Rachel
Orchard

Growing up as the daughter of a business owner, Rachel Orchard was immersed in the world of business from the get-go. "I grew up around business, hearing and understanding it. I guess this is something that has shaped my career.” This early exposure laid the groundwork for her future path.

Choosing a pragmatic approach to education, Rachel began working immediately after school, completing her undergraduate business and accounting qualification part-time while gaining invaluable on-the-job experience.

Rachel's career has been defined by her ability to transcend traditional financial roles. Working in smaller New Zealand businesses, she consistently expanded her responsibilities beyond finance. From Universal Homes to Harrison Grierson and Gough Caterpillar, Rachel has worn multiple hats—managing warehouse operations, engaging with IT systems, and supporting HR functions, as well as growing her experience in business leadership.  This experience was further supplemented by obtaining an MBA with specialisms in operations and management and international business. 

"Being in small to medium-sized organisations has given me a truly commercial perspective that spans an organisation. I haven't just been tracking numbers—I've been understanding how businesses actually operate and using financial insights to help businesses succeed."

Joining RCP in 2022 marked another milestone in Rachel's professional journey where she became Head of Finance and IT. Having helped deliver a commercially focused financial team, Rachel is now applying her broad commercial experience in her role as the Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the organisations shared services functions – finance, IT, marketing, legal and human resources.

In her role, Rachel goes beyond simply administrative management, focusing on creating strategic alignment and operational excellence. Her approach emphasises a comprehensive business understanding, involving herself in system implementations, operational challenges, and strategic decision-making.

“We’re here to help the business provide great outcomes for our clients. I bring a commercial lens, always coming back to the question ‘what’s best for the business.’ Ultimately that’s supporting our project teams' ability to deliver exceptional results and helping our clients succeed.”

Outside of work, Rachel loves keeping fit and active and she can often be found attending an F45 class.