Meet the Speakers
CEO
Volumetric Building Companies
Vaughan Buckley
Vaughan Buckley is a global business leader, sought after speaker, and entrepreneur Vaughan founded Volumetric Building Companies in 2009 and has led its expansion into a global powerhouse in the industrialized construction industry over the past 14 years. More than $2B in projects have been constructed utilizing modules designed, manufactured or assembled under Vaughan’s direction. Vaughan recently led the team at Volumetric Building Companies through a series of successful acquisitions including a substantial portion of Katerra’s global assets, acquisition of the Polcom Group in Europe & the UK, and the purchase of the former Deluxe
Modular factory in Berwick, Pennsylvania – creating one of the largest, vertically integrated volumetric construction technology companies in the world.
Thomas Kaestner
Thomas is German carpenter and Civil Engineer. The last 18 years he worked in the New Zealand construction industry and has delivered several award winning timber buildings. Thomas primarily worked for main contractors and has accumulated significant experience in offsite manufactured mass and light timber structures. He is passionate about Lean Construction techniques and tirelessly works on improving the productivity of the local industry. Thomas now works for Hector Egger New Zealand in the heart of the South Island. The Swiss based company is a disruptor in the New Zealand construction market, delivering high performance offsite manufactured light timber framed structures for residential and commercial projects. Thomas has been their Operations Manager since the beginning and is passionate about the quality and precision of the Hector Egger solution.
Operations Manager
Hector Egger
Founder & Director
Higgs Building Co
Shaun Higgins
Shaun Higgins is the founder and Director of Higgs Building Co, a building company specialising in innovative building techniques for energy-efficient homes. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Shaun is a recognized leader in SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels) construction and a certified Passive House Tradesperson.
Under his leadership, Higggs Building Co has grown to a team of 10 staff, driven by a committment to quality, sustainability and innovation. Shaun's passion lies in finding better ways to construct energy-efficient homes while fostering a culture of teamwork and prioritising staff mental well-being.
Catch Shaun Higgins at OffsiteNZ COLAB24 as he shares insights into sustainable building practices, team culture, and the future of energy-efficient construction.
Kim Aitken
Kim leads with a strong belief that housing should be affordable, scalable, sustainable and of exceptional quality, she is a passionate and relentless advocate. Kim's background in structural engineering and design underpins her deep domain expertise. Accompanying a robust technical foundation is an extensive knowledge of building science, intellectual property, and a keen understanding of systems change. Kim is an experienced consultant in the field of construction industry adaptation and transition, with a primary focus on productivity and decarbonization efforts.
Founder
Truss House NZ
GM - Strategic Relationships
Precision Construction
Rob Moule
Early in his career Rob established that he has a talent for bringing people, systems and processes together in a way that delivers outstanding results for clients. Qualified by degree as a Professional Engineer he has over 15 years in engineering, project management, business development and general management – leading and growing businesses both locally and internationally.
Rob joined Precision Construction in 2013, leveraging his strategic, commercial, technical, operational and people skills to help define and drive what Precision Construction delivers to its clients. A significant part of that has been creating and maintaining the best team, an environment where people want to work, bring the right personality and attitude, and a willingness to strive for continuous improvement.
At the heart of Rob’s values is doing what’s right for the client and Precision Constructions people, including suppliers, contractors and consultants. It’s what drives clients to engage and re-engage Precision Construction to complete their high-end builds and their ability to attract and retain great people.
Steve Mikkelsen
Steve is a visionary and proven leader, having learnt from a family of mentors in the property industry spanning four generations. Steve is committed to inspiring his team and looking for strategic opportunities in the market to ensure the business is strongly positioned through both internal growth and external opportunities and partnerships. His steadfast commitment allows our business to capitalise on changes in the economic environment providing his people with new challenges and opportunities while developing long term strategies and sustainable partnership. Steve is looking to extend our portfolio of businesses within the group with synergistic business opportunities that meet the groups growth strategies. With extensive knowledge of the property industry and a pro-active management style, Steve not only guarantees the highest standard of service but also ensures the best experience. As the Chief Executive he brings solutions, know-how, strategy and direction to our business. Steve understands that people are the key to success in any project. For him, it’s all about people, ensuring every client receives a high level of personal attention and service – the best team and the best possible advice.
Chief Executive
Property Partner
General Manager Projects & Advisory
DK Otto Ltd
Daiman Otto
Daiman has more than 20 years of experience in architecture, construction, development & innovation. Daiman founded DK Otto in 2011.
Daiman has been involved in governance, as Board Chair of Offsite NZ, as an advisor to the Construction Sector Accord & Te Uru Rakau – New Zealand Forestry, & as a commercial research partner for a National Science Challenge 11 project.
Daiman regularly speaks on podcasts, at conferences, companies & academic institutions across Australasia. In 2023, Daiman organised the Practical Innovation tour with Holmes, taking 24 people to companies & projects across San Francisco, Silicon & Central Valleys, then on to Portland to the International Mass Timber Conference.
Daiman is a graduate of RMIT University Melbourne with a B.Arch Hons (1st Class), a recipient of the prestigious Anne Butler Memorial Prize, a finalist in the Australian Timber Design Awards 2015 (Small Budget Category) & has a Certificate for Engineering Design for a Circular Economy from TU Delft.
Paul Taylor
André Heller and Ricky Frost are from Flexi House, a panelised housing system designed for mass customisation. Flexi's prototype build in 2022 serves as proof-of-concept of their innovative offsite model.
Flexi House founder André Heller saw an opportunity for innovation in the New Zealand housing market by challenging the way our country builds houses. Drawing from his experience in Product Design and Platform Design for Manufacture and Assembly (P-DfMA), principles that are common in European construction, Flexi has developed a system of standardised and repeatable building components designed to ease many of the problems faced by construction and housing in Aotearoa.
Ricky Frost is an architectural graduate of VUW with a passion for Modern Methods of Construction. He completed his Master's thesis in 2021, conducting research on robotic fabrication for carbon-negative construction. Ricky's enthusiasm for innovation and sustainability has driven his academic and professional pursuits. At Flexi House, he has gained valuable experience and knowledge in architectural design, project management and construction documentation. He was instrumental in producing drawings required for the offsite manufacture of the first Flexi House.
Founder/CEO
Architect
Flexi House
Martin Fenn
Martin Fenn, Director of Integration at PT Blink, a dynamic tech start-up in Australia and the US, also serves as the influential MMC Lead for the CIOB Oceania. With over two decades of invaluable expertise in the construction industry across the UK, New Zealand, and Australia, Martin's transition from blue collar to white collar brings a unique perspective. He drives client value through smart procurement, robust supply chain establishment, and strategic advancements in construction processes. His passion lies in enhancing our industry by fostering knowledge sharing and meaningful professional connections.
Director, Integration
PT Blink
Sam Stubbs
Sam Stubbs is the CEO of Simplicity. Prior to this, he was the CEO Of Tower Investments, a KiwiSaver default provider. Before that he was Managing Director of Hanover Group, and spent 10 years working for Goldman Sachs in London and Hong Kong. He previously worked for Natwest Markets, Fay, Richwhite and IBM New Zealand.
He has been a Board Member of the Financial Services Council, and a member of the Government Taskforce on Financial Services.
Sam has an MA (Hons) from the University of Auckland.
Managing Director
Simplicity (NZ) Ltd
Daiman Otto
Daiman Otto has expertise in timber/mass timber systems, from nano-scale minimal waste DIY structures through to multi-level MassTimber residential buildings (CLT, GLT, LVL).
Demonstrated through design, exhibition, physical prototyping, pilot and market projects over 9 years, 18 years overall experience, and focused on affordability and accessibility. Daiman has in-depth experience in offsite manufacturing, DfMA, product and assembly strategy, management & governance.
Head of Product
MULTIKit
Antony Pelosi
Dr Pelosi is a general specialist who has an impressive ability to identify critical issues and represent a positive change through a holistic sustainable design led approach. His passion is designing in a manner aimed at improving the wellbeing of how people live, by investigating innovative techniques and methods of designing.
He is a director of AMPD research lab, advanced manufacture and prototyping for design. His design-led research practice draws on multiple information systems and design processes significant to interior architecture, architecture, and improving construction quality.
Director
Innovation Workshop NZ
Group Manager Precision Agriculture Sciences
Armin Werner
Armin has a background in agronomy, crop modeling and sustainable development of land use. He gained his PhD at the University of Bonn and worked as Postdoc at Michigan State University. Prior to joining Lincoln Agritech, Dr Armin Werner was the Director of the Institute of Land Use Systems (ZALF) in Germany for a number of years.
Armin specialises in novel agricultural production systems with a strong focus on precision agriculture (PA); exploring the economic and environmental as well as managerial impacts of new technologies for primary industries and land use. His work has led him to create strong linkages and collaboration projects between various scientific disciplines and sectors including academic institutions, researchers and farmers.
Lincoln Agritech Ltd
Bryce Glover
Bryce Glover is the National Sales and Marketing Manager at HouseMe, with 15 years of Sales Management experience, and an extensive track record in high-performance, high-growth environments.
He joined HouseMe in April 2018, intending to scale up and grow the brand successfully. With qualifications in two separate trades, the building and construction sector has always been a natural fit.
At HouseMe, Bryce is responsible for creating opportunities that significantly increase revenue.
National Sales & Marketing Manager
HouseMe
Andrew Moore
Andrew brings to CMP Construction over 35 years of experience in the construction industry sector after beginning his career as a quantity surveyor in the 1980s. Prior to joining CMP, Andrew excelled in commercial management of large-scale projects with Hawkins Construction and Mainzeal Construction. He also directed his own company, Vision Interiors, which was recognised in the Deloitte’s Fast 50 awards in 2007 and 2011. It's Andrew's responsibility to ensure that CMP Construction has robust contracts and that solid relationships are nurtured and maintained with CMP’s consultants, developers, banks, staff, sub-contractors and suppliers. He is the driving force behind CMP projects achieving a successful completion.
Commercial Manager
CMP Construction
Craig Kellington
Craig Kellington is the Managing Director at Smart Solution Homes, a company designing, building and installing pre-finished homes throughout the upper North Island.
After 10 years in the renovation industry, and with growing media talk about the need to build more houses, coupled with a real lack of skilled labour to select from, Craig's vision was to work smarter, not harder, and, in early 2017, the concept of Smart Solution Homes was born.
Originally from Scotland, Craig is a fully qualified carpenter/builder. He ran a successful renovation business for 8 years which was sold to put full effort into Smart Solution Homes.
Craig is focused on cost-effectiveness, sustainability, affordable housing and social development projects.
Managing Director
Smart Solution Homes
Nico Patchay
Nico is a building compliance expert with a unique perspective gained from his experience in both design and compliance. He holds an Architectural Technologist qualification and has earned commercial and residential New Zealand assessor competency and is a recognized speaker at conferences and events, sharing his insights with industry professionals and advocates for modular construction. Nico is a member of the Architectural Designers New Zealand and the New Zealand Green Building Council. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, playing golf, following motorsport and exploring architecture.
Technical Manager
Niche Modular
Jane Henley
Jane is on a mission to improve the performance of the building and construction sector.
She has been a pioneer in driving system transformation across the sector for the past 15 years.
She has spent the last 10 years working internationally across sustainability, innovation, and impact investment. Since returning to Aotearoa she has led the Off Site Manufacturing (OSM) Strategy with KiāngaOra and developed a Cross Government Agency Collaboration on OSM.
Innovation and creativity are essential in finding ways to improve our systems and supersede outdated modes of operating. Jane is an expert facilitator and embraces neuroscience and cutting-edge methods to tap into our human potential.
Transformation Lead - Innovation
Construction Sector Accord
Principal Specialist Building Surveyor
Auckland Council
Jock Hyde
Jock started his career in the New Zealand construction sector in the Hawkes Bay, serving his apprenticeship as a carpenter.
This led to establishing his own construction firm in 2000 that was involved in commercial and residential construction, becoming a member of the New Zealand Master Builders Federation and building award winning residential work.
An opportunity arose in late 2006 to become involved in building control, and as someone who always wanted to understand the ‘why’ before the ‘how’ we do things, Jock took up a position as a building inspector, going on to attain the National Diploma in Building Surveying as well as moving to Auckland to further his career.
In the past 12 years Jock has overseen all building consent authority functions of a Building Consent Authority, as well as those run by the larger Territorial Authority that relate to compliance of buildings in other aspects.
Moving to Auckland has seen Jock become the Principal Specialist for the Auckland Region for the inspections side of the Building Consent Authority, contributing to the business unit and community to help ensure that we achieve the purpose and goals of the Building Act 2004 for all buildings from residential to complex high-rise construction.
Jock is heavily involved in the set up and planning around the building consent process for off-site modular construction of all types, as well as advising domestic and international applicants on the options for them with offshore modular construction in the Auckland and New Zealand work space.
Amanda Nicolle
As Director of Industry Partnerships at the Ministry of Social Development, Amanda Nicolle currently leads a team that works on initiatives and strategic partnerships with industries and employers with skills and labour shortages. These relationships are used to identify the skills employers need from new employees and how programmes and services can be tailored to meet the specific requirements of their partners. The aim is to create independence through sustainable employment and careers for people across New Zealand.
Amada is a complex relationship management expert and creative thinker. And her diverse professional background in some of our most challenging and volatile industries – from fashion to racing, to now working with businesses and organisations to improve the opportunities and life outcomes for people disadvantaged in the labour market – and history with organisations of all sizes, from NGOs to SMEs, large corporates and the public sector, has given her a cross-sectional perspective and an ability to create sustainable partnerships that are tailored to the needs and objectives of each party.
Director of Industry Partnerships
Ministry of Social Development
Manager Building Policy
MBIE
Amy Moorhead
Amy is Manager Building Policy at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. The Building Policy Team provides policy advice on building performance and identifies and solves problems in the building and construction sector to support the construction of safe, healthy, durable, better quality buildings. Amy’s team also drives the extensive policy work behind the Building Law Reform programme, including the recent changes introducing a new certification scheme to provide an end-to-end compliance pathway for modular components manufactured offsite.
Prior to her current role, Amy spent four years as Director Group Operations for MBIE’s Building, Resources and Markets Group.
Amy has held a number of public sector policy and operational roles in building, construction and housing, including as private secretary to the Minister of Housing and Minister of Building and Housing. She holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours from Victoria University.
Dave Ross
Dave joined Kāinga Ora as Manager - Offsite Manufacturing in September 2021, after 45 years in the building industry.
While most of this time has been in the New Zealand market, he has also worked in the US, Asia Pacific and Australian markets.
A Chemical & Materials Engineer by qualification, he has a strong background in manufacturing products for the building and construction industry.
He joined Kāinga Ora with a desire to make a difference and a passion for housing as a basic human need. Dave joined Kāinga Ora as Manager - Offsite Manufacturing in September 2021, after 45 years in the building industry.
While most of this time has been in the New Zealand market, he has also worked in the US, Asia Pacific and Australian markets.
A Chemical & Materials Engineer by qualification, he has a strong background in manufacturing products for the building and construction industry.
He joined Kāinga Ora with a desire to make a difference and a passion for housing as a basic human need.
Manager - Offsite Manufacturing
Kāinga Ora
Technical Director
BECA
Glenn Jowett
Glenn is a Technical Director and the national lead for Digital Engineering Advisory at Beca. As an ISO 19650-2 Certified Professional, and the person responsible for leading Beca’s ISO 19650 certification in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, Glenn has a deep appreciation for the benefits of BIM and how those benefits translate to specific client requirements. Widely recognised as a thought leader in the BIM community, he regularly speaks at conferences in New Zealand and Australia, as well as writing articles for various industry publications. He is co-author of the 2014, 2016 and 2019 versions of the NZ BIM Handbook and a member of the BIMinNZ Steering Group.
Presentation:
Building Information Modelling and its application to offsite manufacturing
Glenn will give a presentation on the value of BIM in the construction sector, emerging themes and use cases, and how BIM can enable efficiencies in offsite manufacturing and assembly.
Kāinga Ora
Manager - Offsite Manufacturing
Amanda Macauley is Principal Advisor, Building System Performance at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. The Building System Performance branch provides policy and technical advice on New Zealand’s building system, and implements fit-for-purpose, performance-based building legislation and regulations to meet New Zealand’s current and future needs.
Amanda is part of the team that developed the BuiltReady modular component manufacturer scheme rules, and associated guidance, and was also responsible for the implementation of the revised CodeMark product certification scheme late last year.
She received her PhD from the University of Canterbury.
Amanda Macauley
Principal Advisor, Building Systems Performance
MBIE
Senior Regulatory Specialist
Building System Assurance
MBIE
Sophie Cunningham
Sophie Cunningham is a Senior Regulatory Specialist in the Building System Assurance team at MBIE. The Building System Assurance team is responsible for the administration and monitoring of a number of functions and schemes under the Building Act, including BuiltReady, CodeMark and MultiProof.
Sophie's predominant focus in BSA is managing the CodeMark scheme and implementing the new BuiltReady scheme. Sophie's background is in regulation and has been working in this space in BSA for over 2 years.