Our People

I founded the Pōkeno Whisky Company with a vision to help put New Zealand on the map as a whisky producing nation; and to use all of our experience to create some of the world's greatest single malts.

This is a passion project, and I am fortunate to have alongside me a team of equally passionate and creative people. We are all incredibly dedicated, and we craft our spirit with no compromise or shortcuts.

More importantly we have a lot of fun while living out our dream.

Deciding to build our own distillery to celebrate the fantastic natural attributes of this wonderful country is the adventure of our lives. From the rugged beauty of its landscapes to the community spirit of its people, New Zealand is a truly inspiring place to call home. I am so happy that we can now share a taste of this most magical place through our wonderful single malts. Welcome to the adventure!

From helping my grandfather make wine as a young boy, I developed a love for brewing and distilling, which developed from a passion into a profession. As a proud son of the mighty Waikato, I am stoked to be able to pursue both here at Pokeno so close to home.

Having followed in my Father’s footsteps, I too trained to become an experienced cooper. This age-old tradition involves building and rejuvenating wooden casks to mature whisky. I am delighted to be re-introducing this unique craft back into New Zealand, and helping the team to distil our fantastic single malts.

I joined the Pokeno team in 2026. My passion for whisky meant that I had been telling people to drink Pokeno long before I was lucky enough to be part of the team. Nothing excites me more than having the opportunity to introduce these incredible single malts to the rest of New Zealand and beyond.

I joined the Pōkeno Whisky Company in 2024 as their Global Sales Manager. Having spent the last 18 years working in the alcohol industry growing my knowledge and passion, I feel fortunate to be able combine two of my great passions in representing and sharing New Zealand whisky with the world.

Having worked closely with small businesses across a wide range of industries, I’m passionate about creating clear systems, maintaining compliance, and ensuring the financial side of the business runs smoothly behind the scenes. I feel incredibly fortunate to combine my love of working with people and numbers in an industry built on craftsmanship, heritage, and innovation.