Meet Michael McLachlan, ServiceIQ’s B2B Marketing Manager. Michael shines a light on his lived experience, where he tackled often invisible inequalities and managed limitations to build a successful career in business and marketing. He also highlights ServiceIQ's efforts in bringing equity to the forefront of business thinking and what organisations can do to make equity a force for good in the workplace.

Our recent equity blog resonates clearly with Michael. A traumatic head and brain injury due to a bike accident at four, a debilitating hip injury at 15, dyslexia, autism spectrum traits, deep introversion, anxiety, and a family history of mental health issues – most of which are generally invisible to those around him, are not the traditional ingredients for personal and professional achievement. 

“These weren’t footnotes, they were my operating system,” says Michael. Throughout school and university, Michael developed his own coping and learning mechanisms by leaning into his strengths and avoiding his weaknesses to facilitate his learning and then forge careers as a business owner in film and television production and the health and fitness industry. After stepping back from his own businesses and transitioning into the wider business world, over the next several years he held senior marketing roles at various New Zealand brands and organisations, from start-ups to corporates, where eventually he became our B2B Marketing Manager in May 2025.

“That’s the thing, as from the outside I look like a pretty vanilla type of guy and, in many ways, I’ve had a very privileged life, but often the things that challenge you in life aren’t always so visible, which doesn’t make them any less meaningful in your own lived experience.”

Due to this, Michael is passionate that equity stories like his are heard, which makes him a great fit for us and the work we are doing in the equity space. From the outset, he stresses that for people who have genuine challenges, it’s beneficial to recognise that while these challenges don't disappear, they don’t have to be an excuse as a barrier for success.

“That's one of the most important lessons I impart to other people. Not everyone's the same. Don’t hide away from the things that make you different. Find what works for you and make it manageable. Through ServiceIQ and what we do, I want people to be aware that we're not all in the same box, it's ok to see the world differently, and help is out there.”

Michael explains that it’s a common mistake for many businesses to attempt to fit employees into the same box, and there has to be a happy medium – a system where employers give their people the room to operate the way they operate, but also within a framework of accountability – a system that makes sense, that works for the business, for customers, and the employee.

He recognises that while it’s important for equity to be built into every business, it comes with challenges. “If you're dealing with thousands of customers, and your company only has dozens of staff, there's a certain point where there has to be that system in place that works for everyone involved as much as it can, as it can’t be perfect for all. There must be processes to ensure that while you're trying to work with as many people as you can, it has to be in the right way.

“If I hadn't gone through the challenges I went through, and realised I needed to be empowered, if I’d just had employers saying, ‘You’re not good at this, so we won't make you do that,’ or ‘We’re going to take all of these challenges away from you,’ I wouldn’t have had the success I've had in my lived experience.”

In an ever-evolving nation like New Zealand, made up of many cultures, people, backgrounds and viewpoints, our strong values around equity chime with Michael’s own experiences and outlook.

“As we build a successful services-based country, equity is so important. ‘We’re an NZQA accredited provider, which is a robust framework, but they're also going to be undertaken by many different types of people who are all coming through and learning these things so they can go out to the world and offer great services to the diverse make-up of the country. We need to recognise the underrepresented people of New Zealand are coming into the workforce, especially the younger generation, with their different ways of thinking and how they experience the world.”

Michael’s also stresses that “regardless of how your brain or physical body is made up, or how your experience of the world is different,” there are always new challenges out there and it's fine to follow your own path – particularly in the world of work. This is an area where we can provide support and offer a wealth of opportunities.

“It’s ok to take a break, to change, or embark on an entirely new career into a new world and still succeed. I could have stayed the course for 15-20 years and be in a very different place, but you can keep moving forward while changing course down various paths. Keep pushing yourself, never stop learning, and you can find yourself being highly successful. 

“I’m not going to say your particular make-up and experience won’t make this hard. My make-up and view of the world have created challenges, currently creates challenges, and will create more in the future, but they never stop me moving forward the best way I can.”

“[At ServiceIQ] We’re helping thousands of people, which is incredibly gratifying. We know we’re playing our part in bringing equity to the forefront of the conversation and practising what we preach. We’re definitely on the right path.”