Team spotlight – Warren Smith
- 6 minutes ago
- 3 min read
In our latest in our team spotlight series, we sat down with Accounts & Operations Lead - Warren Smith, who has worked in finance and business operations for the past 3 years, across both the commercial and not-for-profit sectors. He has been at The Hearing House for the past three years.
Warren says his lived experiences make his work at The Hearing House all the more meaningful.
Q: What attracted you to The Hearing House?
Warren: My background is in finance and business operations, with experience across both the commercial and not-for-profit sectors. What attracted me to The Hearing House was the opportunity to use my financial and operational skills to support an organisation that makes such a meaningful difference in people's lives. It's rewarding to know that the work I do behind the scenes helps our clinical teams deliver services to children and families across New Zealand.
Q: What were you doing before you joined The Hearing House?
Warren: Before joining The Hearing House, I worked in a variety of finance and business support roles where I was responsible for financial reporting, budgeting, systems improvement, and operational processes. Those experiences gave me a broad understanding of how organisations work and prepared me for the diverse nature of my current role.
Q: Have you had any lived experience of hearing differences, either yourself or any family or friends?
Warren: Hearing differences have been part of my life from a very young age. I have a moderate to severe hearing loss caused by otosclerosis, although it wasn't identified until I was three years old. Growing up with hearing differences gave me an understanding of some of the challenges people can face, but also of the importance of support and inclusion.
My connection to The Hearing House is also deeply personal because my son, Conan, was born with a severe to profound hearing loss associated with CHARGE syndrome. My wife also spent many years serving as a chaplain to Auckland's Deaf community, which gave our family an appreciation of Deaf culture and the experiences of Deaf people. More recently, she has begun wearing hearing aids herself.
These experiences have given me a real appreciation for the many different hearing journeys people and families can have, and they make the work of The Hearing House especially meaningful to me.
Q: Tell me about your regular working day.
Warren: No two days are quite the same. My role covers finance and operations, so I might be preparing reports, supporting budgeting and audits, working on grant accountability reporting, improving business processes, assisting with health and safety, or helping colleagues solve operational challenges. I enjoy the variety and working with people across different parts of the organisation.
Q: What is the most rewarding part of your role, and the most challenging?
Warren: The most rewarding part is knowing that the work I do contributes to the bigger mission of helping people communicate. Even though I'm not working directly with kiritaki/clients, I know my work supports those who are. The biggest challenge is balancing a wide variety of responsibilities and priorities, but that's also what keeps the role interesting.
Q: What advice would you give to someone interested in working in the disability sector?
Warren: Be open to learning and remember that every role contributes to The Hearing House’s mission. Whether you're working directly with clients or behind the scenes, your work can have a real impact on people's lives. Having empathy, curiosity, and a willingness to collaborate goes a long way.
Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Warren: Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family, strength training, archaeology, and ancient/medieval history. I also enjoy learning about personal finance and finding ways to improve systems and processes, both professionally and personally.
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