A day in the life of Google's New Zealand country director, a single mother who oversees more than 1,800 employees and flies to Australia once a month

Katie WarrenJun 29, 2021, 11:27 IST

Rainsford said she was offered her job at Google eight months into her year-long maternity leave, and Google encouraged her to take the full year.Caroline Rainsford

Caroline Rainsford is Google's New Zealand country director based in Auckland.
She's also overseeing 1,800 Googlers in Australia to cover the managing director's year-long maternity leave.
As a single mother, Rainsford advocates for working mothers: "You can absolutely be both and make it work."

Caroline Rainsford, 39, is Google's country director for New Zealand. She oversees about 50 employees in Auckland.

Rainsford has worked at Google for nearly four years. Caroline Rainsford

On top of her New Zealand duties, Rainsford has been managing more than 1,800 Googlers in Australia for the past several months while their managing director is on a year-long maternity leave.

Rainsford checks out the new café at Google's Sydney office. Caroline Rainsford

On top of her New Zealand duties, Rainsford has been managing more than 1,800 Googlers in Australia for the past several months while their managing director is on a year-long maternity leave.

6 a.m: "On a weekday I usually wake up at 6 a.m. naturally thanks to two small children-shaped alarm clocks," Rainsford said.

Rainsford's four-year-old son, William, eating breakfast. Caroline Rainsford

7:45 a.m: Rainsford drops her son William, four, and daughter Olivia, six, off at school three mornings a week. "I love doing this as they tell me all the good stories in the car on the way," she said.

Caroline Rainsford

7:45 a.m: Rainsford drops her son William, four, and daughter Olivia, six, off at school three mornings a week. "I love doing this as they tell me all the good stories in the car on the way," she said.

On the days she doesn't do school drop-off - or if the traffic isn't too bad - Rainsford takes a morning walk around the waterfront of Auckland.

Caroline Rainsford

On Friday mornings, Rainsford plays golf.

Rainsford playing golf at a course called Millbrook in Queenstown. Caroline Rainsford

9:30 a.m: Rainsford starts her work day by answering emails and preparing for the day ahead before her meetings kick off.

Caroline Rainsford

10:30 a.m: Rainsford heads into the office and has a virtual meeting with Google leaders from the Singapore and US offices.

Caroline Rainsford

11:15 a.m: Rainsford takes 10 minutes to pop over and check on the progress of Google's new office, which - like the current office - is in Auckland's Wynyard Quarter.

Caroline Rainsford

12 - 12:30 p.m: Rainsford has lunch at the office with some of the Google New Zealand team. "Since we've been back in the office, I know the team (and I) have really appreciated this space again," she said.

Caroline Rainsford

12 - 12:30 p.m: Rainsford has lunch at the office with some of the Google New Zealand team. "Since we've been back in the office, I know the team (and I) have really appreciated this space again," she said.

After lunch, Rainsford heads to a session of a week-long director training course she's taking through New Zealand's Institute of Directors.

Rainsford with other attendees of the Directors course (not Google employees). Caroline Rainsford

3 p.m.: She dials into a Women & Google panel held in Sydney, where she was one of six women participating in a Q&A.

Caroline Rainsford

Then Rainsford heads to watch her daughter Olivia's after-school activity: rugby.

Caroline Rainsford

5:45 p.m: Rainsford speaks at a Digital Boost Launch Event at The Mind Lab, an education center in Auckland.

Caroline Rainsford

5:30 to 7:30 p.m: Rainsford spends time with and has dinner with her children.

"Olivia has a potato in her mouth," Rainsford said. Caroline Rainsford

After the kids are asleep, Rainsford gets back on her computer and takes some time to get any "life admin" done.

Caroline Rainsford

I tried the new ride-hailing app in NYC designed to take driver power back from Uber and Lyft, and although it's still working out some kinks, I was happy to help drivers get more money

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

A day in the life of Google's New Zealand country director, a single mother who oversees more than 1,800 employees and flies to Australia once a month

Caroline Rainsford, 39, is Google's country director for New Zealand. She oversees about 50 employees in Auckland.

On top of her New Zealand duties, Rainsford has been managing more than 1,800 Googlers in Australia for the past several months while their managing director is on a year-long maternity leave.

6 a.m: "On a weekday I usually wake up at 6 a.m. naturally thanks to two small children-shaped alarm clocks," Rainsford said.

7:45 a.m: Rainsford drops her son William, four, and daughter Olivia, six, off at school three mornings a week. "I love doing this as they tell me all the good stories in the car on the way," she said.

On the days she doesn't do school drop-off - or if the traffic isn't too bad - Rainsford takes a morning walk around the waterfront of Auckland.

On Friday mornings, Rainsford plays golf.

9:30 a.m: Rainsford starts her work day by answering emails and preparing for the day ahead before her meetings kick off.

10:30 a.m: Rainsford heads into the office and has a virtual meeting with Google leaders from the Singapore and US offices.

11:15 a.m: Rainsford takes 10 minutes to pop over and check on the progress of Google's new office, which - like the current office - is in Auckland's Wynyard Quarter.

12 - 12:30 p.m: Rainsford has lunch at the office with some of the Google New Zealand team. "Since we've been back in the office, I know the team (and I) have really appreciated this space again," she said.

After lunch, Rainsford heads to a session of a week-long director training course she's taking through New Zealand's Institute of Directors.

3 p.m.: She dials into a Women & Google panel held in Sydney, where she was one of six women participating in a Q&A.

Then Rainsford heads to watch her daughter Olivia's after-school activity: rugby.

5:45 p.m: Rainsford speaks at a Digital Boost Launch Event at The Mind Lab, an education center in Auckland.

5:30 to 7:30 p.m: Rainsford spends time with and has dinner with her children.

After the kids are asleep, Rainsford gets back on her computer and takes some time to get any "life admin" done.