Staff Profile: Ester Woollaston - Championing Food Safety and Team Success

Name: Ester Woollaston 
Role: Section Manager Water Microbiology 
Length of service at Hill Labs: Almost 10 years. 

Tell us a bit about yourself 
I live on a small lifestyle property in the Waikato with my husband, two boys, two dogs, two chickens, and cat. On the weekend you can usually find me at Parkrun, at my kid’s soccer game, out for a hike, or in the vege garden. 

How did you end up at Hill Labs? 
I came to Hill Labs straight after finishing my microbiology degree and started as technician in the Christchurch lab. 

What does your position involve?
Ultimately the section manager is responsible for keeping the Micro operations running smoothly and ensuring that the team has everything they need to deliver results to our customers within the turnaround times. 

What other than your roles have you been in at Hill Labs? 
I have been a technician in the Christchurch Micro team, an Analytical Technology/R&D technician in the Hamilton micro lab, team leader of Hamilton micro, and now a section manager. 

What do you enjoy most about working at Hill Labs?  
It is common for someone to say they enjoy working here because of the people and I am no different! I work with some great individuals. I also enjoy it because of the variety; there is always plenty to keep me busy. 

What is the highlight in your career at Hill Labs?  
I have really enjoyed stepping into the section manager role. It is good balance between the technical, lab-side of things and the people-leader, managerial side of things. 

What are you most passionate about in the sector you work in?  
Protecting public health! Micro works across a number of sectors, but usually the goal in our team is to keep people safe and contribute to New Zealand’s strong food-safety and public health system.