Having worked as a JASANZ Contractor for more than two decades (starting first as a TE and then as an assessor), I have thoroughly enjoyed and relished my engagement with JASANZ; contributing to its commitment to overseeing CABs strengthening their processes and management systems for delivery of certification services with clarity, integrity, and practical insight.

What I like most as an assessor is the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution towards ensuring CAB’s adopting more stronger and reliable practices. I enjoy seeing that shift in mindset when a CAB realizes that an audit is not about following standard requirements and compliance alone, but also about building resilience and trust. In the last many years, I have come across and worked with some excellent professionals (JASANZ staff and contractors) who contributed immensely to my own development and learning.

I am reminded and cannot forget when many years back, I had the first opportunity to do an assessment in Turkey – where the language was as alien to me as the food (me being a vegetarian!). Managing assessment initially was challenging to me as I could not communicate easily and had very limited food options to consume other than fruits. It was in this situation that the local translator not only helped as a team member during the assessment but also facilitated communication outside assessment hours to ensure my stay in their country was comfortable.

While Covid-19 tested us all in different ways and brought along with it a number of challenges in the assessment process itself, it also opened avenues to work remotely and in different geographies with different team members where such opportunities were not available earlier due to logistical constraints.

I am grateful to be a part of the JASANZ family and my humble submission to all my fellow JASANZ contractors is to stay curious, stay objective, and stay human. Our value does not come from ticking boxes — it comes from understanding context, offering meaningful insights, and maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and teamwork. We are ambassadors of trust, and every assessment is an opportunity to uphold that responsibility.