LINK enjoyed a phenomenal night at the 2019 REINZ Awards. Not only did they walk away with Large Business Broking Office of the Year, for the 4th year running! But Katherine Shepherd, from LINK Christchurch, won Manager of the Year – across the real estate industry. The Manager of the Year award celebrates the nominee’s overall contribution to the business, and according to her team, Katherine’s win is incredibly well deserved.
Steven Matthews, General Manager for LINK Christchurch, said “Katherine’s leadership has had an enormous impact on our organisation’s performance. She has increased all her targets over the competition period, and under her management, the team have exceeded their individual goals, resulting in personal and financial growth.”
LINK is unequivocally committed to the development of their team members. Katherine won two awards at the 2019 LINK conference, against 28 other offices from around the globe. The impact of these awards has had significant, positive outcomes for the individuals in her team.
Katherine’s professionalism was further recognised when she was invited to sit with LINK’s Chairman, CEO, and global executives, as part of a High-Performance Team.
“What she learned from this experience is that when you have access to experienced global leaders, with proven results, you have access to another level of professionalism, tools and thinking. This high-performance team is on the phone every week, and we debate openly with high levels of trust and candidness, which is unthinkable in many businesses. She challenges the Chairman, CFO, and CEO, the same as a broker in her office.” says Matthews
According to her team, Katherine’s style of management and leadership is hands-on. She is encouraging, inclusive and leads by example. She believes in a positive environment where the team feel comfortable asking questions and feel valued and heard.
“Leadership is about results. To put the last year into context, Katherine took an underperforming office and doubled its profit. She increased the size of the team and overhauled the culture.” says Matthews.
When asked what this award means to her, Katherine’s generous spirit and team-focused approach are evident. “The award means the world to me. It proves that all the hard work and dedication to create a great team, and support and grow them as much as I can, have paid off. I am so lucky to have an amazing team that I am responsible for and to be supported by a trusting, motivating and inspiring group of peers. I can only hope to continue on this wonderful journey, growing my team’s success and in turn, my success and that of the wider company.”
