Our Team

Yvonne Krikken, Recruitment Administrator

Yvonne is the newest member of our team, having joined in March 2021. With a strong administrative background, she has more than 15 years experience ranging in retail, teaching and mining. She has also spent 6 years overseas as a Teacher/Trainer and has a strong understanding of training, motivating and developing staff. Although Yvonne is not from the South West herself, she does have strong family roots to the South West farming community. Yvonne is a firm believer in team work, and many hands make light work. She is looking forward to embracing the opportunities this new role will bring and getting to know Rural Enterprises clients and job seekers along the way.

Ashleigh Padley, Recruitment Consultant

Another rock star here at Rural Enterprises HQ is Ashleigh.  Ashleigh has extensive customer service experience and has spent much of her time in retail management within recruitment, training & development and leadership for over 100 staff.  Ashleigh also comes with a fantastic administrative background having worked as a PA for 11 years in both Johannesburg and London.  She believes in open and honest communication, always sees the glass half full and is really looking forward to contributing to the agricultural industry. 

Rebecca Gurnett, Recruitment Consultant

Rebecca has joined our team as a Recruitment Consultant after realising a 20 year dream of moving from Perth suburbs to the South West.  Rebecca’s career in Human Resources ranged from Organisational Development roles as an internal facilitator and coach, to a Recruitment Officer running full recruitment programs, including running Assessment centres for Graduate Engineer and Design Draftsman intakes each year.  Through to most recently, a Grievance Resolution role where the ability to work autonomously, running internal investigations and mediations, navigating difficult conversations and situations with all levels of the organisation, became her world!  This last role morphed into setting up a solo consultancy in Grievance Management after moving to the Southwest, where Rebecca continues to enjoy the field, but found herself thoroughly missing being part of a well-oiled team and the excitement of matching the perfect person to their new home, whilst working closely with employers to building rapport and to innately understand their requirements and translate that to a seamless and appropriate placement! 

Stuart Willis, Managing Director

Stuart was born and bred in the UK from a farming family. After finishing his Degree at Harper Adams Ag College, BSc (Hons), he travelled to Australia in December 1998. He travelled on a working holiday visa and this is where his connection with Rural Enterprises first began. Once his working visa expired, Rural Enterprises sponsored Stuart for a couple of years working on farms throughout Australia and New Zealand. Stuart gained residency and in 2004 was employed by the famous Bob Shadbolt (owner of Rural Enterprises from 1983 - 2005) as a Recruiter and to assist with the implementation of Rural Safe. In 2005, an opportunity arose to fulfill his original travelling plans to harvest wheat and corn throughout MidWest USA and Canada with a Canadian custom cutting crew.  Once Stuart returned to Perth in 2006, he pursued a career in Occupational Health and Safety within the resources sector with the sole intention of acquiring the skills and experience to one day play a proactive part in improving health and safety within agriculture.  Stuart's project work finished in 2016, perfectly timed to join Emma in Rural Enterprises.  Stuart has played a pivotal role since commencing in the business and has been making his way around WA meeting farmers gaining an even deeper understanding of their farming needs - and boy is he in his element doing this!

Emma Willis, Managing Director

Originally Emma is from Hawke's Bay, New Zealand and moved to WA in May 2000.  She has more than 17 years experience in recruitment and has "done it all" - and it all began whilst temping as a Receptionist for a recruitment company!  Emma's career in recruitment strengthened over the next decade moving through the ranks from Branch Administrator to Recruitment Manager of a national IT company so has a fantastic understanding of all things recruitment.  Emma and Stuart bought Rural Enterprises in January 2013 and the business has gone from strength to strength during this time. Starting off on her own initially, Emma ramped up the business full steam ahead and today we are a team of five. Outside of work, Emma has a passion for and loves working with horses.  She was heavily involved in Eventing throughout NZ and during her time in the UK experienced the polo and hunting scene as well as learning to drive carriages!  Emma loves what she does and will continue striving to develop and improve Rural Enterprises wherever possible.