GFM is blessed to have incredibly loyal clients and equally loyal staff. Reflecting on GFM’s 50th anniversary this year, our longest-standing employee is Mai Davies, who started with us in 1984 (YES – 1984!). Mai has been an incredible contributor to the success of GFM and is universally loved by all the team and GFM clients. Read about her journey here at GFM:

I cannot believe it’s been 39 years since I started my first job at GFM. It feels like it was only yesterday.

As part of the Year 12 Business Studies course I completed at Star of the Sea College in 1984, I was required to complete two weeks of work experience. I was assigned to AG Gilham and Associates, located on Queens Road, Melbourne. This was a general insurance broking and life insurance business with a small team of three: Tony Gilham (the firm’s founder) and two staff members, Linda and Noeline.

This was my first experience working in the ‘real world’. My day involved answering the phone, typing invoices, letters and memos (on a typewriter), filing, preparing the cheques for banking, writing up the mail, folding newsletters and making coffee. Everything was done manually!

There was always a mountain of work, and I managed to get through it, then asked if there was anything else I could help with. Tony was impressed with my enthusiasm, speed and accuracy of my work, and I fitted in well. I was invited back to work during the school holidays. I was offered a full-time job as a Junior Secretary starting in November 1984.

I was excited and appreciative of being given this fantastic full-time job opportunity and not having to attend job interviews! I planned to stay on for a year or two, gain some work experience and then move on.

I resigned in 1988 when my daughter Mel was born, and in 1989 my son Matt was born, only 14 months apart. I certainly had my hands full. Tony and I kept in touch, and in 1992, he called to ask if I was interested in returning to work on a casual basis, any hours I wanted. I was very keen to work, but it was daunting as this was the first time I had worked in an office in 4 years. We were still using typewriters when I left, and we had now entered the computer age, and it was all new to me.

I returned to work one day a week. This soon increased to two days a week when I began arranging client meetings. I love speaking to people, so this was a perfect job for me. Having a young family, I was very grateful for the flexibility to work around the kids. When the kids started school, my hours increased with the role’s responsibilities, and I eventually returned to full-time employment.

It was wonderful as there was always something new to learn, building on my skills which enabled me to work in many areas.

In my Marketing and Client Services role, I have been very fortunate to meet and know most of our wonderful and loyal clients. Many clients have been with GFM for 10, 20, 30 and 40-plus years, which is remarkable.

Another aspect of the role I love is organising and attending client seminars, movie nights, golf days and client dinners. The first seminar we hosted was about 30 years ago, and we now host several in-person seminars a year. I get a lot of joy and satisfaction from knowing how much our clients enjoy these events.

Jade Ng, our Client Services Assistant, who works closely with me, assists with client events and administration and works at reception. Like me, she enjoys interactions with clients.

I feel blessed to work with a fantastic team of people who are loyal, caring, thoughtful and supportive of each other. Twelve of us have been with GFM for ten years or more. It says so much about the company that many of us have been here for so long. We all work well together, making it a pleasure to come to work each day.

Outside work, I enjoy travelling, hiking, nature walks, movies, dining out, and spending time with family and friends. Pilates and Yoga are a must for me. Most of all, I love spending time with my beautiful granddaughter, Gracie, who is almost three years old; she is such a joy and always makes me laugh. She lives in Lennox Heads, NSW, so we visit each other a few times a year.

I have thoroughly enjoyed working at GFM and I am looking forward to celebrating our 50 years anniversary. Fifty years is an incredible milestone, and I am excited about the year ahead.