Welcome to Meet the Revolutionaries, a new series where we put the spotlight on the incredible ROW members who are making waves in the world of workplace wellbeing. These are the change-makers, the ones who are rolling up their sleeves and getting to work, creating more inclusive, supportive, and mentally healthy environments for everyone.
In this episode, we meet Sally Marr. Sally is a trailblazer in workplace wellbeing, bringing an 18-year career in the New Zealand Police to her current role as Programme Lead for Wellbeing and Inclusion at Silver Fern Farms.
During her time in law enforcement, Sally Marr had a revelation. “My big aha moment was in the police,” she recalls. “There’s excellent care for after trauma. But I started to think about how we bolster people beforehand. What’s the prevention side of it?”
This insight sparked a passion for positive psychology, shifting her focus to helping people thrive rather than merely cope. “You can do things to make people thrive so if they fall, they don’t fall as far – or they just live better lives,” Marr explains.
Now leading wellbeing and diversity strategies for over 7,000 employees across New Zealand, Sally’s approach is practical and grounded in employee needs. “It’s very much worker voice centered,” she says. She’s also a firm believer in the power of small, consistent actions. “A thousand tiny little behaviors that everybody can do” is her recipe for meaningful change.
Watch the video to learn more about Sally’s journey, her lessons learned and her number one tip for others starting out in workplace wellbeing.