Fourteen moves before finishing school is enough to turn anyone into an expert in the peculiar rituals of moving day! Finding the sturdiest boxes, borrowing a roll of tape that never seems to cut cleanly, and writing kitchen, books or glass across the side in thick black marker. By the time Nathan Campbell reached his latest childhood address, he had become used to opening a door onto an unfamiliar room and working out how to make it feel like home.

Most of his childhood unfolded on farms around East London and Kei Mouth, where open space offered more entertainment than any screen could. There were horses, quad bikes, rivers and enough mischief to ensure that his parents were never completely relaxed. Every move brought a fresh setting, but it also taught Nathan that unfamiliarity did not have to be frightening. You unpacked, introduced yourself, found your place and carried on. Only later did he recognise how useful that ability would become in a career built around people entering difficult situations and needing someone who is comfortable finding a way through them.

His family supplied the things that could not be packed into boxes. His mother gave him kindness, faith and the certainty that he was loved. His father brought discipline, personal responsibility and the firm expectation that effort was not optional. His grandmother, a writer of Christian books and the first person he still calls when life becomes complicated, showed him that wisdom often lies in making a difficult problem feel simpler.

That combination has shaped Nathan’s work at CEO. Labour disputes can arrive looking like someone has emptied the contents of an entire house onto the floor. There are documents, competing versions, strong emotions and decisions made months earlier that no longer seem quite as sensible. Nathan enjoys working through that disorder with members, identifying what is important and helping them decide what needs to happen next.

His interest in law was also shaped by watching his own parents experience legal battles in which he felt they had been treated unfairly. They often chose peace, but the young Nathan was left wondering what might have happened if they had possessed the knowledge and confidence to challenge the situation. Law became a way of ensuring that he would not feel powerless when someone needed help. What he discovered during his articles, however, was that legal work itself was not the part that excited him most. It was the people. He liked hearing their stories, understanding the real problem and finding a practical answer.

CEO gave that instinct somewhere to belong. Nathan joined after taking a chance, phoning Wesley Field and being directed towards an interview with Ruaan Heunis. He walked out believing the position was his, although he now concedes that youthful confidence may have been doing some heavy lifting. CEO saw potential while experience was still catching up, and he has never forgotten it.

What keeps him invested is the fact that CEO does not wait for a member’s workplace problem to become a formal dispute before stepping in. Nathan knows that many CCMA matters begin much earlier, perhaps with an unclear instruction, a missed procedure or an employer who was too busy running the business to realise that a small decision could have large consequences. He wants members to understand the law before it becomes a weapon pointed at them. For him, good representation begins with education, honest advice and the confidence to ask for help early.

The work also suits someone who has spent a lifetime becoming comfortable in new environments. CEO members come from different industries, regions and backgrounds, and no two matters arrive packed in quite the same way. Nathan can move between them easily. He listens, asks questions and makes people feel that they can speak openly. Friends may describe him first as loud, and he readily accepts the charge, but beneath the running commentary is a genuine interest in people. His brain may not have an inside voice, yet his door is always open.

He learnt another important lesson after moving schools for rugby. Nathan started in the sixth team at Selborne College and worked his way into the A team over three years. It taught him that talent is useful, but consistency usually carries you further. That principle has followed him into dispute resolution. A strong argument helps, but so do preparation, good drafting, steady communication and doing the basics properly every time.

Away from work, Nathan is still moving, although now it is usually under his own steam. Running gives his busy mind somewhere to roam, while Formula One provides hours of strategic analysis and opportunities to disagree passionately with tyre choices made by people who cannot hear him. Home life is quieter, at least in theory. He treasures time with his girlfriend, family and Beagle, and imagines a future with a wedding ring, children in the garden and several more dogs making themselves comfortable on the furniture.

After a childhood spent packing, unpacking and beginning again, Nathan has found something that feels less temporary at CEO. It is a place where he can keep growing, use the lessons gathered from every previous stop, and help members navigate changes they may never have expected. The boxes may be gone, but the instinct remains. Walk into the unfamiliar, understand what belongs where, and make a way forward.