Living authentically at Bupa

A proud Kiwi, Drew never expected to find herself living and working in Australia. She was pursuing a career as a national marketing manager in New Zealand when an unexpected turn of events flipped her life upside down.

"My parents migrated to Australia about 18 years ago. Then in 2020, my dad fell very sick so I moved over to spend time with him and look after him."

Drew quickly became her dad's carer while supporting her mother and brother. But then the pandemic struck, and her dad died from his illness.

"I had always planned to go home to New Zealand because I thought my dad would get better. But the pandemic changed everything. I was running out of money and started looking for a job."

Drew needed a stable job with the flexibility to support her family during the pandemic. That's when she found a contact centre role at Bupa that ticked all the boxes. A natural-born communicator, Drew knew it was the right fit even though it was a career change.

"Working in the contact centre was a big change in direction for me. I'd been a marketing manager for nine years. It was what I studied at uni and I loved it."

"But my priorities changed and I needed to focus on supporting my family. I am very grateful for what Bupa's given me."

Putting her health first

Drew was immediately immersed in a culture that prioritised health, wellbeing, and happiness – something she hadn’t experienced before.

"It was the first job I've had where I can leave the office and I'm not expected to take my work home with me. I can enjoy peace around my work hours."

"It’s a beautiful culture where Bupa genuinely wants you to look after yourself. For example, we are encouraged to take our leave. I've had meetings where my leader will tell me, 'We've noticed you have some leave, when do you want to use it?' It's very refreshing."

Working at Bupa has supported Drew to prioritise her health and happiness in other important ways. She had struggled with her weight for nearly 25 years, and when her dad passed away, it was a big driver for her to take action.

"We have a history of heart conditions in our family, especially on my dad's side. So when he passed away at 51, I realised I didn't want to be next."

"My doctor recommended a solution that was right for me. It wasn’t an easy option, but it was the ultimately what I needed to do."

One of the many benefits of being a Bupa employee is the subsidised health insurance, which not only helped Drew with the surgery but is also supporting her on her ongoing health journey.

"This has been a life changer for me. Since the surgery in May, I've already lost 20kg. But most importantly, I have gotten my life back."

Being her authentic self

Drew knew she was transgender from a young age, and it’s something her family supported her with.

"A lot of people normally ask, 'When did you realise that you were transgender?'. It's a hard question to answer as my family always knew I was different, so putting a label on the situation wasn't really a thought.

"Culturally, in the Pacific, we have always acknowledged a third gender, so it wasn't out of the norm for us. But I would say high school is when it really came into vision for me, and then even more once I navigated university."

For Drew, having Māori and Pacific lineage made this journey a lot easier.

"Transgender people have a space in history. We were genealogists and holders of history, healers, we helped people navigate life. We made a difference in a time when religion wasn't a thing."

At Bupa, just like at home, Drew has always known she is accepted for who she is. However, she is very aware the world isn’t always as accepting.

"I remember one customer coming through the website portal to complain because we had a drag queen in our Bupa ad. He was angry, but because it was online, he couldn't see who he was talking to."

Even though she was shocked, Drew put her emotions aside and diffused the situation, confident that she had Bupa's full support.

"I simply explained to the customer that we support everyone and provide health insurance regardless of their situation.

"That was a meaningful moment for me. For one of the country's biggest insurers to have a strong stance on these issues and not sit on the fence, it's powerful."

For Drew, it's equally important to know that she's accepted as herself at Bupa.

"I'm not just here as a token brown person or transgender person. I can really be myself here. Bupa supports me to be me."

The peace that comes with Drew being her authentic self means she can lean into the opportunities at Bupa.

"I'm a goal driven person and for the past few years, due to my personal situation, my goals have been life focussed, rather than work focussed."

"Now I've moved into a sales role but I know this isn't where I'm stopping. There are so many avenues at Bupa."

One thing's for sure: Drew has never felt happier or healthier than she does now.

"I feel so grateful to be a part of an organisation that supports the health and wellness of its employees – both mentally and physically."

"Working at Bupa has given me my quality of life back."

Join us and be at the heart of it.