Our Management Team
No successful company is complete without a great team; here at Smart Environmental we have an experienced, loyal and skilled team who are committed to the same goals as its shareholder and Managing Director. We have a range of very qualified and experienced people who ‘do what they say they will’.
Blair Griffiths
General Manager North Island – MBA, PGDM, BPRM
Blair is Smart Environmental’s Chief Operating Officer. He has over 24 years experience in infrastructure contracting and has worked on open space contracts in New Zealand, United Kingdom and America. He is a strong relationship builder, who strives to find the best solutions for clients, the community and the environment. Blair as a member of the company’s Senior Management Team, is responsible for leading the development and execution of Smart Environmental’s long term strategy and all day-to-day management decisions.
Brent Murgatroyd
Financial Controller – BCom, CA
Brent has been with the company since 2008 and holds complete oversight of Smart’s finances. A commercially-astute Financial Controller, Brent provides commercial, financial and business leadership to ensure Smart continues to meet its growth targets. Brent is a forward-thinking and mission-orientated individual with over 30 years’ fiscal and operational knowledge. A pivotal member of the Senior Management Team, Brent brings over 30-years financial experience, astute commercial and strategic judgement, innovation, superior intellect and decisiveness skills to the team.
Benjamin Day
General Manager Digital and Marketing – MBA, MPhil, BAv
Ben has joined Smart Environmental in early 2017 after a decade in senior roles within local government. His last role was as Deputy Chief Executive of the Thames-Coromandel District Council where he was responsible for the Council’s Infrastructure Group, Community Services, Project Centre, Communications and Marketing, Customer Services, Digital Strategy and ICT and Economic Development. Ben leads the Tauranga and Auckland kerbside contracts and the Digital Team at Smart Environmental. He is a member of the Senior Management Team and undertakes special projects to improve business and customer outcomes.
Lee Babe
General Manager South Island
Lee has recently joined the Smart team, as the South Island Manager. Previously CEO of Nelmac he comes from 20 years of contracting experience ranging from Parks and Reserves to Solid and Special Waste. His career to date has been characterised by one of strong leadership, business development/growth, relationship building, and the restructuring of businesses to achieve optimal and sustainable earnings, all within a complex and high risk operating environment. Lee has worked on all facets of business from HR, H&S, financial and business development within multiple markes to retail, commercial, local and central government departments.
Judi Sefton
National Commercial Manager
Judi is a seasoned Executive with Governance experience, including a background of Operations, Business Development, Acquisitions, and Change Management. From the USA to New Zealand, and a brief time in Australia. Judi has a strong understanding of financial P&L management, health and safety, effective leadership, strategic planning, operational excellence and customer service ethos, and has ample experience in the Waste, Recycling, and Transport industries couple with Governance experience as a Director in private and public partnership Boards along with not for profit Boards. Judi leads the Commercial operations at Smart Environmental and is a member of the Senior Management Team.
Layne Sefton
Regional Manager – Central
Layne leads the teams responsible for the Commercial and Council kerbside recycling and rubbish collections for Thames Coromandel District Council, Matamata Piako District Council, Hauraki District Council and Waipa District Council. He is also responsible for the Parks and Reserves Contract for Thames-Coromandel District Council.
Ben Masters
Parks & Reserves Manager Tauranga – DipEnvMgt
Ben joined us in 2013. He loves working in the outdoors, and has a genuine passion for high quality horticultural and arboricultural practices. Prior to joining Smart Environmental, Ben completed his Diploma in Environmental Management. He has a high level of interest in staff training and personal development. Ben has a positive attitude and can relate well to many staff and clients. He brings these skills with him and helps to create a progressive, forward thinking, and driven team.
Scott Brown
Rotorua Area Manager
Scott joined us in June 2017 where he had been Area Manager for NZ’s largest locally owned scrap metal Recycling company based in the Waikato/Bay of Plenty for 16 months. Prior to that position he was Managing a Waste Company who he had been employed with for the last 15 years, previous to that he worked for the Justice Department in the Courts Division also for 15 years. He has experience in and sales and management, strategic planning, and business development. He brings with him a desire to succeed and an emphasis on business improvement and ensuring we make the Smart Environmental experience a positive one for all of our customers and stakeholders.
Tim Hodgson
Commercial & Upper West Coast Manager – Dip. Police Studies
Tim’s primary objective at Smart is to manage and grow all company business interest in the Upper West Coast area, while also maintaining oversight of his previously managed area of the Manawatu/Rangitikei districts. Tim has been with Smart Environmental since 2010. Prior to this Tim worked in operational and intelligence analysis roles within NZ Police and Ministry of Fisheries for over 15 years. He is also a trade qualified engineer and builder. Tim has strong organisational and leadership qualities with a focus on quality customer service and contract management.
Yuri Schokking
South Island Operations Manager – B.Eng
Yuri oversees Smart’s operations in the South Island. He is also directly responsible for the current Tasman contract and our new Buller District operations (commercial acquisitions, building of a MRF in Westport and Nelson and the commencement of our new 10 year Buller District Council contract). Yuri has a BE (Forestry) and has significant senior management experience including management of up to several hundred staff and contractors. He has very strong operational, compliance, logistical and technical skills.
Ricci Peyroux
Queenstown Area Manager – Dip. Man
Ricci’s role is to manage Smart’s business interests in Queenstown Lakes district. He has a background of over 20 years’ experience in manufacturing and operations management. In the past 10 years he has been involved with the waste and recycling industry, ranging from contract management of kerbside collections to managing a state of the art materials recovery facility. He has been involved in product development and continuous improvement programmes and is proficient with health and safety, quality, and contract performance management. Ricci has a strong commercial focus and is involved in the sales and marketing of commercial services, event management and trading of commodities offshore.
Jason Harvey
Compliance Manager – BSc(Tech), CPIM
Jason is responsible for the development and maintenance of Smart Environmental’s effective compliance systems in health and safety, quality, environmental and fleet management. Jason has extensive experience in supply chain and operations management in the manufacturing and recycling industries including in-house Compliance, Health, Safety and Environmental systems, Project Management and Quality Systems.
Murray Pharaoh
National Fleet Manager
Murray is Smart Environmental’s National Fleet Manager. He comes to us from Kopine, where he was Engineering Manager for 5yrs bringing with him knowledge in plant systems and maintenance, and asset management. Prior to this he was CEO of Pacific Engineering for two years, where he managed strategic processes and programs, and conducting negotiations and presentations at the most senior Government and Corporate levels in New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, and Samoa eventually progressing to Pacific Area Manager and relocating to Samoa where he spent a further 5yrs. Murray also spent extensive time in the NZ Defence force, having held a number of positions in the RNZAF, where he developed invaluable leadership and management skills.
Jonny Dick
Bay of Plenty Area Manager
Jonny joined Smart Environmental in 2017 looking after Tasman operations, late 2018 moved north to support a new Tauranga contract. Bringing a range of skills developed in a career of ski area management and earth moving including sales, management and operations. He takes pride in building relationships with clients, suppliers and staff.
Gary Bartlett
Parks and Reserves Manager, Thames-Coromandel
Gary is responsible for the current Thames Coromandel Parks and Reserves Contract. Having been with Smart since 2000 Gary has worked his way up from hands on parks operations to manager. He has a high focus on integrity and community, while growing Smart’s opportunities through partnering with Local Council, Companies and Event Management. Gary has 18 years’ prior experience in production manufacturing, coupled with 15 years in general parks maintenance operations which range from chemical applications, turf and traffic management to sanitation and general horticulture. The industry experience is also utilised to support other Open Space management operations within Smart and to foster the Health and Safety focus of the company