IB Woman
Issue No. 28 - April/May 2006
Growing with the vines
Jeanette Kruger
by Penelope Herbert
Jeanette Kruger has participated in the growth of Peter Lehmann Wines from a small company in its fourth year to one of South Australia’s favourite wine companies.
Now, with 80 employees in Australia and 12 employees in Europe, Jeanette says she has grown up with the business.
“I prefer to be involved with all aspects of a business and gain overall knowledge,” explains Jeanette, “and when you have a small staff this is almost mandatory. I have been with Peter Lehmann Wines for 21 years so have experienced everything from vineyard to export and every aspect is exciting.”
While Jeanette’s role is primarily administration and accounting, her intimate knowledge of the entire wine operation has been invaluable to her career growth and that of the business.
Whether it’s liaising with grapegrowers and winemakers, warehousing, transport logistics or cooking meals for the large cellar team during vintage, Jeanette’s role does not begin and end on a paper trail.
“I feel part of the Peter Lehmann Wines family because the atmosphere that has been crafted is highly conducive to friendship and dedication,” she says.
“So I leave the office, move around, talk with people, help with the vintage teas and build relationships and trust. There is no segregation even with seasonal workers.”
Jeanette believes that being collaborative, proactive, friendly, and dedicated contributes to the stability and growth of an organisation.
She has always taken on new work with zeal, ensuring she learns everything required in order to perform to the highest level.
When Peter Lehmann Wines began exporting in 1987, Jeanette added export documentation to her skill set.
“When I was first asked to take on export and logistics, I completed a course on export documentation and had to learn all the who, why, what, when and how,” says Jeanette.
“It was actually easier than I thought. I’ve...
