My job: Creative green thumb put to work

Elaine Wright-Williams helps architects incorporate plantscapes into buildings. Photo / Ted Baghurst

Name: Elaine Wright-Williams.
Age: 48.
Role: National design manager NZ of Ambius.
Hours: 45 hours per week.
Salary: $60,000 plus.

What is involved in your job?

As design manager, my role is to develop brand awareness of Ambius architects and interior designers and the benefits of plants in interior environments. Ambius is an indoor plant specialist business that creates interior plantscapes for commercial environments. Our clients are mostly medium to large companies.

It is a creative job that focuses on client relationships, marketing and sales. I do a lot of presentations, explaining our designs and emphasising the benefits of green buildings and live plants in offices.

I also help source plant varieties and project manage the installation of the plants. Ambius also offers design, leasing, installation and maintenance services, so once the plants have been installed, service technicians regularly visit to clean and water them.

Why are plants beneficial?

Plants are great to have indoors; they improve air quality, remove toxins from the air and absorb noise. Plants also have proven health and psychological benefits, such as reducing stress and anxiety.

What plants work best indoors?

Architects and designers love mother-in-law tongue. I do too. They have a symmetry and structure that works well, particularly when grouped together. Chameodorea also do well, as do Dracaena compacta.

What is your favourite interior plantscape?

Two stand out. The BNZ Harbour Quays building is a favourite for me because they incorporated an interior plantscape into the design element, including my concept of climbing vines on many levels. I love the way they value the plants as part of the design element.

My other favourite is 3M NZ International. They have incorporated plants in very artistic ways to a green building that had already been built.

Your background?

I was a mum at home for 11 years. Over that time I started doing art classes run by professional artists, before studying a while at Whitecliffe College of Art and Design. Then I went back to work for about seven years, working in marketing, project management and communication roles for an architectural firm, a construction business and then an architectural supplier.

Over that time I really enjoyed the business communication and marketing side of my roles and wanted to learn more about that side of business, so I enrolled part time in a postgraduate diploma in business at Massey University. However, it was hard trying to balance work, family and study so I took the plunge and went full-time to get it finished.

After finishing my studies, I saw this job advertised. It really appealed because it covered things of strong interest to me: design, business development and plants. I came into the role in the early stages of the development of Ambius out of Initial Tropical Plants. I've been at Ambius nearly two years now.

What training and experience helps you?

Design experience is very important, as is business development knowledge and understanding the design and architecture market.

What skills are required?

Marketing, communication and relationship-building skills.

You also need to be able to design, visualise things creatively and think outside the square. And, obviously, you need to love plants. I've always been a keen gardener. Even as a child I used to grow plant cuttings in ice cream containers.

What do you enjoy most?

I really enjoy listening to people's needs and wants and interpreting their vision into a design that meets their expectations and budgets. It is wonderful seeing a design come to life and people feeling happy about it. I also love seeing employers creating great spaces for people to work in.

Challenges?

I was introducing something totally new just as the recession hit, and that was difficult at times. But now I am starting to get architects and designers coming to me.

What was it like being an adult student?

That was definitely one of the hardest things I have done, but also one of the most satisfying. You spend hours by yourself reading, absorbing, researching. I loved learning how to learn again.

Advice to women returning to work?

Think about what you really want to do, then find a job in a related area or look at further education. Don't be afraid of tertiary study. It can be an amazing growth experience - pardon the pun. When women return to the work force they often find they have outgrown their old jobs.

So challenge yourself and believe in yourself because you will have a lot of life experience to offer and a lot of skills you may not even realise you have.

angela@careerideas.co.nz