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Our Team

Regional Manager, Auckland

Gavin Smith

Bachelor of Construction (Construction Management)

As Auckland Regional Manager, Gavin leads the pursuit and delivery of Brosnan’s more complex and challenging remediation, refurbishment, and restoration projects.

He is renowned for introducing and applying innovative approaches to construction challenges that minimise disruption and reduce project delivery times. For example, Gavin drove the development of a world-first, multi-storey suspended scaffold system for the Spencer on Byron remediation project, critical to maintaining the building’s operability during construction. His involvement in its development led to him being a finalist in the Innovations Category for the 2021 NZIOB Awards for his innovative work on the project.

Gavin quickly gains the trust and confidence of all project stakeholders through his sound planning and meticulous attention to detail. Gavin’s passion for achieving excellence in construction is driven by his first-hand Body Corporate experience that underpins an empathetic approach.

“Gavin led the team to successfully design, construct and install the hanging access system at the Spencer on Byron Hotel. Gavin quickly understood our concerns as a hotel operator and how the proposed works would affect our business.

Throughout the design, build, and delivery of the hanging access system, Gavin’s attention to detail was superb, but his ability to be approachable and willing to work together was what made the difference.

Gavin was great to work with, making what could have been an extremely challenging project uncomplicated and to the standard we required.”

- Greg Remmington, Director NZ Castle Resorts and Hotels

Regional Manager, Wellington

Daniel Benton

Bachelor of Building Science in Project Management/Sustainable Systems Engineering
Certified Associate in Project Management

Daniel’s focus on building relationships allows him to bring out the best in the Brosnan team in Wellington. His education, hands-on experience in Wellington, and long-standing relationships make him an effective Regional Manager. Daniel’s team knows they can rely on him to be clear about goals and objectives, enabling collaboration and confident decision-making.

Daniel’s passion for delivering solutions to complex construction questions is what led him to Brosnan. The company’s vision and values guide his decisions without restricting his creative, out-of-the-box thinking. Daniel is drawn to building remediation, refurbishment, and restoration projects that provide him the opportunity to be a part of giving older buildings new life.

His varied experience across companies and sectors has given him a thorough understanding of the commercial and financial realities of the construction industry in New Zealand. Daniel applies his corporate skills to volunteering positions at the Lowry Bay Yacht Club and has volunteered with the Wellington Rowing Club.

Regional Manager, Christchurch

Rudi Mac Donald

National Diploma in Civil Engineering, Diploma Strategic Project Management

“I have worked with Rudi on a number of projects, and he has proven himself a very competent and highly skilled contracts manager. He is a great communicator with a keen sense of precision and professionalism in everything he does.”
– Kobus Le Roux, Founder and Director, Le Roux Consulting

Rudi is drawn to construction challenges and the reward of overcoming the seemingly impossible with innovative solutions. He takes satisfaction from delivering an excellent outcome for his customers and sustaining the resulting trusted relationships.

Rudi joined Brosnan to contribute to its growing reputation for innovation and providing solutions whilst delivering a quality product. Within Brosnan's open company culture, he can apply his strengths in programme management, optimising opportunities to the benefit of all involved and challenging the status quo. He enjoys collaborating with all project stakeholders gathering ideas that enable continuous improvement options to flow to current and future projects.

As Regional Manager, Rudi has supported and developed his team into confident industry professionals delivering projects of scale for high profile companies and regional communities alike. He attributes understanding what is important, making a difference for the customer, and building solid relationships with local contractors as keys to his team’s success.

Regional Manager, Queenstown

Reece Hutton

Higher National Diploma Civil Engineering

Reece leads his team to collaboratively develop innovative solutions that are customer driven. For Reece, getting great feedback from a satisfied customer is the ultimate confirmation of a job well done.

Producing a good product and having a satisfied client is at the forefront of everything Reece does. He builds very strong relationships with clients, gaining their confidence by quickly solving issues, bringing a spirit of fairness to all negotiations, and consistently looking for opportunities to add value.

A solid background in construction management enables Reece to make experienced based contributions around methodology and the buildability of projects that deliver value for money. In live environments, Reece and his team focus on managing and minimising disruption by establishing pathways for communication and responding to the needs of those affected most.

Reece is also a strong advocate of Brosnan’s culture of learning, mentoring and support. He ensures he is always accessible to his team and is someone they can fall back on when needed.

"I can’t tell you how many times Brosnan has gone above and beyond for us, which I so appreciate. We have been incredibly fortunate to have such a talented, professional, and committed team. The team culture and integrity is second to none. The result to our complex has been exemplary.”
- Carly Stewart, Treasurer, Oak Shores Body Corporate 355492

“I am writing to express my thanks for the way you and your team approached the build of stage 3 at Shotover. It was clear from the outset that your mindset was positive and solution focused. Brosnan delivered a quality build on time.

What impressed and pleased us throughout the whole process was how you genuinely engaged us as the client. It was evident to us you were determined to work and build a product in such a way that satisfied us and met our needs and expectations.“
- Ben Witheford, Principal, Shotover Primary School

Chief Executive

Geoff Nash

Executive MBA, Bachelor of Construction (Construction Economics)

"Geoff is a new-generation construction leader that is pushing Brosnan and the industry forward."
-Malcolm Fleming, Former Chief Executive, NZIOB

Geoff's passion for achieving excellence in construction is driven by personal experience. Having experienced the trauma of a leaky home himself, he is highly empathetic with those in a similar position. This has inspired Geoff to pioneer a company vision geared toward building confidence in construction.

As CEO of Brosnan, Geoff has developed customer-focused business structures and methodologies that minimise disruption, ensure quality and provide cost transparency, as applied to building remediation, refurbishment, and restoration.

Geoff remains closely connected to the customer's situation, leading a dedicated and passionate team that place this shared purpose and vision at the heart of all they do. He consistently seeks to understand the customer's challenges, champion innovative solutions that challenge the status quo and drive continuous improvement for Brosnan and the construction industry.

"It is through Geoff's thorough technical ability, commercial and political awareness that he can remain calm and professional, whilst keeping his sense of humor. This makes Geoff a pleasure to work with. Geoff is a trustworthy, and approachable individual whom I have every confidence in".
-Hatish Padharia, MRICS, Director, Perficio Consultants Ltd

Chief of Strategy

Brett McMeekin

Bachelor of Commerce

With a proven track record in strategic leadership and a passion for getting things done, Brett spearheads the strategic vision at Brosnan.

Brett brings a wealth of experience from diverse backgrounds, including Blue-Chip Corporates and related industries. Most recently, he successfully managed his own business, where Brosnan was a valued client. He has served on the senior leadership teams of prominent companies such as Lion, Spark, FairFax Media, and Phillips Electronics, among others.

Brett is well-travelled and has immense networks through New Zealand and Australia. He is comfortable on a building site, around a boardroom table or in a restaurant.

As Chief of Strategy Brett will lead the charge in aligning Brosnans’ growth, business development, communications, brand, marketing, and strategy functions. The overarching goal is creating a first-class experience for customers, employees, and suppliers.

In a nutshell, Brett's job is to future-proof our business with opportunity.

Chief Financial Officer

Gareth Jones

CA, BBs, Post Grad Dip Prof Accounting, Dip Business Studies

Gareth joined the Brosnan team as Group CFO in 2019. He is a member and mentor of the CAANZ Chartered Accountants.

With more than twenty years of experience in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, Gareth has well-grounded financial and technical accounting skills together with experience in group consolidation, annual reports, statutory accounts, payroll, audit, and tax compliance.

His commercial finance, financial control, accounting and management experience has been with large corporates such as Genesis Energy, IAG(NZ), and ASB Bank and smaller start-ups.

With experience in shared service functions including IT, Property, Legal, Risk and Human Resources, as well as business fronting roles, Gareth is a trusted advisor to the Brosnan Senior Leadership Team.

His practical experience is supported with a Diploma in Business Studies in Finance and Economics, a Bachelor of Business and a Post Graduate Diploma in Professional Accounting at Massey University.

General Manager, Brosnan

Andre Du Plessis

National Diploma in Business Studies, Higher National Diploma in Business Studies

Backed by over 30 years of construction experience, Andre has the comprehensive skill set required for this national leadership role. With a background as a quantity surveying/estimator in the construction industry, Andre’s natural leadership and team-building skills quickly enabled him to step up to increasingly senior management roles.

Andre reports directly to the CEO as part of the Brosnan Group Senior Management team. Andre maintains national oversight and responsibility for client relationships, business growth and project delivery.

Through his team, Andre is active in building and maintaining relationships with existing and potential clients by ensuring Brosnan delivers superior quality projects that are “right first time, last time”.

At the heart of Andre’s leadership approach is his commitment to empowering his team to make informed decisions and take the actions they deem to be appropriate. Empowerment is supported by promoting a collaborative work environment both within the company and external parties.

Central to Andre’s approach is his recognition that Brosnan and existing and potential clients work together as an integrated team. Consistency of actions and superior quality delivery is Andre’s mantra. These attributes are inherent in Brosnan’s work ethic.

For Andre, working in Brosnan means being part of a growing organisation that offers a real opportunity to follow its vision. For him, satisfied customers recommending Brosnan within their networks is a sign of success and culmination of the whole team’s work.

Group HR Manager

Wendy Baker

Bachelor of Commerce (Economics), Post-Graduate Diploma in Personnel Management, Post-Graduate Diploma in Marketing Management

Wendy Baker is a Fellow of the UK’s Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and has worked in Management and Human Resources for more than twenty years in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Australia and Singapore. She has worked across organisations such as American Express, JLL, CBRE and Carter Holt Harvey.

Her experience includes greenfield and transformation projects, strategic HR and business partnering, both client and service provider sides for outsourcing, and acquisitions. Her recent focus has been with SME organisations, early and emerging careers and young talent, the future of work, and board governance.

Wendy is a Chartered Member of HRNZ, and in 2020 she joined the Brosnan team bringing a wealth of experience to her role as the Group Human Resources Manager.

General Manager, Operations

Dale Sadler

Bachelor of Construction – Quantity Surveying
National Building Diploma
Site Safe Supervisor Gold Card

Leveraging over twenty-five years of extensive experience within the construction industry, Dale effectively utilises his comprehensive knowledge base in his capacity as General Manager Operations. His background spans various trades and encompasses involvement in projects across Ireland, New Zealand, and South Africa, enriching his role.

Dale’s career has included service as a project manager and National Operations Manager before being appointed to the role of General Manager Operations. Within this role, he plays a pivotal part in aligning each of Brosnan’s regions through cohesive systems and processes. Dale actively supports the site management teams across New Zealand, persistently advocating for high standards of workmanship and ensuring that client satisfaction remains a top priority.

National Commercial Manager

Liz Thorburn

Bachelor of Science, Quantity Surveying (Hons)

Liz focuses on simplifying construction, building trust and providing certainty for clients.

Passionate about creating cost certainty for Brosnan's customers, Liz believes having a fair and understandable cost estimate sets a project up for success from the outset.

Liz enjoys Brosnan’s unique approach to construction, focusing on getting the job done right the first time and cutting through the complexities to get to what it’s really about.

As a highly approachable and easy person to work with, Liz strives to make the commercial aspects of construction easy and understandable for everyone. She support’s Brosnan’s mission to build “confidence in construction” by ensuring cost transparency and reliable cost and time forecasting.

As National Commercial Manager, Liz is responsible for supporting, training, and mentoring Brosnan’s Quantity Surveying staff. A good day for Liz is when she has opportunities to work closely with the Quantity Surveying team to support their projects and benefit from her experience.

General Manager, Asset Management

Maj Hlatshwayo

Project Management Professional (PMP)®
Master of Construction (Construction Law)
Graduate Diploma in Project Management
Graduate Diploma in Operations and Production Management
National Diploma in Civil Engineering

With considerable experience in contract, construction, and project management, Maj specialises in understanding complex problems with multiple stakeholders and technical requirements. He is known for aligning strategy, objectives, and delivery. His experience spans across a wide range of business, construction and engineering projects within the built environment.

As General Manager – Asset Management, Maj leads a team of professionals who work with clients to understand and plan for effective management of their buildings. Maj’s expertise helps clients optimise their building’s asset management processes and minimise disruption. Through careful planning and efficient delivery, Maj helps clients save time and money, while improving the lifespan of their buildings.

As a skilled communicator and leader, Maj can manage and motivate teams to achieve goals within complex environments. With a strong focus on providing clarity for clients, Maj ensures good industry standards are adhered to, regardless of size or complexity.

Principal, Property Solutions

Richard Ashton

BIFM Diploma in Facilities Management

As Principal – Property Solutions, Richard bridges the gap between building owners and the multitude of building trades and services they need. In his role, he helps building owners protect he value in their buildings and to solve issues that arise throughout a buildings lifecycle.
Richard has worked in the property industry for 22 years. 15 years in the United Kingdom including 14 years looking after the Goldman Sachs European headquarters in a variety of Facilities and Building Management roles, gaining British Institute of Facilities Managers qualifications.
Since moving to New Zealand in 2015 Richard has held the positions of Group Manager of Long-term Maintenance for Metlifecare and the National Operations Manager for CBRE looking after the ANZ national building portfolio.

Group HSE & Risk Manager

Desai Link

LLB, BA, GradDip OHS

Desai is driven to make safety understandable and applicable for all parties involved.

Desai creates Health and Safety systems that focus on the most relevant and crucial safety aspects in construction and translate into simple, workable solutions for all personnel.

He understands the relationship between safety, quality and productivity. Desai’s approach is based on the premise that when people are safety empowered, they will achieve greater outcomes in all other areas for themselves and Brosnan’s customers.

The opportunity to develop a complete Health and Safety system from the ground up drew Desai to Brosnan. His implementation of a health and safety continuous improvement matrix delivered impressive results and has been adapted to other areas of the business.

A former practising lawyer, Desai uses these skills and disciplines, combined with hands-on work experience, to communicate Health and Safety standards and regulations to Brosnan’s team and clients in a meaningful way.

He is proud that Brosnan delivers on its Health and Safety promises and its commitment to achieving Brosnan’s vision of “confidence in construction”.

Chair & Independent Director

Sue Tindal

CMInstD, FCPA, MAICD

GOVERNANCE | EXPERIENCE | INTEGRITY

Sue has extensive C-suite and governance experience across financial services, ICT, energy, transport, global transport and supply chains, central and local government sectors spanning domestic and international markets.

A Fellow of Certified Practising Accountants Australia, Sue is the Deputy Board Chair and Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee of the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission Te Waihanga; the Independent Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee of Hutt City Council, the Advisory Chair of Lagom Group, a Director and member of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee of Quotable Value Limited and a Director of Quotable Value Australia Pty Limited.

She is a former member of the Advisory Board of the Graduate School of Business at Auckland University, and until June 2020, an Independent Director of NZX listed Mainfreight Limited. Other positions held include Group Chief Financial Officer of Auckland Council, Director of Consultancy at PwC, Executive Director of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Chief Operating Officer of Westpac Asia.

Sue's core values of ethics and integrity support her relationship, communication and influencing strengths, leading by example to "do the right thing".

Founder/Director

Phil Brosnan

NZIM

LEADERSHIP | INSPIRATION | COMMITMENT

Phil founded Brosnan in 2010 and led the company from strength to strength to now boast a professional team that provides exceptional expertise, efficiency, and integrity.

His career in construction spans over 35 years, beginning in 1985 as an apprentice carpenter in Dunedin. Working with the same national company for 23 years, Phil worked his way to project management and business management before moving to Auckland in 2004, where he eventually founded Brosnan.

Professionalism, commitment, and enthusiasm are three key traits that are attributed to Phil's success, and he applies them in every aspect of his varied role.

He is passionate about developing excellence in the New Zealand construction industry with an overriding commitment to client success and long-term relationships, that ensure the best outcomes.

Founder/Director

Craig Brosnan

NDAT, NZCQS

COLLABORATION | DETAIL | SOLUTIONS

Craig's more than 30 years of construction industry experience spans a wide range of roles, including draftsman, independent contractor, site manager, design manager, project manager and project director.

His unique diversity of experience underpins a stellar career that has seen him lead and deliver high profile projects ranging in value from $3m to $220m in New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom. Craig is known for his collaborative approach in developing detailed methodologies and buildability solutions on complicated projects.

Gaining trust and buy-in from clients, stakeholders, and delivery partners is a fundamental skill for Craig. This led him to be a finalist for the Coronet Peak Base Building and an NZIOB Excellence Award (2010) for projects Under $80m.

Craig's focus on quality and determination to deliver the best results guarantees our clients success.

Executive Director

Geoff Nash

Executive MBA, Bachelor of Construction (Construction Economics)

"Geoff is a new-generation construction leader that is pushing Brosnan and the industry forward."
-Malcolm Fleming, Former Chief Executive, NZIOB

Geoff's passion for achieving excellence in construction is driven by personal experience. Having experienced the trauma of a leaky home himself, he is highly empathetic with those in a similar position. This has inspired Geoff to pioneer a company vision geared toward building confidence in construction.

As CEO of Brosnan, Geoff has developed customer-focused business structures and methodologies that minimise disruption, ensure quality and provide cost transparency, as applied to building remediation, refurbishment, and restoration.

Geoff remains closely connected to the customer's situation, leading a dedicated and passionate team that place this shared purpose and vision at the heart of all they do. He consistently seeks to understand the customer's challenges, champion innovative solutions that challenge the status quo and drive continuous improvement for Brosnan and the construction industry.

"It is through Geoff's thorough technical ability, commercial and political awareness that he can remain calm and professional, whilst keeping his sense of humor. This makes Geoff a pleasure to work with. Geoff is a trustworthy, and approachable individual whom I have every confidence in".
-Hatish Padharia, MRICS, Director, Perficio Consultants Ltd

Independent Director

Jim Quinn

INNOVATION | TEAM-BUILDING | VISION

Jim brings to our board a diverse range of experience as a director, chief executive, and executive manager. His career has centred around strengthening great work cultures by bringing talented people together and building effective teams. Jim enjoys being involved with companies that have a clear strategic view. He is particularly interested in sustainable businesses with long-term visions.

His governance experience includes directorships for Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Whai Rawa Ltd, Eastland Group, QLG Advisory, and Tubman Heating. Jim also serves as Chair of Payments New Zealand, SmartCo and ComplyPro. He has previously held governance positions for Lyttelton Port Company, Intilecta Corporation, Halls, M Com, Express Couriers, Ubiquitome, Go Bus, and Infolink.

Jim’s executive career included serving as the inaugural CEO of KiwiRail, Chief of Strategy for Auckland Council, and Chief Executive of Express Couriers. He has held General Manager roles for New Zealand Post, Advantage Group, WEL Energy, QED Software, and New Zealand Couriers.

Brosnan’s values of Taking Ownership, Developing Solutions, and Building Relationships resonate strongly with Jim and match his own core values. He believes in always acting with integrity, especially in response to challenges and crises. Developing and maintaining strong relationships is central to everything Jim does.