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Rupert Horry is an Administration and Customer Service Manager. We sat down with him to chat about his role and what it’s like to work for Commodity Inspection Services.

What do you do at CIS?
I’m the Administration and Customer Service Manager. I like to think I have the best job with CIS as I’m at the centre of everything. Being based in our Sydney office means that I work with our admin and certification teams. I also help the team in the lab as well as our colleagues in our Melbourne office. I get to be involved with every part of the operation and have input to the vast majority of company projects. I also do the inspections that are required here in Sydney, so I get to be in the field as well.

How did you come to join CIS?
When I moved to Australia nearly 10 years ago I first worked in market research. Unfortunately that company folded and I wanted a new direction and challenge, something different away from the norm. The opportunity available with CIS was the perfect fit and was exactly what I was looking for. I have just celebrated my 5 year anniversary with CIS and I still enjoy it as much as I did from the first day.

What is a typical day at CIS like for you?
A typical day is busy and a challenge, in a good way. The two main priorities of my day usually revolve around ordering testing in the mornings for that day’s samples and sending client results in the afternoon. The rest of the day will be hugely varied and is a mix of operational work, responding to client queries, attending inspections, as well as looking after my team here in Sydney and assisting them with their work if required. For example, the other day I was out in the countryside at a poultry meal inspection and the following day I spent assisting with the admin, certification and accounting queries. I do so many different things; it’s very varied for me.

What part of your job do you enjoy the most?
I enjoy the unpredictability, the challenge and the variety the most. I am never quite sure what the next query or task will bring, there is always someone who will throw me a curve ball!

What are some of the challenges of your work?
The biggest challenge is the amount of knowledge required to do the job well. With three main commodity groups and hundreds of different tests there is a lot to learn and remember. Another interesting part of the job is learning to be an interpreter between our lab staff and our clients. Fortunately we have some very skilled (and patient) lab staff that are always able to explain things in everyday terms for those of us who aren’t chemists! I always think the more I can learn the easier I will make life for my clients. Knowledge instils confidence and that leads to trust and ultimately good customer relations. That’s a nice feeling.

What do you enjoy outside of work?
I enjoy kite flying. It’s probably my biggest thing – I love flying kites. Aside from that I also really enjoy reading comic books.