Behind the scenes with Maria Finegan: The heart of Andrews Meat Industries’ commercial team

Maria Finegan has a knack for making bold moves. Head of Commercial at Andrews Meat Industries, she’s a force to be reckoned with – but her career hasn’t followed the usual script.

Maria started at Andrews Meat 20 years ago in the old Dulwich Hill facility. TAFE by night, food prep by day in our original Creative Food Solutions kitchen, Maria went on to work in Andrews’ pick-pack and customer service teams. After finishing her diploma Maria left to pursue a career in hospitality and then later on a project in e-commerce – but luckily for Andrews Meat, she returned a few years later after completing her Bachelor of Business. 

In her early days in Andrews Meat, Maria quickly became known for her dedicated customer service. She created a specialised sales support area before moving into Head of Commercial, where she now looks after three teams: sales representatives, sales support, and customer service. She now also is the primary report of the Prime Cut Meats sales division in Brisbane.

Looking back, Maria can’t help but be proud of how her career has come full circle. She built a solid foundation in the meat industry before detouring into hospitality where she learnt the true meaning of a juggling act. During her meat sabbatical, she also spent time in e-commerce and procurement, setting up a successful national online wholesaler that distributed not only meat, but fruit and vegetables, dairy, poultry, pantry, and wine.

Now, she’s found her sweet spot mentoring her teams, taking on projects across all areas in the business including marketing, production, procurement and building strong relationships, and carving out creative solutions for customers.

Maria Finegan and Peter Andrews

Left to right: Danny Russo (Sala Dining), Matt Betsy, Maria Finegan, Peter Andrews, Cathy Simms, John Leverink (The Boat House), James Souter (The Boat House)

“I love the people I’ve worked with and its an exciting industry to work in,” Maria says. “It’s been incredible to be able to have worked my way through so many learning opportunities since starting in the business 20 years ago.” 

For Maria, customer service isn’t just a department – it’s at the heart of everything she does. She’s proud to work alongside people that truly love their work. Forgotten your order for Friday? No problem, Maria’s team will step in to make it happen.

“Many of our staff have been with Andrews Meat for five, 15, and some even 25 years and we all have a shared goal to provide consistency, quality and support that our customers can count on,” Maria says. 

“Building a good culture within my team and the wider business has been at the centre of my mission. Mentoring staff and supporting their growth makes me want to get out of bed in the morning"

Maria said much of the sales team has worked their way up, starting in customer service – taking orders, helping customers, and processing invoices – before moving into sales support, troubleshooting, and handling new customer inquiries. Many are also fully qualified chefs and butchers who understand what customers need and know exactly how to deliver. 

The best thing about the commercial division at Andrews Meat, no matter which team you're in?

“Everyone’s on the same page, working together to get the best results for our customers. We are all focussed on good customer service,” Maria says. “And that’s why our clientele love working with us.”