Seventeen years ago, I made a decision that completely reshaped the trajectory of my life and career. I stepped off the tools and into the world of sales engineering, partly chasing the idea of more stable hours and a bit more time at home, but mostly looking for a role where I wasn’t putting myself in harm’s way multiple times a week. What I didn’t realise then was just how defining that decision would be.
I had no idea of the impact I’d eventually have, not just on infrastructure and critical systems here in New Zealand, but in places far beyond our borders. Over the years I’ve had the privilege of contributing to major projects across Australia, Bangladesh, Scotland, Kenya, the Pacific Islands, and more. It’s humbling to know that something you’ve designed, influenced, or helped bring to life is now quietly doing its job every single day, keeping communities connected, safe, and running.
Of course, the road didn’t start smoothly. My very first custom solution design and quote? A complete failure. And at the time it hit hard. But that failure lit a fire in me, a determination to understand the industry inside out, to master the craft, and to become someone customers, engineers, and teams could rely on. That moment set the standard for everything that followed.
Since then, I’ve spent my career solving complex problems, building relationships, and shaping solutions that support almost every part of the New Zealand grid. I can look back now and say, with a sense of quiet pride, that there’s very little happening across the country’s critical power landscape that doesn’t have at least one, but usually several, of my solutions involved.
And through it all, I never moved away from the things that matter. Being part of the community, coaching youth sports, supporting local schools and clubs where those moments offered balance, perspective, and a reminder of why the work itself matters.
Seventeen years on, I’m grateful: for the challenges, the failures, the wins, and the chance to play a small part in shaping the future of power and infrastructure.
