HR Consultant Sarah Rowsell discusses her plans for a Macquarie University doggy daycare and the joys of Cuba libres.

Work stuff
I’ve been at Macquarie for…
Five years, and within that time I have been fortunate enough to work across a wide and diverse range of portfolios and with lots of different people!

In a nutshell, my job is to…
Support and advise, with the greater aim of creating a workplace that aligns with what we are trying to achieve as a university.

The question I hear most often in my work is…
“Do they have approval to do that?”

The top three things on my to-do list today are…
Review proposals from recruiters for an exciting new (externally funded) role, meetings, and…well, I can’t share everything!

If I could do any other job at Macquarie (with instant qualifications/knowledge) it would be…
A role in research. I sit on the job evaluation review panel and was reviewing a Research Officer position recently that sounded fascinating. I like that working for a university we are contributing towards a greater purpose but being in research gets you that much closer to the action.

A Macquarie staff member that impressed me last week…
My colleague Selma Tas, who recently joined Macquarie in the HR Client Team. As soon as she started both myself and our manager went on leave, and hit the ground running, covering an enormous amount of work and navigating through the University’s Enterprise Agreement (which, even as a seasoned HR practitioner is quite different to work under).

I get my campus coffee fix from…
Wally’s Walk Coffee Cart – thanks Pina!

If you were given $50 million to create or build something at Macquarie, what would you do with it?
What a great question. A dog daycare centre, where staff could volunteer an hour of their time once a week/fortnight (might have to get further approval on this) to help run.  Otherwise, refer to my response to the question above, that’s the job I’d like to do!

Personal life
My favourite subject at school was…
Maths, because all I did was talk and distract my friends. Numbers are not my strong point – I’m in HR for a reason!

Outside work, you’ll often find me…
Meditating.

The most amazing place I’ve ever visited is…
Havana, Cuba. I recently went on my honeymoon and had no expectations of Cuba as friends had provided mixed reviews, but we had the most amazing time. Around every corner there was someone singing, the people were warm and inviting, and the Cuba libres were flowing! I found it particularly interesting to be immersed in a culture where minimalism and sustainability are not in vogue, but a part of everyday life.

If I could have dinner with anyone (living or dead) it would be…
My twin uncles who passed away in the last few years.  We shared great banter and chats together, so I’d love the chance to spend a few more hours with them.

The last great book I read was…
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy – it only took me a year (and a few books in between), but I was determined to finish that book! Not sure I’m up for War and Peace though.