Buller District/West Coast - Kawatiri

Originally from South Africa, I moved to New Zealand in 1990. With over 40 years of diverse work experience, I've held roles as a general manager, operations manager, and project manager for large corporate and medium-sized companies, including managing a small fishing company. My expertise involves overseeing maintenance projects, factory redesigns, and vessel refits to ensure compliance with statutory requirements.

Having worked both in New Zealand and internationally – from Southern Africa and South America to Newfoundland, Canada – I've spent considerable time at sea on vessels, gaining a firsthand understanding of the challenges officers and crew face in their own environment. Skilled in cross-cultural communication, I've managed diverse teams and personnel from places like Peru, Chile, China and Indonesia. I've always been a people person with a hands-on management style, a straight shooter with a strong planning and logistics focus.

Now, in my retirement years and residing north of Westport, I'm a passionate motorcycle enthusiast, but my love for the fishing industry remains as strong as ever. I'm very excited about this volunteering opportunity FirstMate has given me to share my knowledge and experience with people in the commercial seafood sector or to simply lend a listening ear to those who need someone to talk to.