Our People
Don is an experienced Executive Search and Management Consultancy practitioner with more than fourteen years experience in the sector. Don was a former commercial law Partner with both Simpson Grierson and Chapman Tripp, and originally a Partner of Patent Attorney firm Baldwins. Don brings in-depth commercial experience across a range of industries. In particular, he has a strong background in the fields of Information Technology, Intellectual Property, and Brand Marketing. Don moved into the Executive Search profession in 1995, identifying the opportunity to migrate the consultative business skills of corporate law into the Executive Search sector. He has helped identify and appoint hard-to-find leaders in sectors as diverse as Agribusiness, Distribution, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Services, Technology, Transportation and Utilities. Having achieved considerable success on his own account, Don established the New Zealand business of Swann Group in late 1999, before cofounding SEQEL. Don is also a Director of several private companies and community organisations. Importantly, Don has established a reputation in New Zealand for achieving outstanding results in Leadership Transition interventions for successful privately owned New Zealand businesses. He has a LLB from Victoria University and is a qualified Patent Attorney.
Mark Ashcroft is a highly experienced Executive Search professional with over twelve years experience in the executive recruitment sector. Before cofounding SEQEL, Mark spent eight years with Korn/Ferry Futurestep, most recently leading the company’s Executive Search practice in New Zealand. Previously he ran Futurestep’s Australian Technology and Professional Services Practice during four years in Sydney. Mark’s early career was spent with Lion Nathan, gaining functional and line management experience in Retail, Operations, Marketing and Trade Marketing as part of Lion’s Graduate Development Scheme, before a period with Sheffield Consulting Group. He has assisted numerous organisations ranging from “blue chip” corporates to start up companies with the appointment of senior executives. Mark has particular expertise in the Information Technology, Retail, Consumer Marketing, Industrial Services and Professional Services sectors. Additionally Mark has completed a number of major assessment and confidential research/benchmarking projects for clients in Australia or New Zealand. Mark holds BCom and BA degrees from the University of Auckland, having majored in Marketing, Human Resources and Geography. He has previously represented New Zealand in windsurfing, as well as competing in many endurance events including numerous marathons, three New Zealand Ironmans and the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii.
David Sixton
Chairman & Advisory Partner
David Sixton is an experienced and widely respected professional Director and business mentor. He has a wealth of governance experience, either as Chairman or Non Executive Director of a number of sizable privately owned businesses. As Chief Executive, David most recently led the Building Products Group within Fletcher Challenge, a business with 1500 employees and revenues approaching $NZ 1 billion. Prior to his time with Fletcher, he held a range of General Management and senior marketing roles with Alex Harvey Industries after commencing his career in the accountancy field. David is an Associate Chartered Accountant and has completed a number of offshore executive development programmes.
Dr. Rick Boven
Advisory Partner
Rick is the Director of the New Zealand Institute. He is a longstanding Director of ASB Bank and Chairman of Wellington Drive Technologies. Rick was previously an independent strategy consultant and founding partner of The Boston Consulting Group in New Zealand. He has over twenty-five years experience developing business strategies and helping organisations implement those strategies. His clients have included leading companies in Australia, New Zealand and the USA in a wide range of industries including Financial Services, Industrial Distribution, Energy, Telecommunications, Manufacturing, Luxury Goods Retailing, Agriculture, and Information Technology. Rick has post-graduate qualifications and work experience in social science, business and environment management. He has a PhD from the University of Auckland in Environment Management. Rick provides occasional high level strategic advice to a select group of SEQEL’s clients
Kim Ellis
Advisory Partner
Kim Ellis is a widely experienced Chief Executive best known for his 13 years at the helm of one of NZ's most successful listed companies, Waste Management NZ Ltd, culminating in the company's sale in 2006 for a valuation in excess of $NZ 1 billion. During his tenure Waste Management produced compound annual earnings growth in excess of 20% , completed in excess of 40 acquisitions and built a successful business in Australia. His earlier CEO appointments, dating back to 1978, covered a number of market sectors including health, manufacturing, distribution, transport, property, agriculture and fashion. Since 2006 Kim has been building a governance portfolio. He is currently Chair of private equity held MetroGlasstech and Envirowaste Services and listed Seeka Kiwifruit, as well as director of listed Salvus Strategic Investments and privately held Tasman Tanning. He is also a member of the Trust Board of St Cuthbert's College. Kim has first class honours degrees in Chemical Engineering and Economics.
Emmet Hobbs
Advisory Partner
Emmet Hobbs is a Company Director, Consultant and Advisory Board Chairman. He retired from executive management in 2003 after nine years as an Executive Director for Brambles in Australia and Europe. Prior to joining Brambles, Emmet worked with both Qantas and Australian Airlines as Director of Freight. In the early 1980’s, Emmet successfully took a number of private companies public including Genestock New Zealand, an agricultural genetic engineering business. He also consulted to ABC Containerline to break the monopoly for shipping from New Zealand held by the Conference lines, reducing freight rates in some commodities by half. Emmet is currently a Director of Mainfreight Limited, Ports of Auckland Limited, Auckland Regional Holdings and Rakino Ltd (owner of Hirepool). He is also a facilitator with University of Auckland Business School and a Consultant to Brambles Australia. He is Chairman of the Advisory Boards of several private companies with interests in agriculture and waste recycling. Emmet has a MA in Political Science from the University of Canterbury.
Greg Peacocke
Advisory Associate
Greg is a Management Consultant and Independent Director who has a range of consulting and corporate finance experience working primarily with large ASX/NZSE listed companies, advising Boards, CEOs and Senior Management on various growth initiatives, investment, divestment and M&A transactions. Greg has also provided leadership in organisational restructuring and change programmes, and undertaken international capital raising and debt funding activities for a number of private companies. Greg has an MA Social and Political Sciences from Cambridge University United Kingdom and LLB and BCom from Otago University. Greg was an All Black Sevens player in his university days.
Laurie is an experienced executive search and recruitment professional who works with SEQEL’s Partners to facilitate the appointment of senior executives. A qualified Chartered Accountant, Laurie gained experience in a wide variety of sectors including CA practices, manufacturing, tourism and travel, where he held various accounting, financial and general management roles, before entering the executive search market.
As an Associate at SEQEL, Amy project manages the execution of executive searches in conjunction with the firm’s Partners. Amy has worked in the executive recruitment and search market for around 5 years and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Politics from Victoria University.
