30 years turning chaos into systems that work.
I find the variables that matter, fix the bottlenecks, and build processes that run without me. Chemical and Materials Engineer by training. Process engineer by practice — optimising systems, custom-designing workflows, maximising efficiency and eliminating waste is what I do best. I've bought and sold companies, managed $240M in developments, and built construction systems that gave every stakeholder live visibility into every dollar.
Chemical and materials engineering gave me the framework. Process engineering is where I apply it — optimising and custom-designing workflows to maximise efficiency and reduce bottlenecks.
Identify every variable that affects output — not just the obvious ones. Most failing businesses have 3-4 hidden constraints that are invisible to the people inside them.
Map the system. Find the bottleneck that's capping throughput. In a construction company it might be procurement. In a manufacturing line it might be QA handoff. There's always one constraint.
Fix the constraint. Measure the result. Move to the next one. This is iterative — every fix exposes the next bottleneck. Keep going until the system hums.
Build processes that run without you. Document, automate, validate. If the business can't operate for a week without you in the room, you haven't finished the job.
The pattern: find something broken, diagnose the bottleneck, fix it, prove it works, exit at a multiple. I have done this across industries most people wouldn't touch.
A major structural engineering company and a well-established project management company told the body corp of a 6-level apartment building in the heart of Mt Maunganui that their 40-year-old building had serious structural defects — substandard concrete, corroded reinforcement, and potentially a leaky building. They recommended remediation at an estimated cost of $15 million. I applied process engineering: tested their claims against the actual physics. Concrete gains strength over decades — the 25 MPa spec was now likely 35–40 MPa. The rust was minor and localised. The building was poured-in-place concrete, not leaky precast. I issued my own report detailing the findings with engineering proof — concrete strength curves, inspection data, construction methodology analysis — and then engaged Meinhardt, an independent structural engineering firm, to assess it. They confirmed the building met current codes, agreed with every finding, and concluded no structural remediation was needed. The body corp was saved from a $15M unnecessary repair bill.
Founded Shorcom as a transparent project management company. Grew to 25 staff with $240 million of projects under management. Designed a real-time cost-tracking platform giving every stakeholder — landowners, lawyers, funders — complete visibility into every dollar. Landowners began approaching me to joint-venture develop on their own land, with full transparency built in from the first day.
Founded Longevity Construction and built a 6-level, 46-apartment building as joint venture partner. The company completed 200+ projects across Auckland and employed dozens of people.
Moved into renovations and general construction. Culminated in a 3-level apartment building using ICF concrete construction. Business partners attempted a takeover — fought it through court and won a settlement.
Started a painting and decorating business. Within two years, grew it to 6 staff and 38 contractors, plus a spray factory for doors and furniture. Operated for three years before shifting into property maintenance and construction.
Bought a run-down takeaway shop. Through pre-takeover marketing and a menu redesign, it was profitable from day one. Over the next six months, built a restaurant out the back while the takeaway kept trading — just two days of downtime to convert. Ran the 64-seat licensed restaurant for nine months, including three as head chef, before selling as a successful operation.
Built a digital mastering studio from scratch. Operated it for two years, then sold as a going concern.
Took over a loss-making nightclub. Within three months, it was profitable. Later bought another run-down nightclub on K Road in 2002 — refurbished, repositioned, and sold as a successful operation nine months later.
Bought a run-down hair salon. Expanded into beauty therapy and sunbeds. Designed and executed a marketing plan that built the customer base. Sold for 3× the purchase price due to increased turnover and margin. Repeated the same process with a second salon.
Spent three years as process engineer and QA manager. Designed and managed the construction of a new manufacturing plant in Manukau. Redesigned the QA department to significantly reduce finished product holding times while increasing testing accuracy — applying process engineering to cosmetics manufacturing before applying it to business.
Out of university, spent 2.5 years rotating through every department — NZ and Australian branches. Two months in each function, not just learning the business but actively solving operational and process problems. Learned how every part of a company fits together before I ever operated one.
Trained to model complex systems with dozens of interdependent variables. Multi-variable optimisation is not a buzzword — it's what process engineers are trained to do. I just applied it to companies instead of reactors.
Construction is a manufacturing process that happens outdoors. Materials, labour, sequencing, weather, approvals — every variable affects the result. I built systems that tracked all of them and surfaced problems before they became delays.
Invited to teach final-year MBA students about construction project management and transparent validation methodology. Engineers who can explain systems to business students are rare. I'm one of them.
If you need a process engineer who can find the bottleneck in your business and fix it — or if you just want the facts behind the headlines — get in touch.