John Goulter kicks off a holiday season series in which senior executives recall their first, often chaotic, days at work.
John Goulter, the managing director of Auckland International Airport, began his working life in 1959 as a wages clerk at Holeproof Mills in Pah Rd, Royal Oak.
The company had 10 peoplein its payroll office to handle 1500 employees - all paid weekly in cash and based on timecards.
"I got the job straight from Penrose High, having been interviewed on the Wednesday after school finished and started at Holeproof on the Friday.
"The careers master at school arranged the job and I think he had a snitcher on me because I didn't like numbers at school at all and here I was thrown in at the deep end with numbers up to my ears."
His first day left him awestruck. He had no idea how people were paid or any of the process behind payday.
"It was mayhem - a complete blur.
"The weekly cycle began at 7 am on a Friday, when everyone who had a complaint about the pay they received on the Thursday would turn up at the pay office before starting work at 7.30 am.
"All Friday was usually spent on complaints.
"My direct boss was the deputy paymaster and it was our collective job to pick up the cash on payday from the bank in Onehunga in great big bags and bring it back to the office in the boot of his old Vauxhall."
Mr Goulter left Holeproof after six months, saying he could see the repetition of the weekly pay cycle getting to him. He also wanted to get into management and to work directly with people.
He went to Morrow Taylor, a shoemaker famous for its Gadabout brand, then to Ceramco for 25 years, and joined the airport company 13 years ago.
"One thing that has stuck with me from those early Holeproof days is the realisation that if you want to understand or improve a particular process, then the people directly involved are the best people to consult in the first instance."
