Case Study

Randy Knispel - From Multi-National Exec to Public Servant

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Name: Randy Knispel

Age: 50s

Then: Randy was working as Teams Development Manager for the Australian branch of a multi-national pharmaceutical manufacturing and marketing corporation. Randy worked long hours, and after a series of tragic deaths of close friends and family members followed by a merger he began to wonder if pharmaceutical manufacturing was worth all the effort. He thought there was a possibility he would be made redundant, and was concerned about getting another position at his age. He was tired of the corporate world, tired of Sydney and longed to return to a place where he could see mountains and could go fishing.

Now: Randy is the Acting Director of the Organisational Renewal Branch of the Department of Defence in Canberra. His work involves building relationships inside Defence to ensure that all policies reflect the people-centred values that are at the heart of the internally generated Defence renewal agenda. Randy is living on a small property outside Canberra (on the road to the Snowy Mountains) with a small dam that does not have trout in it, yet.

Randy says: "The workshop helped me to narrow down my choices, to work out what was really important for me, and to focus on what I wanted to do. I got a lot of great, supportive feedback. I realised that I needed to work for an organisation that could make a positive
impact on Australia."

"I am really enjoying my current work. I like the people here, especially the uniformed folks. They always let you know what they think and that’s a pleasant change from the corporate world I used to know. I’m hoping to spend the next five to ten years helping Defence make sure that we support all our uniformed people. And that will be good for all Australians."

We say: "Making a contribution to society through his work was and is important for Randy, and he has been able to combine this with another major desire, living on a rural property. As is often the case, uncertainty and difficulty in his former position helped provide
Randy with the impetus he needed to be proactive, gain clarity on what was important and what he really wanted to do, and to put steps in place to get there."

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