Competent Kiwi

Company Associates

John Delany – Director

John spent 24 years in the Police - the last ten of these years as Officer in Charge. One of John’s responsibilities was to train his staff to attain their permanent appointment exams - a process that took two years. As well, he has developed and implemented Search and Rescue training programs in several provincial centres.

For the last 12 years John has been actively engaged as a Health and Safety training consultant in a range of businesses. He is a registered assessor with the NZITO.

In particular, John has been involved in delivering training in the Logging Industry developing procedures for Loading/Unloading, Gantry use, and Skid Site behaviour. He was also contracted to the new Carter Holt Harvey joint venture (D.M.S.) to train both truck drivers and loader operators throughout the Central North Island, in dispatching, stock control systems and Mobile Data Terminal use.

John was a member of the Log Transport Safety Council that reviewed and presented a new National Certificate in Log Transport. He has been responsible for developing and delivering training for on the job Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment/Cost Justification, Accident Incident Reporting, Stress and Fatigue and in workshop machinery such as Press Brake machines, Plasma Cutters and Industrial Guillotines. He has also been involved over the last fifteen years and still is involved with construction companies that fabricate and erect steel, and civil construction work, largely in motorway development and specialist retaining wall construction. John has also developed a CD Rom for Risk Assessment and Cost Evaluation.

Over the last two years John has been moderating trainers and their material in and out of the classroom.

The evolution of Competent Kiwi has been influenced by John’s strong belief that only through quality-driven, relevant training will accidental death and injury statistics in the workplace be reduced.

Barry Delany - Associate

Barry has a double major degree in Economics and Marketing from Waikato University. Barry has had an extensive career in Transport for over 20 years. He spent 10 years at the general management level of middle-sized companies with up to 100 staff These companies were involved in specialised transport (Refrigerated trucking), heavy vehicle leasing and renting and heavy vehicle maintenance and engineering.

For the last four years Barry has been the CEO of the Lake Taupo Development Company, which is the economic development agency for the Taupo District Council. Barry has worked with most industry sectors and with key regional players in the education and training sector.

Barry takes a lead in marketing and business direction for Competent Kiwi.

Paora James Mato - Trustee

Paora has an extensive background with FITEC, the NZ Industry Training Organisation (ITO) that supports the Forest Industries. He was an accredited Assessor in Wood Panelling before joining the ITO in 1999 as a Regional Training Advisor, and was responsible for the Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Manawatu and Wellington regions.

Later, as National Training Manager, Paora implemented regional accountabilities and moved the Regional Advisors into managerial roles. He implemented the infrastructures necessary to roll-out government initiatives (such as the Modern Apprentice Program and Work-Safe) and to add quality to general industry training. The resulting increases in trainee numbers, attainments and completions grew the ITO to the largest in New Zealand.

Paora was instrumental in implementing tailored processes and computerised reporting systems within FITEC that enabled real time monitoring and management of regional and national training outcomes. He was also the process expert during the initial stages of securing the current partnership platform for structured training in Sarawak, Malaysia.

Following the relocation of the ITO, Paora returned to the University of Waikato to undertake studies in Te Reo Maori.

He has recently returned from Lancaster University, England where he completed the final requirements for his Bachelor of Science in the specific area of Applied Computing, and in doing so also completed a Graduate Diploma in Maori and Pacific Development.

He is currently studying towards a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Project Planning and Management and Tikanga Maori.

Paora will be driving the processes and systems of Competent Kiwi Limited, primarily in the moderation sector, to ensure training will have the best quality outcomes.

William Atkinson – Associate

William trained as an agricultural engineer (BAgrSc Massey, Master of Applied Science, (Hons), Canterbury,). His Master’s thesis (1987) investigated the

engineering abilities needed by successful NZ orchardists in the 1990s as a basis for curriculum development. He has spent more than 30 years as an academic or consultant in this field.

William has held a range of senior posts: at the Highlands Agricultural College, Mt. Hagen, Papua New Guinea; Lincoln University, Canterbury New Zealand and the University of the South Pacific, Alafua Campus, Samoa. He was Head of Department, Agriculture, Horticulture and Equine Studies at The Waikato Polytechnic.

For the last eight years he has been an Injury Prevention Consultant in the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) with a special commitment to the rural industries. He has extensive health and safety systems auditing experience.

William also holds a Certificate in Health and Safety Management (With Merit) from EMA and the Applied GROWSAFE Certificate. He holds a full Certified Practicising Agriculturalist (CPAg) status from the New Zealand Institute of Agricultural Science. He has been a full member of The American Society of Agricultural Engineers since 1976.

He wrote the ACC publication Reducing Injuries in the Rural Environment for which the ASAE awarded him their Blue Ribbon for Outstanding Educational Resources. He has numerous other peer reviewed papers and technical journal publications.

William has completed consultancies in Indonesia, China, Fiji and the wider South Pacific region for international agencies including ADB, FAO and USAID.

In several of his postings William has had specific responsibilities for training and evaluating teaching staff.

Along with his professional activities, from 1988 to 2004 William owned and developed a four hectare avocado and tamarillo orchard at Glenbrook producing export fruit.

William adds considerable depth and strength from which the team can draw.

Lauri Russell – Associate

Lauri is a specialist in career development and assessment. She has worked in this capacity as an independent consultant over the past ten years with a range of organisations including ACC, MSD, NZQA, and Meat and Water Industries. Lauri has completed a range of qualifications as an adult distance learner including a BA (Psychology) and a Graduate Diploma in Training and Development from Massey University.

She is also a qualified Early Childhood teacher. She is qualified to assess and deliver formal vocational and learning assessments and profiles, and is a registered test user with NZCER.

Lauri is an independent workplace assessor with PSTO and NZITO, and has on the job assessment experience in both public and manufacturing industries. She is approved to assess by Professional Conversation through Competency International Ltd.

Lauri’s industry experience as an assessor in the workplace and her drive for quality fit the values of Competent Kiwi.

Fiona Brown – Associate

Fiona has a Bachelor of Social Science and a Certificate in Teaching (Adult Education) from the University of Waikato where she specialized in Adult Learning concepts and planning learning opportunities for adults Fiona also studied Labour Market Structures and Policies as well as New Zealand Industrial Relations and the Political Economy of Labour.

For the last ten years Fiona has been an Advocate with the EPMU. More recently she has been heavily involved in the CTU’s nationwide training of Health & Safety Representatives.

Fiona has an excellent reputation with industry as an advocate that is only matched by her integrity.

Membership enquiries:
either through the Competent Kiwi website: www.competentkiwi.co.nz or
directly to John Delany: john@competentkiwi.co.nz

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