Natalie Kennerley

Our testimonials

Just take a look at what our clients and candidates say about us

Rachel has always been one of the most thorough, and collaborative talent acquisition specialists that I have worked with. Rachel takes the time to understand the business and cultural requirements, which always resulted in a high-quality short list – leading to fantastic hires. I would thoroughly recommend Rachel and the Customise Talent team for recruiting top talent.

Simon McLennan

Sales & Marketing Director

“Rachel has been just amazing to deal with. From beginning to end in the process her communication, advice and understanding has been 110%. Rachel has an unrivalled knowledge of the FMCG market and utilises that knowledge along with her impeccable interpersonal skills to create brilliant matches between candidates and employers. I am super grateful for everything Rachel has done and cannot wait to start my new role!”

NZ Business Manager

Melanie’s professionalism, attentiveness, and positive attitude truly made a difference in my job search journey.

From the moment I submitted my application, her commitment to keeping me updated and informed was exemplary. I greatly appreciated her timely responses to my inquiries, whether it was via email or phone calls, which helped me stay engaged and motivated throughout.

One aspect that particularly stood out to me was her remarkable ability to remember me as an individual among the numerous applicants she dealt with. It made me feel valued and demonstrated her dedication to creating a personalised experience for candidates.

Thank you!

Community Education Facilitator

Rosey had been nothing short of amazing in the process! She was very supportive and very timely with feedback and/ or updates.

Julia Dutt

People and Performance Business Partner

I have known and dealt with Natalie for 18 months and have always appreciated her communication style and speed to answer. I highly recommend Natalie as a professional and astute recruitment agent.

James Barton-Ginger

Network Project & Product Manager at Vocus Communications

Very personal and very engaging experience from first call to signed contract. Highly professional and very responsive service – second to none! Its been a breath of fresh air dealing with Natalie. She understood her clients requirement. She understood my experience and where she needed more explanation sought to understand how my skill set would be beneficial to her clients through very clearly articulated communication.

Jaysee Pillay

BI Developer

My Customise consultant (Natalie) was really awesome in understanding my current situation and considered me that I’ll be the right fit for the position that was advertised. I’m happy that she was really motivating throughout and encouraged me by highlighting the positives that I’ve got. She was really inspiring the way that she followed up on further steps with me and my new employer. I’ll be referring Customise very confidently to my friends and management if they are looking for opportunities / candidates. Thanks a ton for giving me a new career here in New Zealand. 🙂

Kannan Sunder Rajan

Applications Developer

My first meeting with Natalie was as a candidate when I secured a PMO Manager role at Sanford who already had an established working relationship with her. I was impressed by Natalie’s general service which included the rigorous screening of candidates. Natalie takes a one-on-one interest in both the client and the candidate, taking the time to understand and thereby seeking a match that works for both. Many other agencies take the “sausage factory” approach, which lacks that personal touch that Natalie demonstrates. I would have no hesitation in recommending Natalie’s services to candidates and clients alike.

Neal Ramphal

PMO Manager at Sanford NZ

In order to become a better, best, brilliant person, you can not only rely on yourself, the best way is to work closely , learn, share and discuss as much as you can from brilliant people, like my Customise consultant.

Marie Boyle

CIO, ACG Education

My consultant was brilliant! Quick to communicate and made it very easy for me to understand the requirements of the role. She was always there to take my call and helped facilitate a tricky and unknown transition through a difficult time. Would highly recommend!

Rachel Alker

Application Analyst

Natalie was fantastic to work with. Her advice and feedback were essential in securing the role. Her communications were timely and clear, it was very easy to communicate with her and to move quickly to secure the role. I was very impressed by her commitment to the client and myself and her desire to achieve a win-win for both of us.

Peter Woolley

Scrum Master

My consultant worked hard and quickly, she did what nobody else did until now… She has the trust of the client and she also trusted me. I feel myself as a very qualified professional and every other big consultancy has failed in placing me.

Carlos Eduardo Rodrigues dos Santos

Java Integration Developer

Natalie is very helpful. She guided me a lot when I was going for 2nd Technical Interview. She played vital role in my achievement.

Umar Younas

Customer Solutions Network Engineer at Vocus Communications

Natalie is switched on and a fantastic communicator. She kept me well informed during the recruitment process. Natalie understands that recruitment is an equal relationship between recruiter, employer and contractor/employee. She treated me with respect and was utterly professional and always friendly and upbeat

Tanya Taylor

Technical Writer

Natalie Lorenzen was unbelievably helpful to me throughout the recruitment process! Natalie went above and beyond with her excellent communication and follow-up process! All in all the entire process from my first interview to getting the job was seemless and transparent! The best part for me was when Customise congratulated me with a chocolate cake!

Vishal Lal

Service Desk Analyst

Natalie is second to none with her attention to detail and care for her clients and candidates. She went over and above to help me secure a role in a new industry and earning top dollar. Natalie is a necessity if you’re in the market for new talent, or looking for a new role.

Katie Cheffings

Business Development Manager

J.F

Data Visualization Analyst

Natalie is an experienced IT recruiter who has sourced a number of candidates for our business. I have complete confidence in her understanding our need and presenting only relevant, suitable candidates. Natalie pushes hard and perseveres even when her client is often hard to pin down! My engagement with Natalie is always a pleasure, she is personal, focused and consistent and we appreciate the little touches like sending a cake on the candidate’s first day. I will absolutely be utilising Natalie’s services on future assignments.

Chris Williams

Head of IT at Sanford NZ

Communication was excellent throughout the process. This is something so many consultants fail on, but Natalie was superb.

Catherine Lupton

Test Analyst

Natalie was very thorough and informative. It was really nice that she kept me in the loop with every meeting conducted between her and the future employer, as well as, asking me for my feedback to ensure that this is still the right role for me. She was also accommodating – ensuring that our initial meeting was conducted at an appropriate time and location befitting myself. I believe that Natalie showed vital traits necessary to ensure both clients (employer and candidate) come to a successful conclusion.

Micah De Lara

Software Demonstrator at Fergus

I was referred to Leanne a few years ago and she was great in her consultation as a Recruiter as I transitioned senior management roles. She was adept at matching my skill set to employer specific needs and positions. The time taken was minimal as the match was strategic, methodical and done with a smile. My first meeting with the client was a match! The success ratio of 100% was down to Leanne’s wide network of contacts across a broad range of industries. As both a client and candidate I know she uses a thorough vetting process that can only benefit employer and employee and this is a compelling advantage in today’s time sensitive world. I highly recommend Leanne and know you’ll enjoy the recruitment process.

Michael Tamati

NZ Business Development Manager – Sims Pacific Metals

Over the past ten-years I have utilized the services of Leanne Bell to source talent for leadership and commercial roles across the Asia Pacific Region. Whilst with Microsoft APAC, I engaged the services of Leanne and her team to service all of our key recruitment requirements for the New Zealand MSN business which I believe contributed significantly to the success of the brand in growing market share and profitability. Leanne is incredibly connected to the market’s best talent, astute in terms of overall business outcomes and always conducts herself in a manner which has both candidates and clients develop a strong loyalty to her services. In an industry where I have found integrity and professionalism often lacking, Leanne has created a brand and reputation that is founded on just that, integrity, honesty and an approach that sustains long-term successful relationships. I can recommend Leanne and her services to any corporation or candidate as an exceptional operator who always makes doing business enjoyable and productive. (Kerry is the former General Manager, Microsoft Advertising and Publishing, APAC)

Kerry McCabe – Managing Director, RadiumOne APAC

Formerly General Manager, Microsoft Advertising and Publishing, Asia Pacific

My Customise Consultant Leanne, was a gem to work with. Leanne, negotiated great outcomes for myself in my new role, identified quickly the role advertised would be a great fit for my skill set, and the company culture also a nice fit. Leanne is hugely experienced in recruitment and as such makes the process easy and seamless.

Jane Reed

Business Development Toll

Leanne is a very professional recruiter. She is extremely knowledgeable about the market and is a great communicator. Leanne does an excellent job and I seriously couldn’t fault her service. I will continue to work with Leanne in the future and would fully recommend her to find you the right employees for your company.

Darren Kelly – REINZ – January 2017

Leanne has been awesome from start to finish. Great consultant, great company!

Tony Afendoulis

Trading Representative

Back in 2003 after graduation, I struggled to find work for 5 months. During this time I applied to at least 100 roles only to be rejected without an interview. It was a hard time for me and my self-esteem got worse and worse and I felt like my degree was fast becoming a waste of time. I then got a call from Leanne in reply to a role I applied for and we arranged an interview time. When I met with Leanne, she gave me some wise words of advice – to the point I think she may even have told me that I needed new shoes! After our meeting she sent me on my first client interview with the NZ Herald for a co-ordinator position. That role (which I was successful in landing) was the first step of what is now a (relatively) long media career. I went on to work for Advertising Agencies TVNZ, MTV and Mediacom. I want to finally say a huge thank you to Leanne for getting me into the industry, especially when I was having such a hard time – she is a fantastic recruiter!

Rita Steel

Account Director – Pandora Radio NZ

I’ve known Leanne for a number of years and she contacted me at the right time and presented two candidates who were ideal (almost perfect) for the roles that we were recruiting for. I really enjoyed working with Leanne throughout the process, she understands our business well and I would absolutely work with her again on future assignments. 2 out of 2 is a 100% strike rate, you can’t argue with that!

Vikas Verma

GM Real Estate & Employment, NZME – July 2018

We are so incredibly grateful to have found three super employees through Customise Talent. Leanne has been amazing to work with – efficient and pro-active, she “thinks outside the square”. She has the ability to see that “special unique” that may not necessarily fit the profile we provide but ends up being exactly who we need. She not only cares about her candidates but also about working in partnership with her client. I would definitely recommend Leanne and Customise Talent.

Sharlene Smith

Sales Manager, Toll New Zealand – August 2018

I valued the honest communication I had with Leanne, from discussing my skills to feedback on my interviews, she added value the whole way. And to make it even better I never felt like I was waiting for a call, she promptly reached out every step of the way. The best recruiter experience I have had ever!

Melisa Shore

Head of Sales

From the first point of contact with Leanne I felt comfortable and confident that she would help me get the role I had applied for. She made the whole process effortless and was always available to answer my questions. Thanks for your help to get me the role easily and quickly!

Tracy

Demand Planner

Leanne was great, picked a role for me. Coached me on the interview and kept me updated.

Tony Rew

SHEC Projects Manager

I can recommend Leanne unreservedly. I have worked with Leanne for over ten years now, and she has consistently sourced top quality candidates for me, that in many cases have been able to work for me in more than one company. Her strength is her ability to thoroughly interpret a brief and the real requirements of a role, and then overlay that on an intuitive understanding of the culture of the team and the business. Her acumen in this has resulted in a high success rate for me, from graduates, to sales team, to senior management. Leanne is a true professional, and most importantly, delivers!

Charles Miller

Mailshop Limited l General Manager

I have had the pleasure of working with Leanne both in my own career development and in the establishment of my sales teams over the past 10 years. Leanne has proved time and time again that she has an innate understanding of potential employees that will not only fit with my work ethic and personality but also that of my team’s. Leanne is a trusted advisor and makes it her obligation to understand you and your business in order to get the best results. I would have no hesitation in referring Leanne’s skillset to find you the right candidate and next employment opportunity.

Cameron Taylor

General Manager – oOh! Media New Zealand

My first contact with Leanne Bell was at a BNI Networking meeting. I wasn’t even looking for staff initially but after chatting with Leanne, she basically advised me what was missing in my business and put forward a candidate whom I ended up hiring! Since then I’ve hired a further two staff with Leanne’s assistance! Leanne is very personable and easy to communicate with. She is exceptional at her job. I would definitely recommend Leanne to any employer who may or may not need a new employee!!

Annemare Begg

Owner, White Refrigeration – October 2018

Leanne is one in a million. This experience has completely blown me away.. She leaves other recruitment consultants in the dust. Would highly recommend.

Nikki Vibert

Account Manager I Envirowaste Services Limited

Leanne was supportive, down-to-earth, communicative and informative. She ensured I knew every detail that was important in securing this role, and supported me the entire process, and then some – even after normal business hours. She was an absolute pleasure to work with in finding employment and I know for sure that I would return to her in the future if needed. She completely won me over, and represents Customise Talent in an exceptional fashion. (Yay, Leanne!) I think she’s an overall sweetheart who is incredible at her job, and went above and beyond in helping each party she dealt with to feel secure and taken care of. 10/10 would recommend. Thanks for your time and assistance, in everything.

E.S.

Sales Support and Administrator

Leanne is an absolute “Rock Star” and a credit to Customise Talent. She is professional, talented and savvy and I trust her 100% to find me the most suitable candidate because she is proactive and has incredible intuition. I wouldn’t consider using any other agency because of her innate ability to get the personality / company match spot-on! I will definitely work with Leanne on future assignments and I highly recommend her.

Louise Gordon

Events Manager, REINZ, January 2018

Leanne was thorough in her explanation of the role and assisted in all areas. She followed up and managed to secure me the role within a few days….impressive!

Kathy

Client Services – Packaging Specialist

Melanie provided very insightful information about the background of the company, the requirement of the role, especially the general flow of each the interview, so that I can prepare well for each interview and finally got the job offer. Thanks Melanie!

Ben Wang

Electronic Project Engineer

Melanie was great to deal with. She offered great advice and communication during the process which gave me the confidence boosts I needed to nail the interviews.

HvdM

Member Support, Cityhop

I worked with Mel after being made redundant from my last job due to COVID-19 earlier this year. Mel is an amazing recruiter and I would recommend her to anyone looking for work in the Finance and Automotive industry. Her deep industry knowledge combined with her tireless work ethic and ability to see the bigger picture makes her the best recruiter I’ve worked with in my entire career. Thank you Mel for securing an awesome opportunity perfectly suited for me and ultimately re-launching my career.

DW

Procurement Officer

Melanie was excellent throughout the process & is by far the best recruiter I have dealt with!

Beven Young

Senior Lending Manager

Melanie and Customise have been the best recruiters that I have ever worked with. Period. Melanie was perceptive, engaging, and able to show myself and my new employer how my background was an asset and a solid match for the requirements.

Coming up in person for my first interview with Customise first seemed extremely unusual, but it has led to fantastic results and the best interviews I have had from end to end. I would not hesitate to recommend Melanie and Customise as a whole.

Ryan Vincent

Data Analyst

I enjoyed how onto it Mel was, she kept me in the loop constantly and was always very reassuring. She also gave great advice and practice questions for the interviews.

Jeanie May

Receptionist & Pre-delivery Coordinator

I enjoyed my conversations and meeting with my consultant. She supported me in every aspect of my job application and encouraged me to keep my confidence for the interview with the employee. I appreciate her help and I wish her all the best in her career.

Amir Rastar

Data Scientist

Michael Viner is one of the best consultants I’ve met – he’s professional, an excellent communicator and understands what we need very quickly.

He is tailored in his approach to finding the perfect candidate by providing 1-2 suitably qualified, with the right company fit.

Customise Talent are a preferred supplier and have a strong history working with GWF. Keep on doing what you are doing!

Bridget Morris

People and Performance Manager

My dealings with Michael when trying to secure a new role were fantastic. He communicated well throughout the whole process, I felt he heard what I needed and understood the type of role which would suit my skill set and my personality. Proof is in the pudding, I have just accepted a fantastic new role through his facilitation!

Emily Govorko

Advertising Sales Manager

Michael has superior EQ, customer insight and role comprehension. He went above and beyond our expectations and the feedback we received from both of the Executives who worked with him was glowing. He brings a good dose of humour to his work and we love that at Jade Software! We look forward to working with Michael on future assignments.

Yvette Hooper

HR Manager, Jade Software Corporation â€“ March 2018

Michael approached me to establish a working relationship as he had previously worked on a similar role for GWF in Australia. I would describe his performance as very engaging and professional, with great follow up and excellent candidate engagement. He took the time to build a genuine working relationship and to understand both our business needs as well as our culture. I would highly recommend Michael to any potential candidate or employer working on a specific technical role and the sales and marketing functions.

Sarah Cruz-Taylor

Recruitment Manager l George Weston Foods l May 2017

Every once in awhile you will meet people that make you want to better yourself. Michael is one of those people. He ought to be one of the best-recruiting professionals I have ever met, willing to help me find opportunities that were simply a perfect match for my skills and experience. Being transparent and extremely knowledgeable in digital made Michael stand out from the pack. If you are considering your career options or need help finding talent for your team, you need to speak to Michael. If not, at least have a beer with him and talk about cricket

Cleb Sicorra

Senior digital Analyst

Michael is swift, accurate and personable in his approach. He found the right Technical Lead candidate for us and did so quickly. I would definitely recommend Michael’s recruitment services to others and will certainly be contacting him again in the near future.

Pete Gibson

Digital Director l AffinityID l June 2017

My experience with Rachel has been nothing but amazing. She is an amazing human and was always available to answer my questions even be the little ones. She made sure to follow up after every interview and call me in to prepare me as well. She does put in a lot of effort and that’s the best part of it all. I’m so happy she was my recruiter and made sure I secure an amazing job. She is the best!!!

Neha Dawson

AfterCare Manager

Rachel and I have a long working relationship and most recently I’ve been working with her in relation to a start-up company called Parkable. Rachel is very good at gaining an understanding of the environment, what type of person the company is looking for, and what type of company the candidate is looking for. As a result, her strike rate is exceptionally high. I would describe Rachel as efficient and understanding, pragmatic but also intuitive. I will continue utilising Rachel for recruitment requirements now and in the future, and highly recommend her.

Jason Kilgour

Board

Service overall exceeded expectations. The communication and process was seamless.

Cherie Mobberley

National Sales Manager

As a client Rachel delivered time and time again with high quality candidates, perfectly suited to the role with the right balance of skill and experience, but more importantly the right fit for our company culture. She spends time truly understanding your business, what your trying to achieve and the DNA of your people – all of which are critical factors for a relationship manager in the recruitment space, however are very seldom practiced. I can highly recommend Rachel as a recruitment partner of choice to any prospective business owner or leader.

Joshua Howe

Chief Merchant & Commercial Officer at The Natural Grocery Company

Rachel was fundamental in helping me to land my role. I really appreciate the quick communication throughout the process.

Alexandra Coates

Category Manager

Rachel has been an absolute pleasure to work with. She was so responsive and always got back to me when I had a question or needed assistance. I enjoyed working with her a lot. Also, she has a great personality and is great with client relations.

Ashley Mai

Business Development Manager

Dealing with Rachel from Customise Talent was a very sobering experience as she spent a lot of time building a very good job description with us. She wanted to find out what our company culture was so that we would have not only the skills but also a cultural fit. Rachel was realistic with her time frame and kept me well informed of the progress at all times. We found a very high calibre Head of Sales who is performing as we wished for and he’s also an extremely likable individual who’s adding more than we expected to our team. I will definitely use Rachel again for further recruiting.

Markus Hasler

Mrs Higgins Oven Fresh Cookies

Every time we had a position to fill, the candidates put forward by Rachel turned out to be the best for the job. We were particularly impressed by her not swamping us with CVs but only forwarding those of people who were likely to be a good fit for the organisation.

Some of the skills we needed to hire were hard to come by but Rachel kept on proactively hunting for suitable candidates.

Rachel is an extremely proactive, conscientious and professional, and works hard on developing a long term relationship based on results as opposed to one off placements.

Thanks a lot, Rachel – you have certainly contributed to the success of the organisation.

Angus Cooper

Merger & Acquisition / Sell Side Advisor & Business Performance Specialist, Advisor

Rachel was a pleasure to work with. She really listened to my needs and was very reliable and thorough. I would highly recommend working alongside Rachel to find your dream role.

Claire Gourley

Customer Marketing Executive

From start to finish Rachel handled the process exceptionally well and performed professionally. She constantly communicated with both parties and kept them in the loop. Negotiated well and achieved a win-win situation for both parties. It has been a pleasure working with Rachel and wish her well for the future

ALFRED JUDE PUSHPAKUMAR

Finance Manager

I had the pleasure of working with Rachel as my recruitment partner for Kimberly-Clark New Zealand from 2015 – 2017. During this time, Rachel was diligent, professional, and energetic in determining potential candidates that could best contribute to our culture of delivering exceptional business performance. Rachel has a passion for people which makes her a delight to work with for both the candidates and companies.

Sharna Heinjus

Global Category Development Leader, Kimberly-Clark

Rachel was fundamental in helping me to land my role. I really appreciate the quick communication throughout the process.

Alexandra Coates

Category Manager

Rachel’s services were recommended to me by a colleague when I was starting my search for a National Business Manager. I found her to be very efficient, friendly yet professional. Rachel took the time to ask lots of questions to gain an understanding of our business and requirements. I would happily work with Rachel when I have future recruitment needs.

Debbie Robson

HR Manager

Rachel was fantastic, she helped me through the whole process and even managed to ensure it all got completed over the Christmas period. We were all on holiday which made it challenging but she persevered until the role was secured. I felt so much more comfortable knowing what I would be doing in the New Year. I would recommend her to anyone that needed a reliable and efficient Recruitment Consultant.

N.I. I

LNI Regional Manager

Rachel was fantastic throughout the whole process and was great at communicating everything and ensuring I was never left with unanswered questions. I was overseas at the time and even dealing with the different time zones and communication over email and Skype calls her service was impeccable.

Michaela Egbers

Marketing Manager

Partner | Senior Sourcing Specialist

Just take a look at what our clients and candidates say about us

Simon McLennan

NZ Business Manager

Community Education Facilitator

Julia Dutt

James Barton-Ginger

Jaysee Pillay

Kannan Sunder Rajan

Neal Ramphal

Marie Boyle

Rachel Alker

Peter Woolley

Carlos Eduardo Rodrigues dos Santos

Umar Younas

Tanya Taylor

Vishal Lal

Katie Cheffings

J.F

Chris Williams

Catherine Lupton

Micah De Lara

Michael Tamati

Kerry McCabe – Managing Director, RadiumOne APAC

Jane Reed

Darren Kelly – REINZ – January 2017

Tony Afendoulis

Rita Steel

Vikas Verma

Sharlene Smith

Melisa Shore

Tracy

Tony Rew

Charles Miller

Cameron Taylor

Annemare Begg

Nikki Vibert

E.S.

Louise Gordon

Kathy

Ben Wang

HvdM

DW

Beven Young

Ryan Vincent

Jeanie May

Amir Rastar

Bridget Morris

Emily Govorko

Yvette Hooper

Sarah Cruz-Taylor

Cleb Sicorra

Pete Gibson

Neha Dawson

Jason Kilgour

Cherie Mobberley

Joshua Howe

Alexandra Coates

Ashley Mai

Markus Hasler

Angus Cooper

Claire Gourley

ALFRED JUDE PUSHPAKUMAR

Sharna Heinjus

Alexandra Coates

Debbie Robson

N.I. I

Michaela Egbers

Please do not hesitate to contact Us. We look forward to your enquiry.