Q: What was your role previous to joining LPC?
A: I was the CEO of Airways NZ for nearly 5 years and have been a Chief Executive for over 25 years. Previously, I ran listed companies in Australia – Advanced Braking Technology and Service Stream.
Q: What led you to this career as CEO?
A: It started in the 1990s working at Telecom where I was fortunate to move up the ranks in telecommunications and ended up as General Manager of one of the subsidiary companies.
Q: What did you want to be when you were younger?
A: I always wanted to be in a senior leadership role within a corporate environment and lead an organisation.
I did a commerce degree in Auckland in marketing and an MBA at Massey where I majored in finance, courtesy of Telecom, which was great at developing new leaders.
Q: As the new CEO of LPC, what have you enjoyed about the role?
A: The people at LPC are fantastic, and there is an open culture. I like the immediacy of all the work happening
in front of you. The link between my role and our people on the frontline is fantastic, and I appreciate people
providing real services on the ground day in and day out.
Q: What is the most striking thing you have found here at LPC?
A: I appreciate that LPC is connected to the community every day, the groups we interact with, and our stakeholder engagement with the broader community, including environmental groups, Christchurch City Council, Christchurch City Holdings and iwi.
Q: What are your plans for the next 12 months?
A: I want us to be a productive port and to be the best port in the country. We want to strive to be better at what
we do and take people, unions and stakeholders with us as we move forward. There have been a lot of improvements in the last couple of years, and I get a sense we’re on the upswing. There is a lot of feedback from
people saying it’s pretty good right now, and we want to capitalise on that. There is still plenty of room for improvement and opportunities, and we want to be open about how we pursue them.
Q: What is something people don’t know about you?
A: Half my family come from Christchurch and the West Coast. My father, grandfather and great-grandfather originated from Greymouth. My grandfather was the station master of Moana when they had a railway station, so our family has deep roots in the mainland.
Q: Biggest accomplishment in your lifetime?
A: Raising our two children. I think you’ll be remembered for the things you don’t achieve outside of work. I’ve got a 19-yearold son Josh and 24-year-old daughter Emma and wife Deborah, who has put up with me for 33 years. I’d rate this as my biggest accomplishment, and I am certainly proud of them for making their way in life.
Q: What advice would you give if someone said they wanted to start a career at LPC?
A: LPC is a great place to start because here you will get an appreciation of an integrated business. There’s a variety of opportunities and plenty of choices where you can give your best and take advantage of the options that are on offer. We have all sorts of roles around the Port – it’s about getting the fit between what you are good
at and what you want to do, and there’s a good chance we’ll be able to find the right role for you.