Managing director, Toni & Guy New Zealand

Bronwyn Illingworth says she is open-minded, focused and passionate about her career. Picture / Fotopress

Name: Bronwyn Illingworth
Age: 33
Role: Managing director/joint owner, Toni & Guy NZ
Working hours: 40-60 hours a week
Average pay: $75,000-plus
Qualifications: Trade certificate in hairdressing; leadership development courses and Anthony Robbins University mastery courses.

Describe how you got this job?

I trained in hairdressing in Dunedin, starting when I was 17. I won some New Zealand titles in hairdressing and then left for the United Kingdom when I was 22 as I thought I needed to go overseas. Winning the competitions gave me the confidence to do it.

I retrained and then worked my way through the ranks at Toni & Guy in the UK into the top creative hairdressing positions internationally. I was there 10 years and then I was managing director in Ireland looking after 300 staff. Then Toni offered me the opportunity to come back home and share a franchise with Cameron Grimshaw for Toni & Guy NZ.

Describe what you do?

It's everything from management to creative hairdressing, which could be photo shoots, hair shows, writing editorials for hair magazines, strategic planning in the business, education and training and staff development and motivation. We have two salons in Auckland at the moment with 37 staff. I have two days a week in the salon. Last year I won two New Zealand competition titles.

What have you had to do to succeed at this job?

To constantly work on my own personal development and growth and in that way I can lead from the front.

I learnt a lot going overseas. I wrote a lot of the programmes and systems for Toni & Guy on the education front so I know the company inside out. In Ireland I learnt the business side of things, what to do and what not to do.

What sort of training or experience do you need?

If someone wants to be a franchisee in NZ, I have the experience from overseas to share now. Overseas travel makes you grow up, but with the knowledge Cameron and I have, people don't have to travel if they don't want to. We have a low employee turnover because of our training systems and if people do travel they tend to come back.

What skills and qualities do you need?

If you want to be a franchisee you have to go through the Toni & Guy ranks from the beginning, gaining artistic and management skills. I'd be looking for a great personality and a team player. Someone who knows what their goals are.

Personally, I have very strong personal development and behaviour skills and I think they have armed me for this role. I believe I am open-minded, focused, determined, motivated and passionate, and those things have definitely helped in my career.

Best part of the job?

Having been given the opportunity to travel extensively. I have worked with supermodels and pop stars. I was able to share the free concert tickets and after parties with my friends and they were loving it as well.

Most challenging part?

Prioritising, as there are so many demands for my time now. It is a case of what is important and what do I need to accomplish today.

How do you define success in this job?

When goals are met and deadlines are achieved and everyone is happy, including me.

What are your career hopes for future?

That there is a Toni & Guy salon in every main centre throughout NZ and an academy to alleviate the shortage of quality hairdressers.

If I wanted a job like yours how would I go about it?

We take hairdressing job applicants through a screening process and evaluate if we can retrain them in six to eight weeks. They then work their way up to stylist, top stylist, staff trainer, art director and into management. Franchisees need to be strong artistically and in management skills.

What advice would you have for someone contemplating a career like yours?

To be open-minded and open to opportunities and constantly review their goals. They won't believe how one step leads to another.

When I look back on my career I never would have thought that I would rub shoulders with the likes of Robbie Williams and Blur or travel the world speaking in front of 6000 people or more. But you take one step at a time and, as long as you are focused, it happens.