About Me - My Biography

As Director and Founder of Intimo Lingerie, Sue Whyte has combined her dual passions, a love of fashion and a deep desire to empower women with business skills to build a company that has provided numerous women with the opportunity to enjoy beautiful lingerie and achieve their professional aspirations. Sue began her career in Flinders Lane, the hub of fashion in the 1970's and went on to be involved in all aspects of the industry, importing, design, manufacturing and licencing with a number of internationally recognised brands, before running her own fashion wholesale company. It was here that Sue developed her firm belief in the power of female entrepreneurship and the advantage that personalised service holds in a competitive industry. After hearing numerous horror stories about ill fitting bras, awkward underwear shopping experiences and unable to find fashionable bras in larger cup sizes, Sue identified an untapped niche in the market; a brand of fashion lingerie in extended sizes that could be purchased by women in a comfortable setting. Following significant research, she discovered that party plan offered the formula suited to her distinctive product service mix; presentations that allowed customers to touch, try and experiment with the product in a relaxed environment and individualised fittings from a trained Consultant ensuring an appropriate a well fitting bra. Moreover, direct sales gave women the opportunity to build a successful career from offering that personalised service to others. In 1995, Intimo was launched with three staff, a small collection of European designed lingerie and a handful of sales consultants. Eight years later, Intimo is now a multi million dollar company with over five hundred Consultants, fifty staff and one of the most comprehensive ranges of lingerie under one brand in Australia and New Zealand. Intimo is a company created by a woman, about women, for women. As such, it has a unique culture and structure that is in stark contrast to traditional corporations. Intimo has often been called a company with "a heart" because of the personalised attention, focus on people, attention to achievements and successes on all levels and a strong emphasis on personal development as well as professional skills training. With a huge client base, a large proportion of Intimo sales are repeat orders from loyal customers converted to the Intimo brand. Sue is constantly inundated with letters from clients delighted that they have finally been able to find attractive, fashionable bras in their size that are comfortable and affordable. Intimo has also provided a forum for women to exceed their professional aspirations. Sue honestly believes that direct sales offers an amazing career option for women and works hard to dispel the myth surrounding "party plan" as a 1950's housewife pocket money source. It is not just the significant financial gains that this style of business offers, but the opportunity for women to develop new skills and enhance their self confidence through their own personal accomplishments. Intimo celebrates successes and Sue has developed an organisational culture of support and recognition that fosters achievements on a variety of levels. This is encouraged by highlighting success stories, providing opportunities for networking and learning from peers and eliminating isolation with regular communication. Constantly in awe of the hidden talents within the Consultants, Sue is proud that Intimo has provided a channel for them to emerge and flourish. Thanks to Intimo, Australian and New Zealand women now have a tremendous array of gorgeous bras available from size 32A to 46F and a new generation of dynamic and very successful female entrepreneurs.