Transforming futures

Thomay Gatis has been a Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) at NGS for 11 years. Based in Adelaide, she visits a range of schools, meeting with teachers and support staff to discuss how they can build their super savings and achieve their retirement goals.

Being part of the school community

‘My role is all about engaging people with their super,’ said Thomay. ‘For many, super is an abstract concept. It’s something they can’t really see and may not fully understand. It’s my job to help people view super as something that is tangible and will positively impact their lives. I really want people to get excited about the possibilities of super.’

Working with a range of schools means Thomay has become part of many school communities. ‘Every school has its own ecosystem and culture. Teachers and staff work hard year-round, and I want to be someone who can slot in with their schedule but also provide them with the opportunity to do something for themselves by thinking about their future and needs. To do that, I really try to understand how each school works so I can be someone who they look forward to seeing and someone who is adding value to their day.’

Thomay meets with education professionals to discuss a range of topics, including retirement options, salary sacrificing, investment options and other ways someone can boost their super.

The power of education

As someone who loves learning and teaching, working for a super fund that is rooted in the education sector is the perfect fit for Thomay. Education is at the core of all Thomay’s interactions.

‘When I speak with education professionals, I know how important it is that I explain, sometimes complex ideas, in a way that is easy to understand. My job is to ensure everyone walks away empowered and with a clear understanding of what they can do to improve their super savings. I’ve met many teachers over my career, and I hear first-hand that successful teaching comes down to the ability to instil confidence in others. I think superannuation can seem like a daunting topic to some, but I really love being able to demystify concepts. It’s about giving people the confidence to understand that they can take control of their future by paying a bit of attention to their super.’

Teaching others to change direction

Thomay works with large groups and individuals to set them on a comfortable path to retirement. One story in particular comes to mind for Thomay. ‘I once met a teacher in her early 30s and introduced her to the concept of salary sacrificing. I explained that by simply contributing a small amount to her super each week via an automatic payment through her wage, she could drastically improve her super savings in the long term. Together, we looked at a projection tool that demonstrated the amount she could save and over how long. Two years later, I met with the same teacher who shared that she had decided to start salary sacrificing but had admittedly not paid much attention to her super during that time. However, when we checked her account again, her super balance had gone up significantly. It was so rewarding to be able to see the positive financial outcome of a conversation we had two years earlier. I had explained how salary sacrificing to super worked, but she had made the decision. This is a great example of the power of education.’

Thomay lives a busy life outside of work when not visiting schools. Each year, she sets new goals, and this year, she has three. The first is to be healthier and exercise more. She would also like to become a blood donor. Finally, Thomay would like to sit down with her mum and mum-in-law and document all the family’s Greek recipes.

Connect with Thomay.