Meet Junior Toleafoa (aka JT), Manager Security & Host Responsibility at SKYCITY Auckland. JT’s team include the highly visible Security Officers who ensure a safe, fun place for customers and employees, and the Host Responsibility Executives who work with customers to minimise harm from our products.
A New Zealand-born Samoan, JT is the youngest of 10 and a graduate of Mount Albert Grammar School. He kick-started his career as a Police Sergeant, working on the front-line for 20 years.
JT thought he’d be in the force forever, but he took a leap of faith and joined SKYCITY in 1997. “It was a very different place back then... it’s been growing all the time. I found the transition from a disciplined, regimented workplace to a commercial outfit enjoyable. A lot of the work I did in the Police set me up for the work I do now.”
JT has held a number of roles at SKYCITY, starting as a Sky Tower Duty Manager, then landing the Employee Advocate role focusing on the welfare of staff; it was in that role that he helped set the scene for what is now the ‘Connect' team. A few years later, he became Group Manager of Host Responsibility, then went back into employee advocacy before moving on to manage Surveillance, Security & Host Responsibility.
20 years on, JT is still here, a well-respected and familiar face ‘Playing a Part’ as Manager of Security & Host Responsibility. His contribution to helping our business ‘Play Safe’ includes making sure SKYCITY’s Host Responsibility programme works to minimise harm from our products and to ensure the safety and protection of our customers, employees and assets.
His humble, humorous and dedicated personality makes him popular amongst his co-workers, but he prefers the description “calm under fire”!
When asked about what keeps him here, he replied “You’ve got to build a good team beneath you to support you. You have to empower them to make decisions and to give them the resources to do their job. I’m part of a fabulous team and the work is interesting enough to keep me in it.”
Apart from enjoying the benefit of $2.50 meals at our employee restaurant, JT finds the successes in his area and the variety and diversity of the business very rewarding, especially the people!
JT intends to ‘Play Hard’ for a little longer at SKYCITY as he sees ongoing opportunity in the business. “I want to leave this role saying that I’ve done my very best and that I’ve left it all there. That’s my goal: To do the best I can.”
JT leaves one more piece of advice for anyone currently working at SKYCITY, or those who are considering joining us: “Inflict your personality on this place!”