Catalyst’s technical solutions are made and supported by a team of people who each play a crucial role in driving our success. In the last 27 years, we have grown from a small company of five to a global company with five subsidiaries. But Catalyst wouldn’t be where we are today without the people behind it.
Open source drives innovation
An open source ethos influences not only our software choices but also how we, as a team, collaborate, communicate and tackle problems. It leads our values of openness, freedom, collaboration, and respect. Our commitment to excellence extends to every aspect of our company.
Our legal team at Catalyst are a great example of living our values and how their dedication, skills, and collaborative efforts have delivered excellence time and time again. Additionally, our legal team have produced creative solutions that have transformed our operations.
Don Christie, Managing Director and Co-founder of Catalyst, states “With a forward-thinking work plan, including automation initiatives and legal master classes, this team has set a precedent for excellence."
Industry recognition
We are pleased to announce that our legal team have been recognised for their excellence by the wider law community and are finalists for the 2024 ILANZ Awards(external link). At the time of consideration, our legal team consists of Christine Loughnan (General Counsel), Phil Bain (Legal Counsel), Emily McLean (Law Clerk), Hannah Giles (Law Clerk), and Julie Cameron-Jones (Contract and Process Manager).
The In-house Lawyers Association of New Zealand (ILANZ)(external link) recognises outstanding achievements in the legal industry. ILANZ is a section of the New Zealand Law Society, and our team are finalists for the following awards:
- Private Sector In-house Lawyer of the Year Award: Christine Loughnan.
- Small In-house Team of the Year Award: Legal Team: Christine Loughnan, Phil Bain, Emily McLean, Hannah Giles, and Julie Cameron-Jones.
- In-house Innovation Award: for valuable contribution to their organisation by encouraging creativity, trying new ways to deliver legal services that are more effective or efficient, and demonstrating excellence in innovation: Christine Loughnan.
We are incredibly proud of our team's achievements and the recognition of their work.
Christine Loughnan says: “I’m hugely proud of my team, and the strong culture of growth mindset and innovation. The team has played a pivotal role in supporting the business to deliver change this past year, and helped achieve great results.”
Supportive culture, collaboration, and teamwork
At Catalyst, we believe in nurturing talent and providing growth opportunities. One way we approach this is by offering flexible working arrangements, whether it's working from home, flexible hours, or reduced hours. Team members have adopted Agile practices, including stand-ups and re-prioritising teamwork to make more significant strategic initiatives happen.
As a team leader, Christine also encourages her team to challenge her ideas and put their wellbeing first.
Our legal team has made our company more resilient and transformed our ways of working with automation initiatives, forward-thinking planning, and user-friendly contracts. For example, considering how contracts can be simplified and easier to read. The team has partnered with the business to:
- implement a new commercial contracting framework
- develop the Mahara subscription and reseller model
- develop and implement a new delegated financial authority.
Phil Bain says: "Working in the small and mighty in-house legal team at Catalyst is incredibly rewarding. I get to work with a range of teams on their different service offerings, collaborating with our brilliant people and engaging with clients to make sure our solutions are valued and understood. Plus, I get to be involved in and contribute to the development of new products, challenging me to constantly learn and evolve.”
Congratulations again to the legal team for being finalists for ILANZ and being a delight to work with.