My Story
Growing up between two rivers in a town obessed by sport my youth involved sports, fishing, hunting and hard work. A small country teaches you the importance of working hard to achieve goals, with humility.
Educational Foundation
Early Education
As a family we moved three times, resulting in attendance at different schools for kindergarten, primary school and high school. This taught me how to make friends fast and to put myself out there from an early age. Individual sports was a way to demonstrate my value, and team sports was how I honed my leadership skills.
High School
During my high school years, I excelled at academic applications. Science in particular made me intensely curious, something I retain to this day. I was team captain in basketball, hockey and tennis, and I played rugby and cricket throughout my schooling years. I was the only student hired by the school, and worked outside of school hours to assist the woodwork teacher. I was picked for a joinery apprenticeship at aged 15, ultimately turning this down as I wanted more. To learn more and to experience more than my small town could offer
University
I took my curiosity for science and completed a double degree in Geology and Geography. During my time at the University of Canterbury, I worked hard to pay my way. During the evenings I would work at the student bar, the local rugby club and bars in the city. On the weekends I would bike a 20km round trip to a landscaping business that paid well. Hard work and focus was my foundation and I applied it to achieve my goal - completing my degree.
Career Education
I retain my curiosity to this day. Beyond university I completed an international banking course at Massey University, a Blue Ocean Strategy course, a Mt Eliza strategic leadership course, a post graduate certificate in sustainable practice where I modeled a sustainable brewery, was selected for a future banking leader course at Auckland University, and most recently a competitive strategy course, and an IBM prompt engineering course. I remain curious.
I have always been curious and keen to learn from those much smarter than myself. Having completed my initial education now was the time to build on this to create value and to grow. So it was off to the big city, Wellington, the capital of New Zealand.
The Finance Decade
The Bank of New Zealand
Why does someone leave a science degree and pursue a career in finance? Why for a beautiful woman of course! When my then girlfriend graduated a year ahead of me and went into banking, she encouraged me to follow. I entered the graduate programme of one of NZ’s largest banks and over a year worked in every frontline job to get a foundational understanding of how the bank made money. Teller, customer service rep, account manager, I worked for a couple months in each role to hone my skills. I was on the path to banking leadership…
Countrywide Bank
When you’re 22 and someone offers you a new car, cellphone, autonomy and a great package you have to look closely. With my best friend moving across to Countrywide I was lured into becoming the youngest Mobile Mortgage Manager in the country. My first day I walk into the sales managers office, full of beans, and he hands me my car keys, my phone, a map of my territory, my monthly target ($100k a day keepos Steve away) and tells me “Now f%$k off and hit your targets”. Welcome to the real world of selling. I worked my territory, building relationship with agents, brokers and valuers. Within a year I was the top seller and lent over $200m by the time I left. If you didn’t achieve you had to leave. Thats was a life lesson in selling.
The National Bank of New Zealand
Where Countrywide was street smarts, working hard and selling, The National Bank was intellectual rigor and ruthless execution. I was brought in after NBNZ acquired Countrywide to run the home lending product team. I brought 95% lending to a bank that traditionally lent only 80% of a homes value. I was then asked to run the Youth Segment, covering all customers up to their mid twenties. I built a model that showed the optimumage to target (new university student) and executed two campaigns with national companies (sportswear and telecommunications) to grow the customer base by 50%. Here I honed business case development and financial rigor. My GM was ruthless and took sport in evicerating young executives publicly. I thrived. I finished my time in finance as the Head of Retail Banking Strategy, where I interacted with the CEO and the Board.
The Energy Decade
Meridian Energy
My ruthless GM rang me to have coffee after he had left NBNZ to join Meridian Energy. He was a mentor and I valued his guidance, so wasn’t unsurprised when he asked me to join him at Meridian, New Zealands largest energy generator/retailer and 100% renewable. After some debate (my banking role was awesome) and negotiation I agreed. And what a ride it was. I eventually became head of sales and marketing, was hand picked by the CEO to go offsite for 7 months to ultimately create a global award winning energy retailer (Powershop), I ran the EV program in 2009, and was selected by the CEO to run the prgram that made Meridian, an $11bn company, carbon neutral. A change in leadership after 8 years saw the company shift from innovation to a pure financial focus and I knew it was time to end my time.
IBM
When you’re 22 and someone offers you a new car, cellphone, autonomy and a great package you have to look closely. With my best friend moving across to Countrywide I was lured into becoming the youngest Mobile Mortgage Manager in the country. My first day I walk into the sales managers office, full of beans, and he hands me my car keys, my phone, a map of my territory, my monthly target ($100k a day keepos Steve away) and tells me “Now f%$k off and hit your targets”. Welcome to the real world of selling. I worked my territory, building relationship with agents, brokers and valuers. Within a year I was the top seller and lent over $200m by the time I left. If you didn’t achieve you had to leave. Thats was a life lesson in selling.
Ergon Energy
Where Countrywide was street smarts, working hard and selling, The National Bank was intellectual rigor and ruthless execution. I was brought in after NBNZ acquired Countrywide to run the home lending product team. I brought 95% lending to a bank that traditionally lent only 80% of a homes value. I was then asked to run the Youth Segment, covering all customers up to their mid twenties. I built a model that showed the optimumage to target (new university student) and executed two campaigns with national companies (sportswear and telecommunications) to grow the customer base by 50%. Here I honed business case development and financial rigor. My GM was ruthless and took sport in evicerating young executives publicly. I thrived.