The SME Stream

In this special series of The SME Stream Podcast, Wilhelmina O’Keeffe steps inside some of Aotearoa’s most loved small and medium businesses - exploring their culture, their stories, and how coffee helps bring people and ideas together.
In this episode, Wilhelmina catches up with Co-Founder Nicola Taylor to talk about how the coffee machine has become the modern equivalent of the office water cooler. A space where informal conversations happen, new ideas emerge and creativity flourishes outside of traditional meetings.
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What does it take to scale a New Zealand technology company into a truly global organisation?
In this episode of HR Unlocked, Lisa Oakley sits down with Rachael Satherley, Chief People Officer at Serko, to explore the realities of global growth, leadership across cultures, and building organisations that can scale without losing their identity.
Drawing on experience from Expedia Group and now Serko, Rachael shares practical insights from building teams across New Zealand, India, Europe, the United States, and the Middle East. From creating a network of global hubs to navigating different leadership styles and cultural expectations, this conversation offers a candid look at the opportunities and challenges that come with international expansion.
The discussion also explores workforce capability, AI, employee experience design, and why successful growth is ultimately driven by people, leadership, and culture.

What You'll Learn
How to scale teams across multiple countries while maintaining culture and connection

The importance of local leadership when expanding into new markets

How leadership styles differ across New Zealand, India, and the United States

Why capability building is becoming more important than traditional workforce planning

How to create alignment without forcing uniformity across global teams

What employee experience design can teach HR and people leaders

How AI is influencing learning, leadership, and organisational capability

Why adaptability and resilience are critical leadership skills in high-growth environments


Key Takeaways
Successful global expansion starts with strategy, not headcount

Local leadership is critical for translating strategy into local reality

Strong cultures are built through shared principles, not identical practices

Leadership capability becomes increasingly important as organisations scale

Employee experience improves when solutions are co-created with employees rather than designed for them

Learning, adaptability, and experimentation are essential in technology-driven organisations

Growth is easier to sustain when organisations take the time to build strong foundations first


About Rachael Satherley
Rachael Satherley is Chief People Officer at Serko, one of New Zealand's leading travel technology companies.
With more than 20 years of international experience, Rachael has built and scaled teams across New Zealand, Europe, the Middle East, the United States, and India. Prior to joining Serko, she spent 16 years with Expedia Group, helping navigate periods of rapid global growth and organisational expansion.
At Serko, she leads the people strategy behind the company's international growth, focusing on leadership, capability, culture, and building connected global teams.

Why This Episode Matters
As organisations increasingly operate across borders, leaders are being challenged to build cultures that work across different markets, time zones, and ways of working.
Whether you're leading growth, building capability, managing distributed teams, or preparing your organisation for the future of work, this episode offers practical lessons from someone who has successfully navigated those challenges firsthand.

Resources & Links
Serko: https://www.serko.com

Rachael Satherley (she / her / hers) | LinkedIn

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Dan Gillett talks to Herald reporter Tom Raynel about adapting the wine industry to a digital first market.
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NZ could be slapped with a blanket 12.5% tariff on all exports to the US as early as Friday night. Fran O'Sullivan Herald Business Commentator.
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SpaceX shares are now trading 10% below IPO. Shane Solly Harbour Asset Management.
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