At TMA, we design and deliver strategic and innovative immigration solutions for businesses and everyday people – but that wouldn’t be possible without our talented team of professionals.
In this blog, we are shining the spotlight on our Senior Immigration Business Partner, Marianne Bateman.
A valued member of the TMA team, Marianne heads our legal team managing the lawyers and migration agents, overseeing their legal work, as well as leading the service delivery for her own strategic clients.
Why Marianne joined The Migration Agency
Before joining the TMA team in 2018, Marianne was searching for “something different”. She wanted to grow and learn, but being at a larger immigration firm was restricting and she felt “pigeon-holed”.
“In a larger firm, it can be very transactional. Part of the reason why I love TMA is because we are very focused on our clients and giving them the best experience possible. Being able to have a relationship and building rapport with each individual client is my favourite part of the role,” she says.
For this legal practitioner, it has been a great change to join a high-calibre, boutique firm that is heavily focused on commercial acumen and clients’ outcomes, a trait which is needed now more than ever as the world changes and evolves with covid and its many restrictions.
“There’s been a new degree of complexity to our work due to Covid-19, navigating border restrictions and preparing detailed submissions and business cases. At TMA, I have more freedom to be strategic with the advice I give to clients,” she says.
How Marianne secured a hard-to-get travel exemption
Marianne cites a recent case where she helped a medical device company hire a sales and marketing manager from the US.
“As a travel exemption applicant, we needed to show that this person had critical skills and we really had to use strategic thinking to develop a strong case as to why this person should be allowed to come into Australia to perform their role,” Marianne says.
“While we were able to successfully on-board the person to their role in Australia within the timeframe we had discussed with the client, this wasn’t a straightforward case. We needed to make a strong and direct link as to how this person’s function in sales and marketing would influence and impact on Australia’s economic recovery.
“I believe it would have been a different result if the same client had enlisted the services of another agency. That’s what makes TMA different, we look at all avenues and options for a strategic solution.”
Marianne knew she’d made the right decision to join TMA when she saw just how different the agency truly was to other firms.
“Everything is different, from the way we talk to each client, the initial 45-minute kick-off call we have with each of them, and how we make getting to know each individual person a priority. In the beginning, it was mind-blowing to me. But this forms the basis of our values and our clients know they are not a number, but instead a person we value.”
At TMA, our team is our asset
As a boutique immigration agency, TMA focuses on putting people at the centre of everything we do, including to build a team of compassionate, highly qualified professionals who also share our values.
“I love our team. We all get along really well and I feel lucky to have a team like this. Everyone naturally wants to help our clients, no matter what it takes. We want to collaborate together. We want to learn from each other. There are so many talented people at TMA,” Marianne says.
TMA fosters a collaborative attitude where we work together and share ideas.
“It makes us better lawyers,” she says.
From a personal perspective, Marianne also enjoys the work-life balance at TMA and says the team is rewarded for its hard work with days off and fun team-building activities.
“Sarah, our managing director, really values our team and cares about our development,” she says. “It truly is a wonderful place to work.”
Experience the TMA difference for yourself
TMA is successful because of our talented and compassionate people like Marianne and we welcome expressions of interest from passionate immigration professionals who want to put people at the heart of their work too.
We are hiring! Please reach out to us today to learn about employment opportunities at The Migration Agency.