was at an off-site meeting for his work. Our nanny phoned and said she had a family emergency that she had to go to. Neither Simon nor I could make it home to Stella, so the nanny actually took Stella along with her to the emergency, and looked after her there until we could be there. It was very stressful!

OHbaby!: Have you been able to take steps to make your business family-friendly?
Merilyn: I introduced a new initiative to allow our people to knock off work at 2pm on Fridays. Our middle management layer in the marketing team are starting to have their families, and we want to retain their expertise in the business and accommodate them, so we've introduced flexible working policies.

OHbaby!: How does your partner offer support to you as a working mother?
Merilyn: Simon is very supportive. As I'm away a lot, we share childcare arrangements and he's always there for both my daughter and me. I couldn't ask for anyone more caring and giving of both his time and spirit.

OHbaby!:   How does motherhood fit in with being a business-woman, and how does your business fit in with motherhood?
Merilyn: Each role enhances the other - becoming a mum has made me a better person in business, and the business role I have makes me a better mum.

OHbaby!: How do you maintain a healthy balance between your work and family life?
Merilyn: I make sure I am disciplined enough to build in time for myself, and my family. Before I had Stella, I would get in to the office at 6am and leave at 7pm. Now I work smarter and not harder, and my hours have changed accordingly so I can spend time with her.

OHbaby!: Do you ever feel "mummy guilt" about spending time working instead of with your children?
Merilyn: While guilt is not a particularly useful emotion, the honest answer would be yes - when I'm travelling is when I feel it the most. To alleviate it, I keep a raft of beautiful images of Stella on my PDA.

OHbaby!: What kind of a boss are you? What would your employees say about you?
Merilyn: I really like to empower my staff, give them the space to be the best they can be and provide them with a positive role model. I get a tremendous buzz from helping them grow and seeing them succeed. I like to set a clear direction and encourage them to make their own choices along the way. It's all about the outcome. We don't let "perfect" get in the way of "better".

OHbaby!: What direction would you like to see the business go in the next five years?
Merilyn: Our clear focus is on further developing our skin and beauty care brands and extending our number one position in the market. We believe passionately in our products, so we want to get as many people as possible enjoying them too.

OHbaby!: What do you most enjoy about the business now?
Merilyn: Developing the leaders of tomorrow, and the fact the NIVEA is now New Zealand's most purchased skin care brand.

OHbaby!: What products are you most excited about?
Merilyn: NIVEA My Silhouette, our fantastic new body product that is great for new mums because it helps them regain their pre-pregnancy body. Our Double Effect deodorant is also great for mums, because most are really time-poor, and this product means you have to shave less often.

OHbaby!: Do you have a favorite quote that you repeat to keep yourself inspired when the going gets rough?
Merilyn: "The best way to predict the future is to create it!" 

 

 

 

As seen in OHbaby! magazine Issue 4: 2009

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