Introducing the new executive officer of SPASA WA: Sadie Davidson!
Congratulations on your recent appointment as executive officer of SPASA WA. What attracted you to the pool and spa industry? I saw the role advertised and I knew that with my background working for industry associations and with peak bodies of the real estate and property development industries, it was definitely in my comfort zone. It seemed like a great opportunity to branch out, meet new people and be part of an industry that is going so well at the moment. We are so lucky that the impact of COVID has had the opposite effect on our industry to what most others have experienced. I feel fortunate to come on board at the helm at a time when business is going so well. That provides a lot of opportunity to innovate and be creative without the pressures of a struggling industry. It will allow me to make some key changes and bring the industry forward as well as have some fun along the way.
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How have your first few weeks on the job been? Everyone has been so welcoming and the reception from the membership base has been really fantastic. For a young woman stepping into this role, there was a bit of apprehension as to how I would be received, but because our leadership is already gender diverse with great female representation, it seemed a logical next step and I really don’t think my gender or age played a factor in the employment process. I’m the first female in this role but our board is already pretty much 50/50. Our vice president is also female, and there have been previous female SPASA WA Presidents. There’s a real sense of community among the WA members, and I look forward to being a part of this great industry.
What is the overall vision of SPASA WA? Like any business, we’ll need to be nimble and be able to adapt to changing market conditions and improvements in technology. The recent pandemic has shown us just how quickly business and industry can adapt if needed and I think it’s very important that we don’t settle back into ‘business as usual’ which could concrete the changes and not continue to adapt. Things like bringing everything online and being able to embrace future technologies will be a big deal, particularly with event registration and nominations for awards. And then it will just be about continuing to do what we do well. The vast majority of our members are incredibly satisfied with what they receive from SPASA WA so we’ll continue to do what we do best.
