Chris Giese

Chris was born in Maclean but moved with her family to Queanbeyan when she was three.  Chris is the youngest of nine siblings. With her father and four brothers all being builders, construction and Real Estate was embedded in her life from a young age.

Chris attended Primary School in Queanbeyan and then set off to High School at boarding school in Glebe, Sydney, where she had many opportunities to enjoy the advantages that come with living in a big city.  Returning to the Clarence Valley to complete Year 12 and her Higher School Certificate, it was at Maclean High School that Chris met future husband Ken Giese.

In the early years of their partnership, Chris and Ken lived in several places including Queanbeyan, the Sunshine Coast, the Gold Coast and Maclean.  In 1977, they returned to Maclean and established the very successful business known as The Snak Shak in Brooms Head. Working weekends and school holidays, at the end of four Summers, the pair had saved enough money to buy a block of land and build their first house in Yandina on the Sunshine Coast.

In the early 80’s, once again Chris and Ken returned to Maclean. Building house number two, it was here that they lived with their two daughters, Breanna, and Abby for sixteen years.

With a young family, Chris returned to work in business administration for the government funded Community Youth Support Scheme (CYSS), assisting young unemployed people to access employment or training.  During the next twelve years, with Chris’s input, the community based not-for-profit organisation went on to attract government funding for a broad range of Labour Market Programs aimed principally at providing training and assistance to long-term unemployed participants and support for any associated issues.

While working part-time, Chris spent any spare time studying and achieving a Diploma in Business (Accounting) which allowed her to continue her employment in this field, but this time at the Whiddon Retirement Village in Maclean.  Here, she was responsible for the local financial accounting requirements as well as executing Residential Contracts with residents and their families.

Following a re-structure at The Village, Chris found herself working in the Finance Department at the then Maclean Shire Council.  Amalgamation and the need to work in a more diversified manner of her profession, Chris commenced employment at the Yamba Golf Club.  Here, she was responsible for every aspect of a financial nature, developing systems which allowed all accounting procedures and reporting to be undertaken in-house, reporting to the Board of Directors on a monthly basis.

In 2016, Chris was enticed to join the Real Estate Industry alongside her husband Ken. Appointed as the Finance Manager, Chris’s analytical mindset, thorough understanding of financial reporting framework, cashflow and budget management skills and business acumen was unparalleled.

Now semi-retired, Chris holds her position with Raine & Horne in a part-time capacity allowing her to stay in-touch with the industry whilst still enjoying the leisurely aspects of her lifestyle. Outside of the office, Chris enjoys keeping active kayaking, bike riding and hiking and spending time with her daughter Abby, son-in-law Brandon and grandson Harvey.