Chloe Oldfield has come full circle in her VSA journey, starting as an e-volunteer to Samoa before switching to an in-country assignment. She says both approaches have their advantages and challenges, and that volunteering for VSA has been more fulfilling than she anticipated.
Chloe Oldfield recalls the moment she knew her work in Samoa had a real impact. “I had some staff ‘teach’ me how to use Xero, so they could practice the skills they had learnt over the past 6 weeks. It was the most rewarding thing – I was so proud of the amazing job they did and the confidence they held in themselves and their abilities.”
For the past two years, Chloe has worked tirelessly for the people and organisations of Samoa, sharing her business advisory expertise with multiple businesses, groups and NGOs to ensure the country is able to implement systems that will meet their own development goals.
Building effective, trust-based relationships with every organisation she encounters, Chloe’s dedication and passion have been greatly valued and appreciated - so much so, in fact, that Chloe was namechecked in a speech made by Her Excellency the Governor General of NZ held in Samoa in recognition of the country’s 60th year of independence.
Born in Taranaki, Chloe graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Relations in 2013, and international development was already top of mind. “It was a main passion of mine,” says Chloe, “but I wanted to gain professional skills that would be useful in that field before jumping straight in.”
Chloe worked for a period after graduating and then decided to switch tracks and jumped back into study, achieving a Master of Professional Accounting. She then moved into a career in business advisory through Deloitte. “It was a high-pressure environment in which I thrived. I quickly learned that relationship-building and problem-solving was my niche, so I directed my attention towards more of what sits behind the numbers.”
As a Senior Consultant she mentored start-ups, small businesses, mature organisations, and Māori authorities; directly supporting founders and CEOs with financial strategies. She then made the transition into management consulting and was promoted to manager in the Strategy and Business Design team at Deloitte, working predominantly with large public-sector organisations.
“Moving into management consulting was a natural transition for me because I have always been most interested in how we define and tackle wicked problems in business and public sector service design. I enjoyed designing human-centred services to problem solving social change and keeping people at the heart of it throughout that journey.”
Ready to take on her next adventure, Chloe attended a Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade seminar and was introduced to VSA. She knew it would be the perfect fit with her values and give her a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Keeping a close eye on VSA’s website, Chloe spotted an assignment for a Financial Management Adviser at the Samoa Conservation Society and immediately put herself forward for the role. But four months later, having successfully made it through the application process, the assignment was suddenly postponed due to the emergence of COVID-19. This was the start of the unexpected two-year global pandemic unfolding and her plans to volunteer in-country were put on an unforeseeable hold.
But remote volunteering opportunities were still open, and Chloe found herself e-volunteering through VSA with Leota & Niumata Chartered Accountants (LNCA) in Samoa.
To be able to put more we’re used to in NZ, so it was refreshing and very rewarding having the licence to be more people, aiga (family), and nu’u (village) focused.”
Chloe’s primary in-country role involved advising the Samoa Conservation Society on their financial management and operational performance. “Getting to establish relationships in person and build the connection to extend the impact of my assignment objectives has been invaluable”. Maximising her time and impact on the ground in Samoa, Chloe also provided regular advice and support to two other partner organisations in the areas of business strategy, financial management, and operations performance. There were also many ad hoc strategy talanoa over lunches with various people and organisations.
Chloe says while her career to date has allowed her to do impact measurement both in a commercial environment and in a social impact space, the two can sometimes be at odds. “The impact within a commercial environment can be measured by numbers and statistics, whereas social impact is much harder to quantify. It’s about changing mindsets, supporting people to grow skillsets, boosting self-confidence, providing space for self-determination. All of that takes time, but the impacts ripple out for multiple generations.
Chloe – subsequently the face of VSA’s most recent marketing campaign - has undoubtedly left a powerful impression on Samoa, particularly as she has also worked as hard as possible to improve the skill base of other VSA partners in the country. “I enjoy helping others take advantage of ever-evolving digital technologies.
The digital divide often means that there are things in the digital space that I, growing up with privilege in New Zealand, take for granted but they make a huge difference to organisations in Samoa. For example, I secured a Microsoft grant for an NGO so they could have access M365 for their staff. For another organisation, we have been doing weekly training sessions on Xero for the last six weeks.”
But the final word belongs to Alice, whose business has flourished under the guidance of Chloe. “We are deeply humbled and blessed to be a recipient of the VSA programme,” says Alice, “and are thankful to Chloe for her invaluable contribution to our firm.”
Published June 2023