Our People

Chris Turney

Director – Power Systems

Chris has been involved in all aspects of electrical engineering, providing conceptual and detailed design for primary and secondary systems up to 110kV. He is passionate about the company's culture, quality and delivery. Chris also enjoys a glass of Pinot Noir and spending time with his wife and four (almost grown-up) boys.

Alistair Williams

Team Leader – Power Systems

Alistair joined Ergo in 2015 with extensive experience in project and design management, and business development for power transmission and distribution in NZ, Australia and the UK. Born and bred in Scotland, (and with a taste for modern Scottish music) Alistair now calls NZ home with his wife and two girls.

Carla Smith

Technical Director – Power Systems

A founding staff member of Ergo, Carla is a project manager who has extensive knowledge of project history, client standards and detailed design. As Technical Director, Carla manages delivery of quality and technical excellence. Outside of work, Carla plays indoor netball (for several teams) and is a volunteer archeology assistant.

Ross Dodd

Senior Engineer – Power Systems

Ross is a highly experienced project manager and design engineer with particular expertise in substations, TMS, generation, metering, DC chargers, SCADA panels and switchgear. Ross has established electrical design standards for many Ergo clients. Ross loves mountain biking and travel - especially holidaying around NZ in a campervan with his family.

Soumya Doar

Engineer – Power Systems

Soumya is a valued engineer who works and project manages a range of detailed design projects, including the design of RTU replacements, 11kV circuit breakers, new 11kV switchrooms, TMS systems and auxiliary panels. Soumya is a keen snowboarder, and can also be found doing group fitness and boot-camps.

Amrita Sharma

Engineer – Power Systems

Amrita is skilled in detailed design particularly in substations. Amrita came to Ergo through our graduate programme and has experience in a number of industries, including power utilities, food manufacturing, and electrical equipment supplies. Amrita is Ergo’s samosa supplier, often bringing them in their hundreds due to popular demand.

Richard Charles

Technical Specialist – Protection Design & Implementation, Power

Richard provides technical and practical support to the Power Systems Department, particularly in the area of secondary systems. Having been involved in commissioning and fault diagnosis Richard is adept at analysis and problem solving. Richard is also an extreme athlete, completing ultra-marathons and other extreme sporting events.

Steve Timmins

Technical Specialist – Protection Settings – Power Systems

Steve is experienced in all aspects (construction, maintenance, design and management) of network protection as well as power systems fault analysis, relay configuration and settings for distribution networks, and on-site commissioning. Steve enjoys running, almost as much as he enjoys ‘working-from-home’ in Coatesville.

Alan Barrow

Technical Specialist – Protection Settings – Power Systems

Alan is a highly respected protection engineer with extensive experience in the electrical industry; his roles previous to Ergo included Secondary Asset Development Manager, Team Leader Protection and Protection Engineer for various utility companies. Originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, Alans’ interests include English literature, linguistics, DIY and cycling.

Maria Kobe

Technical Specialist – Modelling & Earthing – Power Systems

Maria's expertise in network engineering is an asset to Ergo’s technical team. Using ETAP (Electrical Transient Analysis Program) and DigSilent software, Maria completes network modelling and design, load flow and earthing studies. Maria is Ergo’s living encyclopaedia. She can often be found sharing interesting pieces of information in the lunchroom.

Jonathan Chen

Senior Engineer – Power Systems

Jonathan is an electrical engineer whose experience has seen him work on transmission, distribution and generation projects in New Zealand, Australia, the Pacific Islands and Southeast Asia. Areas of interest include network planning and analysis, renewable integration studies and project management. Outside of work Jonathan has been a proud season member at the Warriors for over a decade and remains steadfast in his belief that next year will be the year they win a premiership.

Albert Le Roux

Engineer - Power Systems

Albert has been involved in various substation projects. Albert’s experience includes project management, detailed design and commissioning of protection and automation schemes. Albert is originally from South Africa and enjoys hiking and DIY projects.

Allan Fong

Graduate Engineer – Power Systems

Allan is a recent graduated from Auckland University of Technology, specializing in Power and Control. He has a strong interest in Primary design and network modelling. Allan enjoys working on his cars and watching Pokemon with his kids in his spare time

Jack Stainton - Christchurch Office

Graduate Engineer – Power Systems

Located in our Christchurch office, Jack has experience in secondary design, switchgear retrofit projects and greenfield substation projects having previously worked with Ergo in Auckland. Jack likes to work on vintage motorbikes and has been involved with rowing (as an athlete and coach) for over a decade.

Matthew Whitmore

Graduate Engineer - Power Systems

Matthew is a recent graduate from the University of Canterbury, where he majored in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Matthew has an interest in substation detailed design. In his spare time, Matthew enjoys playing sports, playing PS4 and travelling to Rotorua to see his parents.

Olivia Duncan

Senior CAD Designer – Power Systems

Olivia produces high quality AutoCAD drawings for a variety of clients and projects. She is also involved with 3D and conceptual design drawings. Olivia has streamlined a number of CAD processes to ensure time saving efficiencies and quality. Olivia spends her spare time baking and renovating her house.

Maria Juvy Karamihan

CAD Designer - Power Systems

Maria Karamihan is a CAD Designer hailed from the Philippines . She has worked in the Oil and Gas industry – 15 years for JGC Philippines and 9 years in Technip, Malaysia. After living in very populated countries she decided to come to New Zealand for a quieter life and beautiful scenery. After being in New Zealand for 9 months, she is very happy with her decision to move. In her free time, Maria loves to do paper quilling and she is also interested in cooking. Her passion for exceptional quality is the motivation for continuous improvement and development.

John Esnaola

Senior CAD Designer – Power Systems

John is an experienced CAD Designer having worked in Engineering Consultancies in New Zealand and Australia. He takes pride in producing quality detail drawings. John has returned recently from Australia to be closer with family. Outside work he likes to go to the gym and spend quality time with his wife and son.

Nigel Stevenson

Director - Control Systems

Nigel joined Ergo in 2005 to develop the Control Systems department. Nigel’s appreciation of good design stems from his electrical apprenticeship; he now has extensive experience in design specification, supervision, commissioning and project management. Nigel enjoys spending time with his two daughters, as well as the gym and soccer.

Scott Wilson

Team Leader

Scott has been in the electrical industry since his 1988 electrical apprenticeship, which has given him a solid understanding of ‘constructability’. Scott’s speciality is industrial electrical and controls hardware design, project management, and mentoring for his team. Outside of work, Scott is a keen footballer and cricketer, and enjoys spending time with his family.

Richie Murray

Team Leader

Richie has been involved in the water and wastewater sector since entering the work force in 2007. This exposure has provided Richie with a unique insight into how mechanical and electrical systems interrelate, and providing optimal control system results for clients. Richie is a proud Dad to Thomas, born early 2015.

Jason Wright

Senior Engineer

Jason’s knowledge covers DCS, SCADA, PLC and telemetry, communications, field bus systems and protocols, industrial information and plant floor reporting, low voltage electrical power distribution, valves and instrumentation, motor protection and control, energy metering and management. Jason enjoys travel, especially visits home to South Africa.

Dima Ibrahim

Senior Engineer

Dima is an experienced control systems engineer especially in the water and wastewater sector. Dima is skilled at detailed design of motor control systems, telemetry, PLC hardware and instrumentation. Dima’s experience in site supervision, commissioning, project management, specification and documentation development makes her a well-rounded engineer. To relax, Dima enjoys spending time with her friends and family.

Jonathan Cuff

Engineer

Jonathan undertakes detailed design of water and wastewater treatment plants and pump stations at Ergo; previously he was an automation engineer at Tiwai Point aluminium smelter. Jonathan is also experienced in site upgrade and condition assessments, hazardous area electrical designs and project management. Jonathan is a keen gamer and enjoys trips home to Invercargill.

Manish Makwana

Engineer

Manish is an engineer with a strong focus on factual decision making and problem solving. He is proficient in industrial electrical, instrumentation and controls design. He is particularly interested in innovative ways to deliver better, and seeks to continually improve his work. Outside of work he enjoys contributing to various technical meet up groups, as well as tinkering with programming and electronics.

Matthew Watson

Engineer

Matthew is an electrical engineer with experience across mining, manufacturing and water. He has nine years’ experience in the electrical industry including time as a qualified electrician. Previously he was an electrical engineer for an Australian open cut coal mine. Matthew enjoys kayaking on the harbour and walking the dog along Muriwai beach.

Nick Carson

Graduate Engineer

Nick is a recent graduate from The University of Auckland specialising in control, power and radio systems. Nick’s attention to detail and ability to communicate effectively ensures his understanding of electrical and electronic technologies, and their application to real world problems. Nick enjoys socialising with friends, and has a keen interest in current affairs.

Jude Fernandes

Graduate Engineer

Jude has recently finished studying an Electrical and Electronics Engineering degree at the University of Auckland. Jude’s ability to problem solve allows him to effectively apply his knowledge of electrical systems to practical situations. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with friends and family. Jude is also an avid footballer and badminton player.

Ivan Nyo

Engineer

Ivan is an electrical engineer with over 5 years’ worth of experience within the oil & gas industry which enables him to engage in electrical, control system and hazardous area design. He enjoys the outdoors and is usually found at the ski slopes or a mountain bike park.

Paul Bancroft

Engineer

Paul joins us after 6 years at Justswitchboards Ltd, with over 30 years of experience in the Electrical Industry, from Apprentice through to Engineer working on diverse projects from Super Yachts to conveyor systems. Paul enjoys spending time with family and friends, (depending on the season) he can be found on the mountain or in the sea, and if time permits busy DIYing or tinkering in his garage on his classic VWs.

Greg Blaski

Engineer

Joined Ergo in September, having migrated from South Africa. He is an electrical engineer with seven years’ automation engineering experience in the maize/wheat milling sector. His experience includes hardware engineering design of Motor Control Centre (MCC) panels, project management and electrical Installation planning for industrial plant control systems. In his spare time, Greg enjoys hiking and the occasional fishing trip.

Richard Cuthbert

Chairman

Richard is a company director and advisor. A civil engineer by profession, he has held senior leadership positions for major UK multi-discipline engineering consultancies. Since joining Ergo in 2014, he has been responsible for the company’s governance and strategic development. Outside of work Richard enjoys family time, sport and running (slowly) on the hills of Waiheke lsland.

Craig Brown

Commercial Manager

Craig oversees the administrative and financial operations of Ergo and has extensive experience in financial and systems roles. Craig has worked in the capacity of CFO or financial controller for various organisations, and has also been an audit manager for a large chartered accounting firm. Craig is also a squash player, and enjoys escaping to Hahei.

Mark Tomkins

Office Manager

Mark is a chartered professional electrical engineer with nearly 30 years’ consulting experience. The majority of his career to date has been spent with Kingston Morrison and its successor organisations Sinclair Knight Merz and Jacobs Engineering, where most recently he was leading Jacob’s Industry division.  He has significant major projects and overseas experience, including working in Kenya, Indonesia and Australia as well as throughout New Zealand. At Ergo, Mark will provide high level advice, particularly on safety issues, to existing and new clients with assets in the power, water, transport and primary industries sectors.

Mark O'Brien

Management Accountant

Mark O’Brien joined Ergo Consulting in November 2016 as Management Accountant overseeing the company’s financial affairs. It’s a diverse role, not only handling the day to day accounting responsibilities, but also working alongside the operational team on project financial reviews. Mark, a Chartered Accountant, has a background in the construction industry with some of New Zealand’s largest construction and infrastructure companies. He recently returned to NZ after a number of years working in the Petro-Chemical finance sector in the Middle East.

Suzanne Callesen

Office Administrator

Suzanne has been involved in Administration for many years in a variety of industries. She has three teenage children and enjoys living near and exercising around Cornwall Park/One Tree Hill.

Shalini Bhandari

Office Administrator

Ali Shackell

Human Resources

Ali has worked in a number of industries at a senior level and provides the full range of HR services to Ergo; from strategic HR direction and planning to operational day to day consultancy, advice and support. Ali is keenly interested in facilitating a culture where transformation and change are possible through initiatives that enable an engaged and high performing workforce. Outside of work Ali enjoys time with family and friends and can be spotted out and about walking up Mt Eden or One Tree Hill – or in a local cafe

Mark Tomkins

Team Leader - Strategic Consulting

Mark is a chartered professional electrical engineer with nearly 30 years’ consulting experience. The majority of his career to date has been spent with Kingston Morrison and its successor organisations Sinclair Knight Merz and Jacobs Engineering, where most recently he was leading Jacob’s Industry division.  He has significant major projects and overseas experience, including working in Kenya, Indonesia and Australia as well as throughout New Zealand. At Ergo, Mark will provide high level advice, particularly on safety issues, to existing and new clients with assets in the power, water, transport and primary industries sectors.