SOS People

Key People

Michael Whybro – Operations Manager

michael@sos.co.nz

Michael has worked in the service industry for over 34 years, in management for 26 and in executive management for over 18 years, including Board Membership of:

an NZSE 40 corporate subsidiary
a local Business Association
one of New Zealand’s largest non-profit sporting associations

Michael spent 18 years working with Westpac Banking Corporation in both Australia and New Zealand, spending time in numerous areas of both general and specialist banking. His last role with Westpac was as National Manager.

In 1997 he left the banking industry and moved to ADT/Armourguard, New Zealand’s largest security company, where he spent two years as the Auckland Regional Manager, responsible for a multi-million dollar, 24/7 operation employing over 250 staff.

In 2000, he moved to Tourism Holdings Limited (THL) which was Australasia’s largest tourism owner/operator and listed on the main stock Exchange Boards in both countries. During his five years with THL, Michael held a number of executive management positions including Group General Manager of THL’s youth and adventure brands incorporating around 300 staff spread across 7 countries.

Along with a large range of other responsibilities and achievements, Michael has also managed three large, 24/7 Contact Centres - in banking, security and tourism. He has been often referred to as a “Call Centre Expert”, having taken his last Call Centre to International Best Practice Accreditation and selection as a finalist in the Telecommunication Users Association of New Zealand (TUANZ) Call Centre of the Year Awards.

After 25 years in the corporate world, Michael opted out in 2005 and got into small business where he has utilised his significant business acumen, skills and experience in the service industry to help establish and manage SOS Recruitment. Starting with zero clients, candidates and staff, by mid 2008 SOS Recruitment had grown to one of the North Shore’s largest, best known, most respected and most successful recruitment agencies with a team of 11 and multiple successes with the prestigious Westpac Enterprise North Shore Business Excellence Awards.

Unfortunately, as with all recruitment agencies, SOS was heavily impacted by the Global Financial Crisis from early 2009 and was forced to make significant and difficult changes to survive.

Thankfully light appeared at the end of the tunnel during 2013 and after a few years of struggle, doing it tough and significantly reduced business levels, we were again able to grow and prosper. 2014 has started as 2013 finished – with many client businesses looking to the future with a renewed confidence in terms of growth and profitability and we’re looking forward to helping them secure the people to make it happen!