SPEAKER 1: NATHALY HAEREN

FOUNDER AND MANAGER OF PESTY GIRLS SYDNEY TOPIC: CAREER PATHS FOR WOMEN IN PEST MANAGEMENT

While most pest control company vehicles are wrapped in pictures of cockroaches, spiders, or a rat or two, very few are seen driving around suburban Sydney sporting a red stiletto heel. Nathaly Haeren, founder and manager of the female-only pest control business, wouldn’t have it any other way. “So many trades, in any field, are male dominated,” Ms Haeren said. “At Pesty Girls, we want to be completely different and niche. That was the main reason for having a female staffed business: the prospect of having a great name.” Ms Haeren wasn’t always at the coalface of pest control, crawling in subfloors and examining roof cavities. The business owner started in the industry in 2001 by working in the office for a pest control company. Although her main job was to create new business, she started to take on more managerial responsibilities and eventually found herself running the place. In 2009, Ms Haeren started Pesty Girls in Sydney’s inner west. Like most ventures, the first few years of getting her business off the ground were hard work. Ms Haeren supported herself by working at Globe Australia in sales three days a week – a blessing in disguise, as it gave her an opportunity to gain an in-depth knowledge of the latest products and chemicals. Soon, the business grew and Ms Haeren quit her job to work on it full-time. Her hard work paid off and in 2014, Pesty Girls won the local Inner West Business Awards for outstanding service to the community. As for working in a male dominated industry, Ms Haeren and her team relish the challenge. Even though she gets the odd jibe now and then, running a female pest control business has its advantages