Our operation is built on decades of experience in business, mining and logistics.
WMS Group is a privately owned critical minerals, ports and bulk logistics business based on the West Coast of Aotearoa New Zealand.
We are leading the dawn of a multi-generational industry for the country and West Coast region.
The directors
Duncan grew up in Canterbury, with much of his early working life spent in Westland and Nelson prior to relocating with his family to Sydney in 1986. On arrival in Australia, Duncan became involved in property development with Sydney-based Hardie Pacific Limited settling its first three industrial properties in 1987. Hardie Pacific Limited later invited the New Zealand-based Goodman family to co-invest, forming Goodman Hardie Limited. The company listed on the ASX in 1995, with a $28m raising, then merged with Macquarie Industrial in 2000 to form Macquarie Goodman, a $1bn company, at which stage Duncan exited to explore private investment opportunities once again.
Duncan has subsequently been the founder of numerous companies including Apollo Gas, listed on the ASX before being taken over by Queensland based Arrow Energy to be part of the Gladstone LNG Terminal; Waterford Coal, which discovered and mapped the massive PNG Gulf coal field which was merged into ASX listed Mayur Resources; and numerous others.
Duncan’s New Zealand companies held permits and freehold land over a significant portion of Westland’s Heavy Minerals Sand deposits, which today forms the bulk of WMS deposits.
Hardie Pacific’s other New Zealand assets include the Dunedin based Smylers Gold, which holds EP’s down-dip from the Macraes Shear Zone.
Ray is proud to be Westport born and bred. Ray was an officer and fighter pilot in the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) and Royal Air Force (RAF) before embarking on a business career in NZ. After sales and marketing roles in the NZ Post Group, Ray joined the Port of Wellington where he held three GM roles, the last role involving P&L responsibility for 75% of the entire group, 100% of the operation including pilotage, tug operations, engineering & maintenance, stevedoring and commercial in bulk (cement, forestry, stock feed), containers, cruise, and vehicles. He was a director and responsible GM of a subsidiary of the port that managed bulk and container railheads, 13 daily trains and trucking connections for major importers and exporters throughout central New Zealand.
Ray has an MBA from Warwick Business School (UK) and completed his dissertation in supply chain for the forestry sector in NZ. Ray has also owned several private businesses in motel development, residential development, and aviation.
Hugh is Southland born and bred, shifting to Nelson with his family in the early 1960’s and commencing his career as an engineer in 1974. He spent several years working on expansion programs at some of the larger wood processing and pulp and paper facilities in the Central North Island before returning to Nelson and buying Brightwater Engineers in 1979.
Under Hugh’s direction and ownership, the Brightwater Group grew to employ upwards of 300 staff, with annual revenues of $100m plus. The Brightwater Group established its principle manufacturing facility on a 40,000 square meter (10 acre) site near Nelson with engineering offices in Auckland, Glenbrook, Greymouth, Melbourne, and Brisbane. The Brightwater Group subsidiary company, the Greymouth-based operation Gray Bros, is a stand-alone design and build engineering facility that has grown on the back of the coal, gold, and minerals sectors.
In October 2014, Hugh sold his interest in the Brightwater Group with the view of leaving the corporate world and focusing on significant individual opportunities with good friends and people with whom he has developed close relationships over the years, his focus and passion is in the minerals and mining industries.
Education: B Ec Memberships: CA
Richard Ash has more than 30 years of experience in funds management, finance and principal investment in Australia, Asia and the UK. Prior to forming AAP Capital to advise Family offices on investments, Mr Ash was a Managing Director, Head of Asset Finance for Developed Asia and a member of the Australian executive team for Nomura Australia. Richard is Chairman of Lakes Blue Energy (ASX). He has also worked at Westpac, Macquarie Bank and KPMG. Richard has a keen interest in decarbonisation and the associated structural change.
John’s professional journey began in 1974 at Ernst & Young, where he held various roles in New Zealand and London. Over the years, he advanced within the company, eventually becoming a Partner and Chief Executive of Ernst & Young New Zealand. Since 2007, John has been actively involved in governance positions across public, private, and community organizations while also providing strategic business consulting services.
John is an accomplished business leader with extensive experience in governance, strategic consulting, and financial management. He has held numerous prestigious board positions, demonstrating his expertise in driving successful outcomes for diverse organisations. John’s exceptional ability to navigate complex commercial issues, his sound understanding of strategy implementation, and his dedication to fostering a people-first but achievement-oriented environment makes him a highly sought-after professional. John currently sits as Chairman for the Auckland Arts Festival Trust, Biotelliga Limited and Hydraulink Group and well as a Director for various Companies.
John Judge has a proven track record of providing key strategic advice to boards and management. He possesses a comprehensive understanding of commercial issues, including strategy implementation, technology, human resources, and finance, gained from working in various industries. Throughout his career, John has effectively led merger, acquisition, and sales teams, and he is experienced in making critical governance and commercial decisions in complex situations, even with limited information.
Having worked with diverse teams with varying backgrounds and cultures, John is adept at fostering teamwork and inclusive management. He has successfully led cultural change initiatives and built high-functioning, interactive management teams. His commitment to people-first principles combined with a focus on achieving results has created a thriving and dynamic work environment.
The executives
Tim’s recent role of 8 years as the General Manager of Global Operations for Astron Corporation in the Mineral Sands and Rare Earth sector. Prior to this current role, Tim was the Registered Production Manager and Mine Manager, Bemax – Cristal Mining ‘Snapper’ and ‘Ginkgo’ Mineral Sands Mine sites in Southwestern NSW.
Tim has over 30 years of experience in various mining activities in hard rock Gold, Copper, Lead and Zinc, and Mineral Sands and Rare Earths including extractive industries across several national and international borders in Africa, America, and Asia. Developing international stakeholder and cooperation initiatives in the Rare Earth and Heavy Mineral product streams to source and supply alternate feedstocks for existing and emerging markets. With over 18 years in direct mining, supervision and operations management. Tim has achieved various Board and Business certifications, diplomas, and trade qualifications throughout his career in the mining sector.
With exposure to various global projects in design, development, approvals, marketing, and operations improvement initiatives, the appointment of Tim into the WMS team is an important phase to further contribute in the regional growth and sustainable development on the West Coast of NZ under the WMS and its associated group of companies.
Mike has over 20 years’ experience both within New Zealand and internationally, leading large and complex supply chain businesses. His career has been built with logistics organisations including ports where he has developed skills in operations, business transformation and change management.
Alongside this practical working experience, Mike has an MBA from Massey University and a BCom in Economics and Marketing from the University of Otago. He has also attended a number of leadership and governance courses, including being a member of the NZ Institute of Directors’.
Michael is married, with three grown children and has a strong interest in the outdoors, including skiing, tramping, and fishing.
Christine is a highly accomplished Chartered Accountant with over 20 years of experience. She has been with the WMS Group since inception and has played a pivotal role in establishing the business and positioning it for future growth. Before joining the WMS Group, Christine spent 10 years operating her own consulting business Blueberry Consulting) specialising in financial modelling and analysis, business planning and complex insurance claim preparation.
Christine kickstarted her career at Ernst & Young, one of the world’s leading professional services firms. The experience gained there laid a strong foundation for her financial expertise and provided her with a comprehensive understanding of complex financial landscapes. Her professional journey includes significant contributions to the Lyttelton Port of Christchurch where she served in key roles as both Strategy & Planning Manager and Business Analysis Manager. Her insights and analytical acumen proved invaluable in driving key financial and strategic decisions. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce with First Class Honours from the University of Otago, where she graduated top of her class.
Outside of the office, you’ll likely find Christine biking in Christchurch’s beautiful Port Hills or getting a caffeine fix at the local café.
Dan is originally from Canterbury but has worked across NZ and around the world in Leadership and Health, Safety and Wellbeing (HSW) roles. Prior to starting his private sector career Dan spent nine years with the RNZAF as an Instructor (Leadership and Survival Training). Dan’s private sector career started in HSW and has grown into Leadership roles across a diverse range of businesses (Dairy, Aquaculture, Local Government and Horticulture). Dan is an advocate of modern approaches to supporting people and organisations to understand how to manage their HSW risks and opportunities. His experience in understanding people and human behaviour has enabled him to help organisations engage with their team members more effectively. Before getting involved in HSW, Dan worked in the UAE leading teams across schools delivering leadership and community-based programs.
John is an ICT professional with over 25 years of experience in the industry. He has a proven track record of success in leading and delivering complex ICT projects and has a deep understanding of outsourcing and managed service delivery.
His previous role was as Head of Knowledge and Strategy at Centreport, where he was responsible for developing and delivering the organization’s ICT strategy. Prior to Centreport, John worked as a Transition Manager and Innovation Specialist at NZ Post. In this role, he was responsible for ensuring the delivery of services by external vendors supporting NZ Post’s ICT operations, and for developing and delivering new ICT solutions within the parcel business.
John has a strong background in outsourcing and managed service delivery, having worked with Hewlitt Packard Managed Service and Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), across New Zealand and Australia.
Damien Barr has been successfully delivering in the project management space for over two decades in Project Director and Project Management roles. He firmly believes in establishing a robust foundation through strong detailed planning and clear communication to achieve client objectives. Damien is currently pursuing a Master’s in Construction Law at Massey University. He has achieved distinction level in a number of degrees and diplomas in the construction and project management space, including a Bachelor of Science degree and Diplomas. In his current role as Programme Director, Damien is helping to deliver the growth elements of the WMS overall strategy. He has been responsible for delivery of various major construction projects throughout the South Island. Noteworthy accomplishments include streamlining construction processes, compressing timelines, and delivering intricate projects with exceptional outcomes. Damien’s spare time is mostly spent hanging out with his wife and two small kids.
Heather has a diverse background spanning resource and environmental management, policy, sustainability, mining and agriculture, people leadership and rural sector involvement. She has 20 years’ experience working across a range of local and national government, private, cooperative and levy body organisations, as well as substantial voluntary work in the rural not-for-profit space.
Heather has a strong understanding of and affinity with the West Coast environment, community and economy developed through 17 years living, working and farming in the area. She also experienced in national policy and sustainability and understands the connections and outcomes national drivers have within regional New Zealand.
Heather is now based in the Tasman region, where she lives on a lifestyle block with her husband and two teenage children.
Andrea will be joining WMS Group as the Chief Operating Officer in August 2024. Andrea joins the team from 5 years with Napier Port as the General Manager of Strategy and Supply Chain. During that time she took a leading role in strategic planning and performance, identifying and implementing new strategic initiatives and developing digital solutions. She was responsible for the start-up and growth of Viewpoint Supply Chain and through her extensive supply chain knowledge has contributed significantly to Hawke’s Bay’s long-term regional transport infrastructure planning, and the positioning of Napier Port with central government and public sector agencies on key industry issues.
Andrea is experienced in leading companies from start-up to significant growth and through extensive transformation, both in New Zealand and internationally. Her experience is founded in manufacturing and end to end supply chain across multiple industries including smelting, manufactured timber products, pharmaceuticals, mobile communications, digital marketplaces, FMCG and directly in the supply chain and shipping industry.
She has worked in leadership and governance roles and is currently Board Director of Longburn Intermodal Freight Hub and the Hawke’s Bay Chamber of Commerce. She established the New Zealand Women in Supply Chain network with a group of colleagues who wanted to support the growth of women in supply chain careers. She is an advisory group member for the University of Auckland Strategic Supply Chain Management Programme and the New Zealand Ministry of Transport Freight and Supply Chain Strategy.
Andrea holds a Bachelor of Science from Auckland University and a Diploma of Business Administration from Henley Management College.
Outside of work she enjoys the outdoors kayaking, road and mountain biking and hiking.
Our Kaupapa
We work together towards the achievement of common goals. We celebrate our uniqueness, as whānau and as individuals, while valuing our shared experiences, collective understanding and interests.
Our achievements are the result of collaborative effort. Our success is success for the Coast. Our full potential is realised with and through each other.
Guardianship
We nurture and protect our people and our place, with respect for those things that we have inherited from past generations.
