Our Team

trained for action

The EastCoast Human Resource Group is a highly skilled and enthusiastic team with a strong customer focus. We succeed in business by making a meaningful contribution to the success of our clients.

meet the team

Chris Whisson
Principal

Chris reckons he was recruiting before most of his competitors were born. His 30 year recruitment career includes management roles with Sydney based Accounting and Finance recruiters, and for the past fourteen years, owner manager of the EastCoast Human Resource Group, "the  Coast’s first recruiter"®. Chris’ pursuit of customer satisfaction has been vital in steering the success of EastCoast and underpins the company’s philosophy to be the best not the biggest. His personality responds well to the competitive nature of the recruitment industry, which he considers to be “one big arm wrestle.”

Chris' interests include boating, sailing, cycling, body surfing, 4WDriving, tennis, rugby union and the Arts.

Lyn Davies
Senior Consultant

Her name is synonymous with recruitment on the Sunshine Coast and there aren’t many firms she hasn’t recruited staff for. Lyn’s career has always involved recruiting key white-collar personnel. Prior to joining EastCoast as one of its original “gang of three” in 1994, Lyn was in Melbourne managing a team recruiting white-collar talent for a diverse corporate client base. From the start, Lyn knew she wanted a career, not just a job and she was determined to be good at whatever she turned her hand to. When she fell into recruitment, by accident rather than by design, she took to it straight away.

When free of family commitments, Lyn’s hard earned spare time is spent going to the movies, reading a good book or indulging in a little retail therapy.

Evonne Wilson
Account Manager

The longevity of Evonne’s career in staff recruitment eclipses the combined recruitment experience of many of our competitors. Evonne’s formative years in recruitment began as a Sergeant Psychological Examiner for Selection Boards when serving with the Womens Royal Australian Army Corps in the 1970s. Since then Evonne has progressed through the ranks of white collar recruiters, from Consultant to Senior Account Manager, Managing Consultant to partnership, franchisee and finally principal of her own firm in Sydney and then on the Gold Coast. There aren’t many white collar occupations Evonne hasn’t recruited over the years and she has a strong background as a National Account Manager for a major Insurer and a Telco. Evonne’s vast recruitment experience is underpinned by formal qualifications in Personnel Administration and numerous industry specific short courses. Evonne is currently in the final stages of studying towards a Bachelor of Social Sciences at UNE.

Evonne believes in a balanced lifestyle, so gets “creative” in her spare time.  She is a mosaicist, amateur house designer and decorator....and loves time spent creating restful rooms in her garden.”

Kylie Boulter
Senior Consultant

Kylie is the undisputed doyen of Legal recruitment on the Sunshine Coast. Her decade long recruitment career has focused almost entirely on the recruitment of Legal support and professional staff. Kylie has recruited staff in the UK, established a Brisbane Legal “desk” for a major Australian recruiter and for the past six years she has built EastCoast’s own formidable Legal recruitment expertise. Kylie attributes her success to focusing on the task at hand whilst at the same time juggling hundreds of balls in the air at any one time. Kylie believes in the critical need to develop and maintain good relationships with clients and candidates – as Kylie says, “the trail you leave behind becomes your reputation.”

Kylie has travelled extensively throughout Asia, Europe, Canada, the USA and South America. Whenever she has the opportunity, Kylie spends time with her young daughter. She also enjoys photography, tennis and swimming.

Now with three very young children and her twins less than a year old, Kylie has taken extended maternity leave but will be back into the thick of things come 2010. 

Debi Hoole
Senior Recruitment Consultant

Debi’s working life is as colourful and varied as the many lands she has worked in. At one stage she was acting Water Sports Director in Upstate New York and then worked as an Assistant Tour Manager for bands touring Europe – bands like Midnight Oils, Rage Against The Machine, Black Crows and the legendary Iggy Pop, to name a few. Debi then managed an Irish pub in Hamburg before opening her very own Breakfast Cafe in the same city. Debi is one of the rare few who sees an opportunity and reaches out, grasping it with both hands. She believes in doing things right the first time and is known for her “scary” attention to detail.

Although a qualified secondary teacher, Debi established her own recruitment agency in 1999 and specialized in the exclusive placement of relief teaching staff for the Sunshine Coast education sector. Debi sold her agency prior to joining the EastCoast Human Resource Group in 2007. Two years later, Debi has such a large Brisbane client base in what is predominantly Engineering and Aged Care sectors, Debi has relocated to the " big smoke" and represents EastCoast's business interests in Queensland's capital city.

Debi enjoys a keen interest in both food preparation and water sports – when not preparing a dinner party for friends you can usually find her in the water (or on it) somewhere along this fabulous Sunshine Coast.

Kate Redman
Senior Recruitment Consultant

Kate’s a Caloundra girl born and bred. Her early career was spent as a Conveyancing Clerk with local legal firms. Eight years ago Kate headed to Western Australia to broaden her horizons and at the same time, started a Bachelor of Business with a Human Resource Management major at the University of Southern Queensland. Over the intervening years, Kate has consolidated her career in Human Resource Management – she’s worked in HR roles for the WA Department of Community Development, Northern Territory WorkSafe and the Office of Employment Education & Training before relocating to Brisbane as an internal recruitment consultant for Spotless Services Ltd in 2006. Kate’s recruitment expertise lends itself to professional jobs in the hospitality, construction, engineering and allied industries but she is more than capable recruiting across industry sectors and in most occupations.

When Kate’s not working, you’ll find her “working out.”  Kate enjoys an active outdoors life and she’s a competitive long distant runner.  When not pounding the pavement around the coast on a daily basis, Kate enjoys relaxing on the beach or coffee at the local cafe!

Angela Winnett
Senior Recruitment Consultant

She's young, she's a mum and for those who know her, Angela's achievements surprise no-one. In a relatively short space of time Angela has achieved a hell of a lot; she has Diplomas in Financial Planning and Accounting and Angela is not far off completing a third diploma in Human Resource Management - all done while rearing two young children, working fulltime as a Senior Recruiter in Brisbane and supervising the construction of her Peregian Springs home.

Angela is the latest addition to the EastCoast team. She's a specialist recruiter in the financial services industry and gained her experience with a boutique Brisbane recruiter before moving back to the Sunshine Coast. Her recruitment expertise is undeniable and together with her formal qualifications, Angela offers a 'holistic recruitment approach' to the financial services sector, recruiting senior management and advisors, support staff and general administration personnel.

When not juggling her young family and work, Angela likes to relax on the home beach, indulge in a day spa or get her hair done; she's not fussy as long as it doesn't involve having to think!

Mitch Lawrie
Career Services Director

Mitch is our senior career consultant and workplace coach. He enjoys helping people find their career paths and be more successful at whatever is important to them. Mitch's diverse work experience includes the corporate, government and community sectors in Australia and ten years overseas in a variety of roles such as freelance photojournalist in the USA, leadership lecturer in Russia and international service project coordinator in Asia. He considers himself lucky to have grown up on the Sunshine Coast and still goes surfing every chance he gets. Mitch has a Master's degree in career counselling and currently works part of the week in Brisbane with corporate and government clients in addition to his work on the coast.

Ashleigh Whisson
Recruitment Coordinator