Ensuring the smooth running of the vet hospital
Our Customer Care Team
Our customer care team ensure the effective and efficient running of our vet hospital.
Karyn Gresser
Client Services Manager
Karyn joined the Turramurra Veterinary Hospital team in 2022 as is our Client Services Manager, ensuring our clients are well looked after, as well as managing our Customer Care Team.
Karyn has a Bachelor of Animal Science from the University of Western Sydney and has worked in the Animal Care industry for over 10 years, including roles as an animal attendant, emergency vet triage receptionist, clinical nursing and management of a well-known boarding kennel.
Karyn has the ability to build trust and communicate effectively, as well as having an understanding and respect for both our clients and animal patients, and is well-suited to her management position.
Karyn grew up surrounded by all sorts of animals, such as dogs, birds, fish and guinea pigs, and as a child, read every animal-centric novel she could get her hands on. It was natural for her to have and care for a diverse range of species, as her own mother had a personal interest in horses, and showing Labrador Retrievers, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and later, Australian Shepherds. This upbringing inspires Karyn to this day, as she now has her own furry family of Koolies, called Banjo, Gypsy and Digger, and all dogs compete in Obedience and Agility trials.
It would be amiss not to mention Karyn’s volunteering history. She spent two years volunteering at the Australian Reptile Park, caring for mammals, reptiles and birds to strengthen her knowledge. She has also spent two months in South Africa, volunteering at a wildlife reserve and rehabilitation centre, monitoring tagged animals and tracking populations of elephants, rhinos, lions and leopards. While over there, she also spent time taking care of injured wildlife.
Karyn’s favourite aspect of her position is the family friendly atmosphere, and the fact that our veterinary team are all extremely knowledgeable.
Karyn is currently undertaking a Certificate III in Animal Care Services and keeping her clinical nursing skills up-to-date. Karyn also has an interest in animal behaviour, puppy classes and training and is looking forward to spending some additional time with our Pet Behaviour Consultant to broaden her knowledge.
Outside of work Karyn spends time training her trio of talented Koolies, which is as much a treat for her as it is for them! The training creates a mutual love, respect and connection between herself and her dogs, who she values more than anything. Her other hobbies include bushwalking, snowboarding, horse-riding, as well as reading, with her favourite authors being Nora Roberts and John Marsden.
Freya
Deputy Client Services Manager & Pet Health Writer
Freya started at Turramurra Vet Hospital in 2021 and quickly became a positive and much-loved member of our practice’s Customer Care Team.
Growing up locally in the Upper North Shore, Freya attended Asquith Girls’ High School and enjoys working in the local community. Being a hard worker with a can-do attitude, Freya is our resident ‘Lois Lane’, working closely with the marketing team as our Pet Health Care writer. Her special interest in writing has been a welcome addition to our monthly newsletter and social media.
Being a multi-talented team member, Freya was promoted to Deputy Client Services Manager, where she works closely with our clients, as well as conducting team training and a variety of other administrative tasks.
When asked about her inspiration for working in an animal-specific industry, Freya spoke about her zookeeper father, and how his love and passion for Australian wildlife and welfare translated into her own affinity for animals. She grew up reading novels by Gerald Durrell and watching nature documentaries, and in particular finds joy in horses, having completed both her Certificate II in Animal Studies and Certificate III in Performance Horses. When she was eight the family rescued a timid Tenterfield Terrier called Patch, who she would say provided her with an extensive groundwork of what exactly empathy and kindness can do to help those around her.
As a receptionist she is kept busy and active, making connections with both clients and their four-legged friends, whilst also working for a cause she is proud to represent. Her favourite pets are almost exclusively made up of ‘golden oldies’, those with countless stories and lessons to teach if one was to look hard enough. There is no better place to create relationships with pets like these than sitting at the front desk and welcoming them into the clinic. She has two lovely rescue greyhounds, Rocky and Bounty, and an old Quarter Horse called Deputy.
When she isn’t at work, Freya spends her time reading and writing, walking her dogs, and spending time riding and caring for her horse. She also enjoys watching movies in the cinema with her close friends, and exploring new cafes, restaurants and museums.
Ashleen
Hospital Administrator & Customer Care
Ashleen, better known as ‘Ash’, started working with us in January 2022. She is a multi-skilled and highly valued member of our Customer Care Team, with a positive, friendly attitude and a willingness to contribute to many aspects the veterinary hospital. Her excellence in work ethic has landed her vital roles in many of the important behind-the-scenes hospital administration tasks, including IT, website and social media photography, stock control and in media relations.
Growing up in the country NSW town, Queanbeyan, and travelling to Canberra for school, Ash always had an interest in the veterinary world. She spent her early years helping her mother volunteer for WIRES, and had a menagerie of animals including border collies, rabbits, guinea pigs, a bearded dragon and quails! Presently she has a gorgeous Rhodesian Ridgeback called Moose, whose wiggly body has a mind of its own to match his goofball personality. She would love to have a farm full of animals in the future!
After graduating high school, Ash took a detour from working with animals to Charles Sturt University, completing her Bachelor in Stage and Screen Acting with a minor in Television Production. This study helped her gain experience producing marketing material for veterinary clinics. To utilise her degree, Ash moved to the UK with her husband, Tanian, who is a veterinarian himself. She started her own dog walking business, which she found incredibly rewarding. She also helped out during after-hours emergencies, and it was in doing this that she gained a love of veterinary practice work.
Ash enjoys meeting the variety of animals that come through our doors, and getting to know our regulars (people and pets!). She particularly enjoys it when a dog she recognises comes to say hello in the waiting room. Ash is active, and spends her free time hiking with her dog, Moose, playing squash and running her photography and nail care side projects.
Charlotte
Customer Care
Charlotte began as part of the Turramurra Veterinary Hospital Customer Care Team in 2022. With a work background in Disability Employment Services, Charlotte is an empathic and kind person, who does her best for both our clients and their pets.
Growing up in an animal loving family, Charlotte has experience with a wide variety of animals such as dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds and fish. Charlotte’s first pet and ‘special best friend’ growing up was Xena, her Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Xena is one of the reasons she loves animals so much to this day.
Charlotte grew up on the Central Coast, and attended Brisbane Waters High School before completing her Certificate III in Business Administration. She has had previous veterinary reception experience from working at two fast-paced emergency clinics in the local area (SASH and North Shore Veterinary Specialist Centre), and it was at these hospitals that Charlotte realised this was the industry she would like to work exclusively in.
Charlotte’s favourite aspect of working in at our clinic is the friendly atmosphere, and chatting to clients about their pets, especially people who have a shared interest in animal care and welfare. She also enjoys the welcoming atmosphere and how the team is always willing to offer a helping hand when needed.
In the past year Charlotte and her partner, Stan, added Mabel, a stunning Golden Retriever to their family. Mabel is a large part of her home life, and is a loveable little troublemaker she enjoys taking for walks, to the dog park, and to cafes for brunch. When Charlotte is not at work you can find her playing all sorts of games, including videogames, board games, and card games. She also enjoys watching movies and TV shows in her spare time.
Sayuri
Customer Care
Sayuri joined Turramurra Vet’s customer care team in 2020 and has brought a wealth of knowledge from previous customer services roles she has worked in, including retail, hospitality and Sydney’s Bridge Climb organisation.
Having grown up locally in St.Ives surrounded by her own pets, working in a veterinary practice with like-minded, down-to-earth, animal-loving people has been a welcome change for Sayuri. She loves looking after both the client and pet’s needs in what can be an emotionally challenging, ever-changing environment, interacting with species ranging from echidnas to rabbits.
Having attended Pymble Ladies’ College, Sayuri is described by her peers as a warm, kind-hearted and generous person, who always has a smile upon her face. Having travelled extensively through Scotland and Canada on a working holiday, Sayuri was able to adapt quickly to a variety of roles involving animals, including the Sundance Guest Horse Ranch (Canada) and nursing puppies 24/7 in a Newfoundland dog-breeding colony (Scotland).
A fast learner, Sayuri prides herself on her communication and listening skills, having completed an Associate Diploma in Professional Communication AMEB during her HSC. She is currently studying a Diploma of Stage and Screen Performance at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA).
In her spare time when she is not studying or working, Sayuri enjoys yoga, hiking, movies, reading and watching plays – in particular, comedies and dramas. She owns an older tabby cat named Nina who loves a cuddle.
Heidi
Customer Care
Heidi began working at Turramurra Veterinary Hospital in 2018, helping out with administration work and cat boarding. She is somewhat of a chameleon within the practice, now working as part of the Customer Care Team, as well as a Hospital Assistant and occasionally in a Consult Support role, giving our vets assistance while they care for our clients’ pets.
Heidi is Dr James Thompson’s niece, and so grew up exposed to the veterinary world from a very young age. She has always had a deep love for animals and respect for veterinary science. She is currently studying her Bachelor of Pharmacy at the University of Sydney in order to fulfil her dream of working in the pharmaceutical industry. Heidi’s favourite part of working in our practice, is meeting all the different animals and getting to know their personalities as well as seeing their progress and recovery. In particular, she finds it incredible that our vets know how to make animals feel comfortable and safe in a foreign environment.
Heidi is fascinated by the overlap and differences in human and animal medicine. Owning her own cat, Lola, since she was five, Heidi has excellent cat handling skills and can often be found doing the rounds feeding, cleaning, and providing enrichment for our cat boarding residents. Lola was adopted by Heidi’s family from our practice when she was just a kitten, and is warm and affectionate towards her family. Heidi enjoys working at TVH due to the positive atmosphere, and how team members support and look after one another. No matter how many questions she asks, vets and nurses will always take the time to explain the details. When Heidi isn’t at work, you can find her at a Pilates or F45 class or spending quality time with her friends trying out new restaurants and cafes or swimming at the beach.
