At Macmahon, we think and behave according to our values - United, Courage, Integrity and Pride. Every month, we celebrate staff members whose behaviour aligns with one or more of the values that make Macmahon a great place to work.
HR Manager Nesia Gazali personifies our value of Courage every day. She's brave, resilient and not afraid to challenge herself to strengthen the Macmahon team.
It was recruiting for the start-up of Martabe, our first project in Indonesia in 2015, that first attracted Nesia to Macmahon. Working from the Jakarta Office as HR Manager, Nesia was tasked with overseeing the HR operations of all projects in Indonesia, excluding Batu Hijau Mining.
Nesia enjoyed working at Macmahon so much and her husband, Nikota, decided to join the company the following year. Before leaving for Australia, Nikota was the Drill & Blast Operations Superintendent at the Martabe Gold Mine in Indonesia.
Six years later, Nikota asked if there were any opportunities in Australia for him to advance his career. Luckily, he was offered an opportunity to take on the role of Senior Engineer in Tropicana's Drill & Blast team. While this was a huge opportunity for Nikota, it meant that Nesia and her family were faced with the daunting prospect of packing up and moving to another country. But the courageous Nesia was supportive of her husband every step of the way.
Macmahon are keen to develop their people and my husband wanted to take the opportunity for his career development. I support him 100%, as I know this is the best for the future of our family.'
While she knew the move would be challenging for her young family, Nesia was confident that Macmahon would support her. Throughout the transition, Nesia felt she was provided with significant support from not only her manager Douglas Hamilton, but the wider Macmahon team too.
With rental vacancies hitting record lows in WA, the most challenging part of the move so far was finding a home for her family. But throughout this stressful and tiring time, Nesia's husband has been her rock.
We're a strong team and we always back each other up and support one another.'
Now, Nesia has settled into her new home in Western Australia, where she continues to support the Indonesian team from the Perth office. Macmahon provided Nesia with flexible work arrangements so she can work between home and the office. As a mother of two young boys, this means that she can be close to her kids while her husband is at Tropicana, and head into the office when her husband is at home. 'It is challenging as I still have a baby and I need to balance my workload and the responsibility as a mother.' Nesia knows they need to ride the roller coaster during the transition, but she's sees this as a learning process that can be overcome.
Nesia's courage has definitely passed onto her children, with her eldest son showing plenty of bravery as he adjusts to his new life in Perth. Despite coming over with basic English, he's learning fast. Nesia's youngest son is nearly two and growing healthier and more active every day.
Four months on from the move, Nesia has enjoyed her time in WA so far. She's thrilled to have found an online Indonesian community that shares plenty of tips to help make the transition easier. She thinks Perth could lift its food game, as she's still on the hunt for authentic Indonesian restaurants and food outlets so that she can prepare the family's favourite dishes at home.
Perth will be Nesia's home for at least the next four years, thanks to her working visa. She's hopeful that Macmahon will support her permanent residency in the future.
Video calls have been a great help for Nesia and her family to still feel connected to their old life in Indonesia. They've helped her son to catch up with his old friends in Indonesia and have allowed Nesia to stay in touch with her family.
Contact:
Macmahon Holdings Limited
Donald James
Chief Commercial Officer
Email: djames@macmahon.com.au
T: +61 8 9232 1877
MACMAHON HOLDINGS LIMITED 
