For anyone else, Linda McDonald’s ‘nomadic’ lifestyle could be considered disruptive and unpredictable. But to her this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Since starting with the business in 2022, Linda has learnt that village life is a far cry from that at Exmouth—enjoying the separation of life and work with her FIFO roster. 

She now heads the largest residential portfolio in the Pilbara, with Tom Price having 899 houses and 29 short-term accommodations—contributing to Sodexo’s 2,980 residential property management portfolio across the Pilbara. Supporting her is a team of thirteen people from the property, facilities management, projects and grounds departments. 

“You never stop learning. And for me, it comes with the trades and people I am surrounded by here at Sodexo.”

Born in England, raised on the east coast of Australia, Linda has always been aware of FIFO roles but it wasn’t something she was interested in. It took her grown children—who inherited their mother’s courageous spirit of stepping into the ‘unknown’—working in FIFO roles across Western Australia that inspired her to give it a go. 

“The lifestyle was always interesting to me. I got to see how it suited my family and figured I would make just as great a candidate,” she said. 

When a role came up for a FIFO residential property manager, she couldn’t believe her luck. 

“I didn’t realise roles in FIFO in real estate existed—it almost felt too good to be true,” she said. 

“In a happy turn of events, I have even ended up working where one of my daughters is a resident. I get to see her and my grandchildren throughout the week and reconnect with the rest of my family when I’m home in Perth of a weekend.

“I really feel I get the best of both worlds.”

Throughout her time at Sodexo, Linda has experienced robust support from the company, particularly during challenging times. Within the first month of joining, she lost two people close to her within three weeks of each other. 

“I was so worried asking for the time off. I’d left a job of 20 years to take this leap, and suddenly I wasn’t able to give it the start I wanted to,” she said. 

“Of course, I know I shouldn’t have worried. When I told my supervisor, they told me that family came first. I wasn’t pressured to return, and when I was ready, I let the business know. 

“I’d think they were surprised I wanted back in so soon. They asked me straight away if I was sure and if I needed any support to transition back in.”

Although being at her previous place of work for two decades, when reflecting on the support she received from Sodexo as a new starter, Linda considers the investment of the managers in her wellbeing to be second to none.