Catherine Boudier-Contant is Managing Director of First National Vanuatu (firstnationalvanuatu.com). Raised in Vanuatu as the daughter of a prominent businessman and real estate agent, she followed that path out of a deep love for the country and belief in its potential. Known for her market knowledge, humility, and fluency in three languages, Catherine connects easily with people from all backgrounds. Her glass-half-full optimism fuels her success and community spirit.
Real Estate is About People and Home
Real estate was in Catherine’s blood. Her father, who loved Vanuatu deeply, owned an agency where she worked during school holidays as a teenager. For him, real estate was never just selling a property and collecting commission. He wanted to know who was coming, what they planned, how many locals they might employ, and what their investment could contribute.
Vanuatu had only gained independence in 1980, and Catherine’s father believed the right investment could help build the young nation’s economy. That stayed with her. “I was fascinated by what he did – but even more fascinated by him. Much of how I approach real estate comes from watching him,” she shares. “Property matters, but this business is ultimately about people, communities, and the place we call home.”
A pivotal moment came in 2013, when she officially joined First National Vanuatu as a sales consultant at 42. By 2015, she wanted more, and considered starting her own agency or buying an existing one. “I didn’t just want to be part of the crew. I wanted to take the helm,” she says.
Loyalty mattered to Catherine, and leaving to launch a competing agency didn’t sit well with her, so she asked the owner if she could buy the business. Her colleague, Anne Donchos, joined as a minority shareholder. When Anne left Vanuatu, Catherine bought her shares. “I mustn’t forget my husband! He’s also officially a shareholder – though thankfully, he doesn’t work in the business,” she quips.
Buying First National Vanuatu was the moment Catherine backed herself. “There’s a big difference between working in a business and knowing the responsibility ultimately rests with you. It was frightening and exciting, and I’ve never regretted it.”
Finding Out What You’re Capable Of
Catherine’s path into real estate wasn’t planned. She was a riding instructor at Club Hippique and did morning sales for a local company, visiting businesses across Port Vila. That’s how she met the people at First National Vanuatu, where a director kept suggesting she join.
She was tempted, but having always put others first, loyalty held her back. She liked her employer and feared disappointing him. A friend reminded her to consider her own future, and that accepting growth wasn’t disloyalty – she had to discover what she was capable of.
Catherine resigned in 2007 intending to join First National Vanuatu, but actually ended up joining in 2013. “What attracted me initially was the opportunity. What made me stay was the people. I brought sales experience, knowledge of Vanuatu, and, most importantly, a genuine love of working with people. I like listening, understanding what people really need, and building relationships based on trust.”
Being French-born Ni-Vanuatu and speaking French, English, and Bislama has been invaluable in Vanuatu’s diverse market. Joining First National Vanuatu changed her life’s direction. She arrived with plenty to learn and discovered how much she loved helping people find not just a property, but a place for their next chapter.
Leadership That Brings Out the Best
Catherine says leadership came naturally, largely because she genuinely likes people. She’s built strong relationships and believes in teamwork. While she upholds her standards, she believes that we spend far too much of our lives at work for everyone to be miserable.
“People should enjoy coming to work. I love life and laughing. A workplace doesn’t have to be terribly serious to achieve serious results. People perform better when they feel comfortable, respected, and valued,” she insists.
Initially intimidating to some, people soon realize that Catherine is patient, generous, and tolerant. “People make mistakes. I make them too. What matters is what happens next: be honest, take responsibility, learn, then move forward.”
Dishonesty and disloyalty are harder for her to accept. Trust and integrity matter enormously. She’s learned that good leadership means setting boundaries. “You can care deeply about people while still expecting accountability.”
Ultimately, Catherine sees leadership as bringing out the best in people – so her team knows they’re trusted, valued, and part of something bigger. “And hopefully we can have some fun while we’re doing it,” she remarks.
More Than a Beautiful Photograph
Catherine’s vision extends beyond First National Vanuatu to Vanuatu itself. “I love this country and genuinely believe we have something extraordinary here. The world feels increasingly complicated, and more people are questioning what they really want from life,” she says. Vanuatu offers something different.
“Yes, we have extraordinary natural beauty – islands and places that still feel wonderfully untouched. But Vanuatu is more than just a beautiful photograph. There’s community, warmth, resilience, and a way of living that reminds you life doesn’t have to be so complicated.”
But paradise isn’t perfect. Cyclones, earthquakes, and natural disasters are part of life in Vanuatu. It’s made the people extraordinarily resilient, and they know what it means to prepare, rebuild, and start again. For investors, Vanuatu’s friendly tax environment adds appeal – but Catherine insists that investment must be about more than financial opportunity.
“My father believed that years ago, and I believe it today. I want Vanuatu to attract investment that contributes to our economy, creates opportunities for local people, and respects what makes this country special. If First National Vanuatu can help people discover this country, understand it properly, and find their place within it, then we’re doing something worthwhile.”
“When people complain about the potholes in our roads, I always say: I’d rather have potholes than income tax!”
Trust is What They Leave With
Catherine notes that it’s honesty that sets First National Vanuatu apart in today’s real estate landscape. “It sounds incredibly simple, but I think it matters. We don’t want somebody to buy a property simply because we’ve convinced them to buy it. We want them to understand what they’re buying and what living or investing in Vanuatu actually involves,” she states.
Catherine adds that her job is to listen. People arrive with different dreams, different budgets, and very different ideas about what life in Vanuatu might look like. We take the time to understand that and then matches the person to the right opportunity.
“Sometimes that means a sale. Sometimes it doesn’t. I’d rather have someone walk away without buying but feeling that we looked after them properly than make a sale that wasn’t right for them,” Catherine observes. “Real estate is ultimately a relationship business. Property might bring people through our door, but trust is what I want them to leave with.”
Resilience Learned in the Saddle
Catherine admits that, without question, the biggest challenge of her career has been the time she lost with her son. “When you love your work, and you’re building a business, it’s very easy to convince yourself that you’ll make up the time later. But later comes very quickly. As I’ve grown older, I’ve realised that those are the moments you can’t get back,” she acknowledges.
What gives her comfort is knowing that she was working for her family and its future, not simply for herself. “Professionally, I tend to see challenges differently. I actually quite enjoy them. Sometimes I win. Sometimes I lose. But I rarely regret trying,” she observes.
Catherine started riding when she was six and spent years eventing and show jumping as well as instructing. Falling off a horse taught her fairly quickly that lying on the ground feeling sorry for herself wasn’t terribly useful, so she got back up. That fall-and-get-back-up mindset may have come from horses, but it’s followed her into business, though her body occasionally reminds her that she’s no longer six.
“Before complaining about your life, take a moment to look around you. There will always be someone facing greater challenges than you. Sometimes, we forget how fortunate we really are.”
Taking The Leap That Matters
Catherine’s proudest achievement is buying First National Vanuatu and making that enormous transition from employee to business owner. When a manager at another real estate agency, where she’d previously worked for four years, heard about it, he said, “There’s a difference between being an employer and an employee. Not everyone can do it, you know.”
She remembers wondering what he meant. Was he warning her? Did he think she couldn’t do it? Whatever his intention, the comment stayed with her. Years later, she’s still there running the business, solving problems, learning, and getting up every morning excited about what the business can do next.
“So yes, I’m proud that I believed in myself enough to take that leap. But there’s another part of it that means much more to me. I hope my dad is watching somewhere. And I hope he’s proud,” she reflects.
Success is Loving What You Do
Catherine identifies success as loving her work. “I love my work. Full stop. I still wake up with ideas. I still see opportunities everywhere. There simply aren’t enough hours in the day,” she says, joking that she has so many things she still wants to do that she sometimes wishes she could clone herself.
Perhaps that’s success for her now: still being curious, still being excited, and still wondering what she can create next. She’s certainly not finished yet. Catherine admits she still maintains balance badly. In January 2027, she and her husband will celebrate 30 years of marriage – perhaps proof she hasn’t got it entirely wrong.
She feels lucky to have an understanding husband who learned long ago that “a happy wife means a happy life,” but he also reminds her when she’s pushing too hard. She usually listens – rests, recharges, and starts again. Catherine admits her son is even less tolerant when he thinks she’s overdoing it, though she knows it comes from love.
Family brings other responsibilities. For nearly five years, her mum, who has dementia, lived with them. Catherine would finish work and care for her, and as her condition worsened, she needed more support. After an accident in 2025, her mum moved to New Caledonia for health reasons. Catherine now visits every couple of months. While balance isn’t something she’s perfected, what she’s learned is that the people who love you often notice when you need to stop before you do.
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Every challenge teaches you something, and sometimes our hardest experiences become our greatest lessons.”
Leaving a Legacy of Values
Catherine’s most cherished values that have guided her decisions as a leader are honesty, integrity, and staying true to herself. She believes in being straightforward with people, even when the conversation isn’t easy. “Your team and your clients need to know that when you say something, you mean it. Business changes. Markets change. Circumstances change. Your values shouldn’t,” she affirms.
Catherine doesn’t believe in grand legacies. She just hopes people say, “She was honest. She cared. We could count on her.” That would make her very happy. Within First National Vanuatu, she wants honesty and genuine care for its clients to remain part of the business long after she eventually steps away from it.
And beyond the business, she hopes she has played some small part in helping people find their place in Vanuatu and encouraging investment that’s good not only for the investor, but for the country and its people.
That brings her back to where this story began – watching her father teach her that real estate can be about much more than property. It can help shape communities, create opportunities, and contribute to the future of a country. “If I can continue a little of what he believed in, while doing it in my own way, I think that would be a legacy worth leaving,” she reflects.
Build People, Not Just Portfolios
Catherine shares some words of wisdom for aspiring real estate leaders looking to make a lasting impact: Be honest. Know your values and stick to them. Learn your market, of course, but learn about people too. Listen to them. Understand what matters to them. Trust takes time to build and seconds to lose.
Work hard and don’t be frightened of challenges. And when things go wrong, remember that falling off the ladder doesn’t mean you have failed. You can climb back up. Believe in yourself. Admit your mistakes. Learn from them. Keep going.
Catherine offers a piece of advice that she would give her younger self too: Make time for the people you love. A career can be incredibly rewarding. Building a business can consume you, especially when you genuinely love what you do. But there are some things you can rebuild, and some things you can’t get back.
Catherine concludes that, in the end, lasting impact is not measured by how many properties you sell, but by the trust you build, the people you help, and what you leave behind.
“I strongly believe in one simple principle: what goes around comes around. How you treat people says a lot about who you are.”
Conclusion
At the heart of Catherine Boudier-Contant’s story lies a simple belief: real estate is ultimately about people. Her vision extends beyond property – to investments that strengthen communities and a business that will outlast her. For Catherine, success is not measured in sales, but in trust, relationships, and leaving something worthwhile behind. And perhaps, most of all, she hopes her father will be proud.
