Management team

We know our success rests on gaining and maintaining client relationships long term. Our entire team is dedicated to delivery with integrity, as agreed, every time.

Since 2002, Paul Smith Earthmoving has grown from 15 full-time employees to over 180 in-house staff. We’ve successfully developed the necessary systems to become a leading player in New Zealand’s civil construction industry.

Jacques Marais
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Jacques is our CFO with extensive international experience in finance and accounting. As CFO, he ensures our internal financial management meets all company and statutory requirements. Jacques works alongside our project managers to ensure monthly contract claims include accurate recording of information relating to labour, plant, materials and subcontractors.

Ryan Tinnelly
Christchurch Branch Manager
Ryan’s our branch manager in Christchurch with over 15 years of international construction and electrical trade experience. With a strong collaborative leadership style and keen attention to H&S practices, Ryan manages a high-performing team of 70+ staff to deliver successful civil construction projects across Canterbury. Ryan’s organisational skills and commitment to delivering durable, cost-efficient, quality assets has earned him a strong reputation complete with a growing cohort of repeat clients.

Richard Hope
Project Manager
Richard brings over 8 years of experience in water infrastructure maintenance, stormwater/drainage, earthworks, road engineering, and surveyance, alongside project management. As a leader, Richard’s effective communication style and hands-on approach ensures his teams are well equipped with astute technical advice and clear directions to deliver high-quality projects safely, on time, and on budget.

Cameron Moir
Project Manager
Cameron is a project manager based in our Timaru branch with over 15 years of extensive civil industry experience, including both commercial and residential works. Cameron’s early work as an operator means he understands what can be achieved in a day, and ensures resourcing matches project requirements. Every project benefits from Cameron’s first-hand knowledge of the supply chain and local subcontractor market, allowing for increasingly accurate pricing. With in-depth knowledge of heavy machinery, alongside robust H&S, Cameron’s created an exemplary safety record.

Mark Shaw
Project Director
Mark first began his career as an operator at Paul Smith Earthmoving in 2002. With over 13 years of experience in Australasia’s construction and mining industries, Mark developed supervisory and management skills on a range of large-scale projects. Mark’s highly skilled in managing pricing, resourcing, day-to-day execution and multidisciplinary teams for civil construction projects. With extensive experience in roading, earthworks and drainage.

Matt McKeown
Project Manager
Matt’s one of our long-standing project managers in Timaru with over 15+ years of project management experience. Matt worked his way up through our residential and commercial civil construction divisions by combining his technical know-how with a demonstrated capacity for client and stakeholder engagement. Matt’s ability to deliver projects with tight budgets, or schedules, while upholding health, safety and quality assurance ensures successful delivery.

Abbe Tinnelly
HR Manager
Abbe’s our Human Resources (HR) manager with over 12 years of experience with Paul Smith Earthmoving. Abbe’s responsible for hiring, and onboarding, as well as overseeing employee contracts, training, and development for over 180+ staff. Abbe’s excellent interpersonal and operational skills, high emotional intelligence, deep understanding of the business, and ability to have difficult conversations set her apart.

Nigel Scannell
Transport Manager
Nigel’s our transport manager in Timaru with over 30 years of experience in mechanical engineering. Since 2020, Nigel’s been responsible for coordinating drivers, operators, trucks, diggers and other plant to our many projects across South Canterbury, while promoting a strong health and safety culture. Nigel’s ability to effectively communicate with operators and drivers ensures he gets the best out of his team at all times.

Shijoh Thomas
Civil Engineer
Shijoh’s one of our qualified civil engineers working from head office in Timaru. With a deep understanding of the technical and practical aspects of civil engineering, Shijoh brings solid expertise in construction disciplines, including traffic management, surveyance, quality assurance and developing methodologies. With a strong understanding of NZ construction standards, as well as Health and Safety compliance, Shijoh effectively coordinates day-to-day project efficiencies.

Adela Aillaud
Health & Safety Advisor
Adela’s our H&S advisor with an excellent understanding of New Zealand’s H&S regulatory requirements. Our company-wide safety planning, inductions, H&S training, and toolbox meetings are driven by Adela’s commitment to zero harm. Our company-wide safety first policy is strengthened by Adela’s ability to plan ahead, reduce risk and install robust systems and processes on every project.

Anthony Wills
Senior Project Manager
Anthony’s one of our top project managers in Christchurch with over 15 years of experience in project management. With a background in civil engineering, Anthony’s focused on water and transport infrastructure, where he’s developed a reputation for safe, quality delivery that’s on time and on budget.

Gary Goodfellow
Drainage Manager
Gary’s our drainage manager in Timaru with over 40 years of experience in civil infrastructure. As a qualified welder and drainage expert, Gary’s been involved in 120+ water and road infrastructure projects across New Zealand, including water, sewer and stormwater network upgrades. Fully versed in construction of water reticulation systems, trenchless technologies and water structures, Gary’s taken on a mentoring role to bring up the next generation of drainlayers and water infrastructure builders. Health and Safety is a huge focus and Gary’s achieved zero harm targets on all of his projects to date.

Illara Parsons
Quantity Surveyor/Tender Coordinator
Illara’s our qualified in-house quantity surveyor and contracts administrator based in Timaru. With extensive experience in the Australasian construction industry, Illara’s heavily involved in ensuring we meet our commercial requirements, including developing accurate schedules of quantities for all civil projects, as well as reviewing contracts throughout all phases of construction. With a keen eye for detail and the ability to coordinate new business opportunities, such as tender submissions with tight timeframes, Illara thrives in the commercial negotiation space.

Daniel Lyons
Project Manager
Daniel brings over 15+ years of experience in civil construction projects and management. His ability to manage several projects at once, often with multidisciplinary teams within busy urban environments set him apart. Daniel understands the importance of compliance with all health, safety, environmental and quality (HSEQ) standards on civil projects, and his track record to date has been exemplary.

Having completed over 40+ major construction, roading, earthworks, and three water infrastructure projects in his career, Daniel has enhanced his reputation as technically skilled in civil engineering disciplines. This includes programming, earthworks operations, managing site works, contract management and road construction as well as irrigation works.

“Paul Smith Earthmoving have provided civil contracting services to Netcon over a long period. The Management and staff have provided a very good service, are responsive and meet our Health and Safety requirements with their work delivered in a value creating way. We will continue to use Paul Smith Earthmoving in line with our procurement policy and would not hesitate to recommend them to other potential customers if asked to do so.”

Steve McCoy
Chief Executive Officer
Netcon

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