Manuel Efaraimo is the new chief operating officer at Brother New Zealand.
Warwick Beban, managing director at Brother New Zealand, says, “I am delighted to have someone of Manuel’s experience, drive and mana in such a pivotal role in our business and I know Manuel will help move Brother to a new level of excellence.”
In 2000, a 20 year-old Efaraimo began his career at Brother New Zealand in the warehouse and parts department. He initially hoped to play rugby professionally but changed his mind. He explains, “The changing moment for me pursuing rugby was having my first child. I had to reassess my reality and rethink what future success looked like to me and my family, so I applied myself to growth in my work at Brother. My journey has been about constantly setting new goals and achieving them.”
Support matters
He credits the support and influence of managers and mentors at Brother and his wife, assisting his personal tenacity at each stage of his career. Brother supported his ambition to undertake an MBA at the University of Waikato, offering flexibility to attend classes. He says, “Completing the MBA whilst working in one of the busiest times of my career was arduous, especially during Covid-19, but I am grateful for the opportunity and the experience.”
His aspirations for the new role including developing his team, focusing on improving robust business processes and utilising technology to enable scale and growth to improve the customer experience.
Proudly of Samoan and Māori heritage, he says, “A big motivation for me representing my culture in a corporate environment is being able to set a positive example and hopefully influence or inspire people, especially our youth.”
