When a restructure at his banking job caused him to reassess what he enjoyed most about work, John Proudfoot’s eye was caught when he saw an ad detailing a sales advisor role at Ryman’s Linda Jones village.

“The bank had a major restructure and I lost a lot of customers who I had deep relationships with and with that I lost the enjoyment of a role which I used to love,” says John, who worked as a corporate banker.

“When the sales advisor role came up at Linda Jones, which is in my neighbourhood, I thought the job description really fits my skill set of building long lasting relationships and helping people with their retirement needs.”

There was another, more personal, reason why the role appealed to John.

“My mother has dementia so we, as a family, recently helped her to move into Bob Owens, Ryman’s Tauranga village, and we’ve been really impressed with the support that the Bob Owens team give both Mum and the family.

“So I could really feel that I’m part of the Ryman family and I can definitely say it is ‘good enough for mum and dad’.

Since making the move to his new role at Linda Jones in November last year, John has been thrilled with the response from both his new colleagues and the village residents.

“I’ve been really impressed with how friendly the residents are. They miss David (previousLinda Jones Sales Advisor David de Veth) but they’re making an effort to make me feel welcome, and that’s really humbling and makes my busy days worthwhile.”

John says he’s worked hard to get to grips with all of the new systems and processes and really enjoys the interactions with people he meets who need guidance with the concept of retirement village living where different levels of care are included all in the one location.

While he was born in Rotorua and schooled at Putaruru High School, John has spent his working life mainly in Hamilton which is where he lives with his wife Janine and where they raised their two children.

He says the region is perfect for indulging in his interests which include walking, bike riding and golf, and then there is the bach at Waihi Beach for board surfing, ocean fishing from their boat and more bike riding.

The most exciting event to happen to John recently was the arrival of his first grandson, one-year-old Huxley.

“He is a source of constant delight for the whole family,” beams John.