On 19th November, K2 celebrated International Men’s Day. But as with International Women’s Day, for us, one day just wasn’t enough!
Keen to delve into the rich stories of as many of the business’ wonderful men as possible, we developed a campaign titled The Men of X Annos, which refers to the K2 men who have been part of the K2 Family for ten years or more. This campaign features a series of written and video interviews through which we explore the characters, the careers and the defining experiences of K2’s longest standing male employees. Today, we turn the spotlight onto Richard Nunes, the astute, wise and patient MD of K2 Africa and Middle East.
What’s your name, job & how long have you been at K2?
I’m Richard Nunes, I am the Managing Director – Africa & Middle East and I have been at K2 for 13 years.
What’s the value of celebrating days like International Men’s Day?
I believe that recognising days like these serves as a reminder to ourselves and others to celebrate how different we all are.
The theme of International Men’s Day 2024 is positive male role models:
Who do you consider to be a positive male role model and why?
Anyone who inspires me. It changes all the time and could be anyone from a sports personality to someone I meet randomly on a flight.
How do you strive to be a positive male role model?
By always doing what I say that I’ll do. Being someone, people can count on is really important to me.
Men’s wellbeing is a subject that is spoken about a lot on International Men’s Day:
What does wellbeing mean to you?
Wellbeing to me is all about health, balance and contributing to other’s wellbeing.
Do you think that society needs to do more to promote men’s wellbeing?
I don’t think there should be a focus on the wellbeing of any specific demographic. Society thrives when everyone is prioritised.
What impact does workplace culture have on wellbeing?
It’s simple mathematics: we spend so much time at work, it follows that workplace culture has a huge impact on wellbeing. The way we look after each other at work inevitably impacts our personal lives.
What advice would you give to a young man who is just starting out in his career?
Put in the hours to build your skills: remain patient and the rewards will come.
What do you do on a regular basis to help you remain positive (professionally, personally or both)?
I get myself outdoors and push myself to be active as much as I can. Nothing takes away the stress of a day like a surf with your kids or a hike.
