Our Story
Focus on Jobs was established in 1999 and quickly grew to become one of Auckland’s leading providers of vocational rehabilitation services to ACC and private insurance companies.
Paul Fennessy (the current Director and Manager) started with the company in 2002 and was appointed Manager of the Auckland branch in 2003. Paul acquired the business in 2009.
From 2009 to 2012, Focus on Jobs continued to provide occupational assessments, work trial and pre-employment preparation services to ACC, other accident insurers and private insurers around Auckland.
In 2012 Focus on Jobs developed a relationship with Active+ (then Active Physio) in preparation to submit a tender for the upcoming ACC Vocational Rehabilitation Services contract.
Active+ was successful in this tender bid, and since 2012 Focus on Jobs has been the exclusive provider of vocational consulting services to Active+ in the greater Auckland area, servicing the Back to Work and Job Search contracts. The business continues to provide Occupational Assessment (OA) services directly to our referrers; and to Active+, as the exclusive provider of OA services to Active+ in greater Auckland. As well as the Auckland area, we have since expanded across New Zealand and now also have consultants based in Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Nelson and Otago.
Focus on Jobs has a focus on teamwork, quality, and getting results. Our strength is our people we and take pride in working with our referrers and clients to get the best result for both parties. We have a particular focus on and have had great success in building relationships with employers for the purposes of placing our clients into work trials and paid employment.
Our Team
Paul Fennessy – Director Manager
Paul has worked in the careers/ vocational rehab industry since 2002 and has owned and managed Focus on Jobs since 2009.
Paul gets great satisfaction from supporting the team to do great work and has a particular interest in supporting clients to get into paid employment with supportive employers. Paul also holds the role of Clinical Services Manager- Back to Work, Job Search and Occupational Assessment Services, for Active+, which involves overseeing the service celery of these contracts across all of the Active+ sites (from Manawatu to Northland).
He has a BA (Psychology), a BPhed and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Organisational Psychology. Paul is a Professional Member of Career Development Association of New Zealand (CDANZ).
Clair – Back to Work Manager
Clair has been working in the careers field since 2001. She joined Focus on Jobs in 2015 and in 2019 moved into the role of Back to Work Service Manager. Clair enjoys supporting the Back to Work consultants to help their clients achieve a successful transition back to work. She is an active member of her community and gets involved in many community events.
She has a Graduate Certificate in Career Development and is currently studying toward a PG Certificate in Health Science (Rehabilitation). She is a Professional Member of CDANZ.
Sylvia – Administrator
Sylvia is our long serving administrator, having started with Focus on Jobs in 2004! Sylvia is the oil that keeps the motor running smoothly, and as well as providing admin support for all parts of the organisation she provides Dictaphone support for the occupational assessment team. Sylvia enjoys her role and works hard to complete it accurately and professionally.
Denise – Consultant
Denise has Bachelor of Social Science in Psychology and is part of our IOA team. She enjoys assisting people to get back into work after sometimes traumatic injuries. She says the job is never boring as she is always meeting new and interesting people. Her goal is that everyone she meets has a positive experience and comes away thinking more about their vocational options and goals.
Denise first started with Focus on Jobs in 2003, and has left, come back, left again and come back. Thankfully, she’s been back since 2014.
Denise is a full member of the Australian Society of Rehabilitation Counsellors (ASORC).
Gabrielle – Consultant
Gabrielle delivers on the BTW service and loves helping clients to find new employment, or return to their previous employment. She also loves talking to people, and is heavily involved in community and family activities.
Gabrielle joined the team in 2015 and previously worked for many years in the careers department of a high school. She has also has experience providing career services for people who have been made redundant.
Gabrielle has a Graduate Certificate of Career Development and is a Professional Member of CDANZ.
Cassie – Consultant
Cassie has worked with clients to assist them back into the workforce since 2010, and joined Focus on Jobs in 2016. She has a Bachelor of Commerce, a Diploma in Career Guidance and is currently studying toward PG Cert in Health Science (Rehabilitation). She is a Professional Member of CDANZ.
Cassie works on the BTW service. She is friendly, approachable and takes a personal interest in helping clients by taking the time to understand where they’ve come from, and where they want to go. She has a large network of employers and loves assisting clients to transition back into the workforce and to achieve their employment goals.
Ellice – Consultant
Ellice has over 20 years’ experience in the health sector, mainly in leadership positions. She has a BA (Psychology), a Masters of Social Work (Applied) (Hons), a Certificate in Social Work Supervision, and a Certificate in Group Leadership and Facilitation.
Ellice is a member of our occupational assessment team and enjoys meeting new people every day and understanding their lives in the context of their employment history. Her approach is to work together with the client to achieve positive outcomes.
Ellice joined Focus on Jobs in 2015 and is a Member of the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (MANZASW) and holds an Annual Practising Certificate.
Jenny – Consultant
Jenny has a Bachelor of Health Science (Occupational Therapy) and brings to her work as an occupational assessor a vast knowledge of work through her experience of assisting clients to return to different workplaces following injury.
Jenny enjoys meeting new people, learning about different jobs, and being part of the process that assists clients back into work. She likes to encourage clients to explore different work options and enjoys providing additional support to research different jobs or courses, so that the client is aware of all the options available to them and can make a good career decision.
Jenny joined Focus on Jobs in 2018, is a member of Occupational Therapy NZ and holds an Annual Practising Certificate with the Occupational Therapy Board of NZ.
Rebecca – Consultant
Rebecca is part of our BTW team. She enjoys the opportunity to work with clients after they’ve been through tough times with their injury and are getting back to normal life again. She enjoys providing support to help them along the way through providing training, advice, arranging work experience which can often lead to the being offered paid employment. When all goes well and the client gets a job, Rebecca says she feels like she’s a “job matchmaker”.
Rebecca has a Bachelor of Education, a Diploma in Teaching and a Diploma in Career Development. She joined Focus on Jobs in 2019, have previously worked as a school teacher and running her own business.
Rebecca is an Associate Member of CDANZ, and is on her way to becoming a Professional Member.
Daryl – Administrator
Daryl joined the team as our Back to Work service administrator in 2024, and quickly became a valuable member of the team. Daryl has previous administration experience and has a Bachelor of Computer Systems and a Diploma in Business. In his spare time Daryl enjoys graphic design.
Sue – Consultant
Sue has a Master of Arts in Psychology. She is a Professional Member of the Career Development Association of New Zealand and is a Full Member of the New Zealand Psychological Society. Sue joined Focus on Jobs in 2018 and is a member of our occupational assessment team. She has previously worked in a variety of career practitioner roles and has extensive management experience. Sue is currently studying towards a Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling Theory at the University of Auckland.
Sue enjoys meeting with clients and working with them to move forward in their careers. She has worked with a wide range of clients and believes everyone has the potential to succeed in their work roles.
Nikki – Consultant
Nikki has over 15 years’ experience in vocational rehabilitation, employment coaching, and recruitment and is passionate about helping people navigate their career and rehabilitation journeys. Since joining the team in 2015, she has worked closely with clients, healthcare providers, and employers to create meaningful pathways to employment. She thrives on problem-solving, building rapport, and tailoring support to individual needs, ensuring smooth transitions back to work. Nikki is driven by seeing clients regain confidence and achieve their goals.
Nikki holds a BSc (Tech), PG Cert in Health Science (Rehabilitation), a Graduate Certificate in Career Development, and is a professional member of CDANZ.
Annemarie – Consultant
Annemarie has worked in the career development industry since 2010, and joined Focus on Jobs as part of our Occupational Assessment team in 2024. She brings warmth, professionalism and a friendly approach to her work.
She has a Masters of Arts in Psychology, a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Graduate Certificate in Career Development. Annemarie is a Professional Member of CDANZ.
Lea – Consultant
Since arriving from the UK in 2005 Lea has worked in a variety of roles both within the tertiary, private and government sectors. Before starting with Focus on Jobs she had previously delivered Back to work programmes and carried out Occupational Assessments for another employer. Immediately prior to starting with Focus on Jobs Lea worked as a Health Navigator supporting clients on both the ICP and ECP programmes in the South Island. Lea joined Focus on Jobs in January 2025 and is happy to be back forward to helping clients once again return to the workforce.
Lea is a full member of CDANZ (Career Development Association of New Zealand).
Wendy – Consultant
Of Ngāruahine, Ngā Rauru, Te Whānau a Apanui and Ngāti Porou descent Wendy works in her home rohe of South Taranaki. Wendy has a background in social, counselling, youth, education and Iwi services. In the past 12 years working in Secondary Schools as a Career Practitioner. Wendy joined the team in 2024 and works on the Back to Work service.
Wendy has a Bachelor in Career Development and an Advanced Diploma in Career Guidance and is a professional member of CDANZ.
Sarah- Consultant
Sarah joined the BTW team in 2025. She has a background working in professional CV writing and in recruitment, both in the private and supported employment sectors. She enjoys getting to know a variety of people, and has always been involved in voluntary work.
Sarah has a Diploma of Career Development (Distinction), a Bachelor of Commerce in Management (HR) a Bachelor of Arts in Design and a Diploma for Graduates. She is a Full Member of CDANZ.
Jenny B– Consultant
Jenny has a warm and friendly personality and works hard to assist people back to work in a way that is meaningful for them. She has worked as a Career Consultant, Practice Advisor, Practice Leader, National Operations Manager (overseeing 3,500 people on qualifications at any one time) and Assistant Director of Career and Talent Management.
She has a Diploma in Career Guidance, BA in Sociology, a Masters degree in International Security and is a Professional Member of CDANZ.
Mel- Consultant
Mel joined the team in 2023 and has worked with clients from diverse backgrounds and at different stages of their career paths. Driven by her passion for helping people, she enjoys helping clients discover their ‘aha’ moments during their career exploration. Mel also enjoys working with clients to become job search ready. Through her work, Mel has developed a holistic approach that fosters self-awareness and encourages clients to explore new opportunities.
She holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Diploma in Career Guidance. Mel is also a Certified ICC coach and a Full Member of the CDANZ.
Jane- Consultant
Jane has worked with clients in the health and wellbeing sector for over 20 years. She joined Focus on Jobs in 2024. Jane works on the BTW service. She has a personal interest in understanding client’s needs and takes a compassionate and empathetic approach to working with them. Jane works passionately to be of best service to her clients whilst helping them achieve the goals of the BTW service. She has a good network of employers and enjoys assisting clients to transition back into the workforce.
She has a Diploma in Career Development, Diploma in Recreation Management, Certificate in Fitness Centre Studies, (incl. Personal Training). Jane is currently studying toward a Diploma in life coaching (Dip LC). She is a Professional Member of CDANZ.