Shula’s story: From the Ground Up

Shula Russell
Shula RussellVillage Manager, Sodexo Australia
Shula Russell

I have spent most of my career in facilities and operational management. In 2020, I decided to take a leap and try FIFO (fly-in, fly-out). Like many people in the industry, I started in the casual utility pool, working across housekeeping, mine-site cleaning, kitchen operations, bar and retail, and administration.

In 2021, Sodexo contacted me after reviewing my résumé. During the recruitment process, they asked, “How did you find starting out in a hands-on role?” At the time, it felt like a simple question. Later, I realized it reflected exactly what Sodexo values - leaders who understand the work from the ground up and appreciate the day-to-day challenges faced by frontline teams.

That was the moment I thought, yes, I fit here.

Shula Russell

Care and consistency are core to the mining environment

I commenced with Sodexo as an Assistant Village Manager, and I still remember the Area Manager calling to personally welcome me to the company before I flew out for my first swing. That conversation gave me a strong sense that this was the right move. That Area Manager was Milan Novakovic, now Director IFMS, Sodexo.

 

In 2024, I moved into my current role as Village Manager. I fly in and fly out to oversee operations at remote mining sites in the Pilbara, Western Australia, including catering, housekeeping, administration, bar and retail, and transport services. I’m part of a Village Management Team that supports and leads between 70 and 100 employees who live and work on site for two-week swings. 

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