Recent graduate Roland Suniula has transformed his past experiences into practical leadership frameworks, boosting his confidence and inspiring him to launch his own company with ambitious plans for the future.

Roland heard about Capable NZ from a family member and realised it offered the flexibility he needed to fit study around his work and life. He was working full-time as a Health and Safety Advisor for a rail labour hire company and realise he could advance his career by studying the programme part-time over 20 months.

Roland says the programme gave him the opportunity to reflect upon past experiences and weave them into practical leadership frameworks at his job.

“One key learning I will take away from the study is to embrace past experiences, negative and positive, to understand how those experiences made me the person I am, and not define me as the person I am.”

He says his facilitator, Glenys, helped him feel at ease with the learning tasks.

“She allowed me to be vulnerable, listened intently, and made me feel heard and seen.”

His progress was quickly recognised by his company. He was even acknowledged with a safety leadership award for suggesting some practical changes to a safety process using what he’d learned about leadership frameworks and ethics.

“It was one of the proudest moments of my working career.”

Roland says he now has the confidence to back his management decisions and not second guess himself. He is also much more aware of his leadership style.

He and his wife started their own management consultancy company, RSB Consulting Limited, five months after he passed his final assessment.

“We provide access management and delivery services to some of Auckland’s biggest rail projects. We consult on team strategy, effective communication and leadership to other parts of the rail industry,” says Roland.

In the future, he hopes to expand into more consultancy and advisory services like project management, project engineering and digital design, and health and safety. He would also like to open up to other transport sectors like roading, ports, and supply chain. 

Roland says tertiary study isn’t an easy feat, but he recommends Capable to others looking to study.

“This is a no-brainer to me if you are looking to study and really apply yourself. The friendly staff, flexibility, remote learning, and great support make Capable NZ highly recommended,” he says.

“My advice is, don’t force yourself into it, research, ask questions, commit once you know you are ready to apply yourself diligently. So that when times get tough and life starts to dig its nails into you, it will be grit, self-motivation, determination and dedication that will get you out of and through some tough times.”