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CHATTING WITH ...
Current, past and future leaders in the equipment rental industry
Published on August 6, 2020
Christie McCormack
Christie McCormack is the National Manager at Titan Hoarding Systems, host of the podcast "If Only You Knew" and QLD President and Director of the Hire and Rental Industry Association.
Christie has 20 years equipment rental experience, starting off originally in crane hire, before gaining experience at rental giants Coates Hire and Select Plant hire.
Image: Christie McCormack from
Titan Hoarding Systems
How and when did you get into the equipment rental industry?
My foray into the hire industry started in the year 2000. I was working in recruitment after spending 3 years in finance and I had a truly awful boss. I quit my job on a Friday and the following day ran into an old boss from one of my high school jobs. He was working as an accountant finalising the acquisition of a smaller company by the largest crane hire company in Sydney and he offered me a job. I started the following Monday and have been involved ever since.
What type of roles and responsibilities have you taken on over your career?
I’ve been very fortunate in my career to have diverse industry experience. I have worked across all areas including accounting, operations, procurement, work winning/tendering, branch management, commercial management and general management. My first role was as an assistant accountant however from day one, I was expected to learn everything there was to know about the hire game. On my first day I was given charts to learn what the cranes could lift so I would know what I was talking about if anyone asked! I spent so much time learning every aspect of the business and that foundation certainly helped me with the roles I have had since. I’ve also been lucky to be involved in developing new business divisions and brand-new hire businesses and I even had my own hi-rail business. Except for working as a mechanic, I’ve probably done it all!
Who played a big influence in your career, and would you consider being a mentor for someone in the next generation?
Quite a few people have influenced my career. My parents, who both worked so hard and passed on their strong work ethic. My partner in life Mark, who has been by my side since we were 15 and our son Marshall who inspired me to ensure my time away from my family was worthwhile.
A good mentor is invaluable, and I have been very lucky to have some great mentors throughout my career and most of them are still mentoring me to this day. You need someone who will be brutally honest but with good intentions. It’s reassuring to have great people in your corner. I mentor people within our industry as well as outside of the industry and I learn just as much, if not more from them than they do from me. It’s really rewarding to see someone progress both personally and professionally.
I’ve also recently started a podcast called If Only You Knew which is a conduit for great people to share their career and life stories with others. It’s like having a new mentor each episode and I have learnt so much from the guests I have interviewed, and I hope the listeners have too!
From a holistic perspective, every person I encounter influences me in some way, even though I might not realise it at the time!
How has the equipment rental industry changed over the years?
The industry has changed so much over the twenty years I’ve been involved. The best description would be to say it has matured. Technology has obviously advanced so much in that time and companies and people have either embraced this or been left behind but the real change I believe is in the diversity of the workforce. The rental industry is now viewed as a career option for people who may not have otherwise considered working in a hire business. Organisations are attracting fantastic talent from other industries and that is a great progression to have made.
We are also seeing more and more entrepreneurs developing products and services and new businesses are starting all the time. Organisations are also diversifying and adding equipment rental into their business offering which creates both competition and opportunities. The level of innovation within our industry is on another level and exciting to watch.
What one piece of advice do you think would have helped you early in your career?
That not everyone wants to be a leader any many that do shouldn’t!
How do you define success and what was a defining moment or event in your career?
I don’t have a profound definition of success. Success to me is achieving something I’ve set my mind to. Whether that be getting fitter, completing an MBA or running a successful business. Once I say I’m going to do something I do everything in my power to complete it and if I don’t, I have failed myself. I am my biggest critic, which is not always ideal, but it does push me to do things that I never imagined I would or could ever do.
A defining moment in my career was when I resigned from Select Plant Hire, a division of Laing O’Rourke as Mark (who was an infantry solider with the ADF) was posted to Townsville. I hadn’t been there very long and Lauren Wilson (still with Select) and Paul Ward (who is now a GM at Onsite Rentals) would not accept my resignation and instead arranged for me to work from home. This hadn’t been done in the company before and to have someone have that much faith in you that they would let you work 2,000 kilometres from the office is indescribable. 10 days after arriving in Townsville Mark was deployed for 9 months so having a great job and the support of Lauren, Paul and the whole team helped me more than they will ever know.
During my time in Townsville we went through cyclone Yasi and I still remember Paul calling and offering to ‘helicopter me out of danger’. That’s the sort of leader I aspire to be.
How can people connect with you?
People can connect with me via LinkedIn, through my podcast www.ifonlyyouknewpodcast.com.au or by giving me a call. I’m always happy to connect with new people.
