Articles > October 2010 > Claire Szabó
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Claire SzabóMigratory success Claire Szabó’s exploration of her Hungarian heritage has led to a successful career helping migrants and refugees settle into New Zealand society.Claire Szabó has an empathy, born of affinity, with the refugees and migrants whose new lives she helps start in New Zealand. Born in Auckland to a Kiwi mother, and a Hungarian father, who arrived here as a refugee of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, Claire has a deep appreciation of what it’s like to have to leave your homeland (and with it everything familiar) and rebuild your life in a foreign land where everyone’s a stranger and you can’t speak the language. “My father’s experiences as a refugee are an important part of my family history and have definitely helped shape me as a person,” she says. Wanting to learn more about her Hungarian heritage and see for herself where her family came from, Claire, now 32, booked a one-way ticket to Budapest after completing a music degree at The University of Auckland. She struggles to describe what it was like to meet her Hungarian relatives for the first time, although one senses it was even more emotionally wrought than she had expected. “It’s easy to idealise family when you don’t know them,” she reflects. “It was quite extraordinary to claim that history. It’s something most refugees never get a chance to do. I learnt a lot about myself and what it means to be a New Zealander.” Although she had no clear plan upon arrival, Claire ended up staying six years. She learnt Hungarian while teaching English as a second language and training other teachers and eventually set up her own education management consultancy company. With clients including the European Union, Claire found the work immensely challenging and rewarding. She credits her typically Kiwi upbringing with providing her with the skills required to run a successful business abroad. “Most New Zealanders have a strong work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit. We’re programmed to proactively seek independence and success.” Returning to New Zealand, Claire says she was delighted to discover English Language Partners New Zealand (ELP) – the nation’s largest organisation working with refugees and migrants. Based in Wellington, with 22 not-for-profit member centres nationwide, the 250 staff and 3000 volunteers provide English language tuition and resettlement support to about 8,000 people each year. This year, the majority hail from Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Claire landed the role of project and development coordinator at ELP’s Wellington headquarters and, a year down the track, was promoted to chief executive. Aged just 27 at the time, Claire wondered what she had let herself in for. “That first day was terrifying,” she admits. “The chair of the board flew down from Auckland for my induction and, when she left, I felt a wave of pure terror wash over me. But times like that bring out the best in you. I put my head down and drew on the support around me. There are some very clever women in the organisation who have been a huge inspiration.” As chief executive and a board member, Claire helps to set the organisation’s agenda, secures funding from the government and other sources and distributes it to member centres. She also provides policy advice to the government on issues concerning refugees and migrants and develops initiatives designed to help them integrate into New Zealand society. Claire says she derives enormous satisfaction from helping to improve opportunities for refugees and migrants. She cites unemployment as a major issue and one she has sought to address by advocating for refugees and migrants in the political arena and employing more at ELP. “We are supposed to be a Treaty-based, multicultural society but there are some very concerning statistics regarding unemployment among refugees. We’re working hard to effect change and be role models.” She has done such a stellar job over the past four years that she won top honours for the central region in the 2010 New Zealand Institute of Management’s Young Executive of the Year Awards. With characteristic modesty, Claire attributes her success to the excellent educational opportunities to which she has had access (she studied education management at Dublin’s Trinity College and is working toward a masters in management through Victoria University). “There’s no denying that luck plays a big part in success,” she says. “Working with refugees, you realise just how fortunate we are here. I’m also fortunate that [ELP] has a very enlightened view of professional development.” While Claire may have had luck on her side, she admits she is also very driven – sometimes to the point of obsession – to succeed. “I take my job very seriously and put in long hours. The work is relentless actually. There’s no aspect of it I couldn’t spend more time on. The hardest thing is prioritising – making decisions about what you can and can’t do. There are definitely times when it takes over my life and that does cause problems.” She says the most important lesson she has learnt in her current role is how important it is, as the head of a not-for-profit, to focus on both management and leadership. She describes her leadership style as typically Gen Y, saying she has a healthy cynicism about the status quo and constantly questions it. Claire cites her biggest achievement in the role to date as successfully orchestrating the organisation’s name change from ESOL Home Tutors last year. “[ESOL Home Tutors] is the name of one of our major programmes but we now have more than a dozen others,” she says. “We were well overdue for an update.” Requiring all board members to agree on a new name, Claire launched a consultation process which soon became a major strategic exercise. The board reached unanimous agreement in April last year and the name was officially changed the following month at a ceremony attended by Minister for Ethnic Affairs Pansy Wong and Auckland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Michael Barnet. “The whole process was an invaluable investment in our identity and future direction,” Claire says. Claire contends she enjoys the demanding nature of her work, saying she derives personal and professional satisfaction from contributing to social issues she really cares about. Describing herself as a naturally positive and happy person, she says she leads a very rich life and enjoys singing with the Wellington Cathedral Choir, playing the cello and relaxing with friends and family in her spare time. While she tends not to set goals in her personal life, she would like to start a family within the next five to 10 years. Claire’s advice to other women in business is to get involved in something you have an innate passion for and be surrounded by intelligent, inspiring and supportive people. “When you find that synergy – and feel truly supported – you know you can do your absolute best.” A nation of migrants:
Lorna Thornber Photo: Janie Walker |