Linda McDonald - Housing Manager

Published on Jun. 28, 2024

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.

From a young age Linda has had a taste for adventure and has fearlessly moved from one city to the next, seizing every opportunity with both hands.

After bouncing between Melbourne, Sydney, and Canberra, landing a job in real estate changed the trajectory of her life. Almost three decades later she is still in the real estate sector as Housing Manager with Sodexo.

“I’ve never been so content in a role. I know where I am, what I do, and feel empowered to get the most out of my 9 to 5,” Linda said.

Linda took a huge leap of faith when she transferred into Sodexo from a position she had held in Perth for 20 years. But she was eager for change.

“Having worked residential property management in the North West, Exmouth, everyone knew you and you could never really switch off. You’d be in the pub and someone would come up with a work request and there wasn’t much time to switch off,” she said.

“I figured a FIFO (Fly-In, Fly-Out) arrangement would be something similar in terms of the size of the operation and community aspect, but I couldn’t’ve been more wrong.”

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.”

A look in

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.”

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Good times and bad

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.

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“I’mreallyabigadvocateofthecompanyinthewaytheytreattheirpeople.IwouldrecommendSodexotoanyone,”shesaid.

Linda McDonald - Housing Manager

A look in

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Good times and bad

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This could be your story

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A look in

Good times and bad

This could be your story