Who we are
IT Partners are more than just your IT support team; we’re your partner in business. We specialise in thinking differently and taking a whole business view. That’s why we manage your IT systems and leverage the technology and telecommunications in the way that best supports your business needs, goals, and growth. Like IT, business is a system of interrelated, moving, changing parts that ultimately – must deliver value. We live this every day, and help you live it too.
IT Partners make a great business partner because:
We are proactive
The IT industry moves fast and we strive to give our clients a commercial advantage. This means we work on staying ahead of the technology curve, and seek ways to bring you along with us. It also means we set up and manage your existing IT with the future in mind.
We add value
We are not interested in technology for technology’s sake. Our focus is on giving you only the systems and solutions that improve your business performance and profitability – and we’ll teach you how to get the most out of them. We show you how your IT services and support can be more than just an overhead – by delivering efficiencies and productivity.
We are responsive
When problems do occur we’ll be on your doorstep, or working remotely, to fix the problem fast, and communicate where we are at with the job. It is our job to minimise IT frustration and disruptions to your business. We also want to know what’s going well, what we can improve, and anything else you might need, we work with you so that we can take action to remove roadblocks and disruption to your business.
Our Team
IT Partners are an experienced team of professionals providing IT support to medium-to-large sized businesses in Hamilton and throughout the Waikato. We make it our priority to understand our client’s business first and foremost, and then fit technology, solutions and services around their needs to deliver outcomes that ‘just work’.
We combine our collective knowledge and expertise to ensure the job is done right the first time, to help your business perform efficiently, productively, and profitably now and into the future.
Meet the Team
MANAGEMENT & OPERATIONS
Andrew Johnson Managing Director
Andrew Johnson : Managing Director
After studying at the University of Waikato, Andrew identified a significant disparity between the calibre of companies headquartered in Hamilton and the quality of IT support they were receiving. So in 1997, he launched what would become IT Partners.
Recognising the need for a superior level of strategic guidance and governance, he brought on two independent and highly experienced directors who are helping him fulfil his commitment to becoming the leading IT support company in the Waikato.
Andrew’s business background has included two appointments as acting CEO. The first appointment involved a five-year divestment programme covering multiple businesses, including overseeing operations of 6500ha of land for a USA-based family. The second appointment consisted of a merger and integration role for several newly acquired businesses owned by a US multi-national, where he still maintains an on-going advisory role.
Andrew regularly consults on IT strategy and requirements at board level for some of Waikato’s best known businesses.
In 2008, 2010 and 2011, Andrew attended courses at the Harvard Business School. Andrew is married to Sarah Morton-Johnson, and they have two young children, Isobel (b. March 2008) and Alexander (b. December 2009).
Between November 2009 and August 2010 Andrew was appointed to the board of Greenlea Group Limited as an Alternate Director giving him further insight into strategy development and governance. Andrew was provisionally accredited to the Institute of Directors of New Zealand in July 2010. He is on the advisory board for The Westervelt Company, a trustee of St Paul’s Collegiate School and on the local branch committee of the Institute of Directors. Andrew is on the board of Lightwire Limited, Great Oaks Holding Company Limited, Great Oaks Forest Limited and Asset Management Partners Limited.
Andrew recently graduated with a Bachelor of Electronic Commerce from the University of Waikato.
07 957 2651
Maree Barker Finance Manager
Maree Barker : Finance Manager
Maree holds the title for the longest standing IT Partners employee, having worked with Andrew since 2002. Maree has an extensive background in practice management and Executive PA positions prior to joining IT Partners. As the finance manager, Maree manages and performs all aspects of the company’s finances, while also managing the administration team to ensure the smooth running of all office systems. Maree is also part of the Senior Leadership Team.
07 957 2652
Tim BixleyHead of Engineering
Tim Bixley : Head of Engineering
Tim joined IT Partners as a senior systems engineer in June 2013 having worked for Fonterra for 12 years in a range of areas including automation infrastructure, application management and large desktop migrations. Tim’s specialties include VMware, monitoring systems and SAN storage. Tim is the engineer team Lead. As part of this role he manages the engineers’ training and development and is part of the Senior Leadership Team.
07 957 2653
Kristy Cook Marketing, People & Culture
Kristy Cook
After beginning her career as a PA and executive assistant in a wide range of industries Kristy joined IT Partners in August 2008 as our systems and marketing coordinator. Kristy’s role has grown and changed since then and she now manages the marketing and people and culture areas of the business, including health and safety. Kristy is part of the Senior Leadership Team and assists in special projects so is involved in most aspects of the business.
07 957 2655
Kyle Carter Systems Architect & Senior Systems Engineer
Kyle Carter : Systems Architect
Kyle is one of IT Partners original senior engineers having been at the company since March 2007. Kyle’s vast experience and knowledge means he manages some of our most complex client environments and provides valuable input as part of the Senior Leadership Team. Kyle’s role as systems architect sees him researching and developing products and complex IT solutions to ensure we are providing the right solutions for the right reasons, for ourselves and our clients.
07 957 2658
Lance Wright Head of First Line Support & Senior Systems Engineer
Lance Wright : Head of First Line Support & Senior Systems Engineer
As soon as Lance started working for IT Partners in late 2008 it was clear he wasn’t going to stay a technician for long. Lance is now head of first line support and senior systems engineer having quickly gained the knowledge and experience needed to provide our clients with the best support and solutions possible. Lance has a Bachelor of Electronic Commerce – majoring in information systems management and is a Microsoft certified systems administrator (MCSA) and Cisco certified network associate (CCNA).
07 974 9311
Jason WalkerHead of Sales
Jason Walker : Head of Sales
Jason brings 10 years’ of sales experience to the IT Partners team, many of which have been in IT companies in the UK. Most recently, he led a global sales team of 13 people, selling innovative Waikato technology around the world. A University of Waikato alum, Jason graduated with a BMS (Hons) and was also awarded a Prime Minister’s business scholarship for INSEAD Business School’s “Leading the Effective Salesforce” course (2013). Outside of the office, Jason plays squash (badly), enjoys running and is a massive basketball fan. He’s also the owner of four beef cattle, 15 Peking ducks and two cats.
07 957 2659
Gareth NuzumAccount & Business Development Manager
Gareth Nuzum: Account & Business Development Manager
Gareth joined IT Partners in December 2016 as our new account and business development manager. Gareth’s prior business development experience was with Cherrytree before he joined the Police Force. After five and a half years as a constable for NZ Police Gareth has chosen to get back into business development. During his free time Gareth keeps active by playing hockey, sailing, snowboarding, travelling and attending music festivals.
07 839 8586
Siobhan NuzumAccount Manager
Siobhan Nuzum
Siobhan joined the IT Partners team in 2014 as an intern, working closely with Andrew, whilst studying a Bachelor of Electronic Commerce, with a major in marketing at Waikato University. In August 2016 Siobhan moved into an account management and sales support role. This role sees Siobhan managing a select set of clients and supporting our business development manager with all sales relating tasks and projects. Outside of the office, Siobhan enjoys playing hockey, watching movies, travelling, reading books and eating chocolate.
07 974 9315
Kaitlin GrensideFinance Assistant
Kaitlin Grenside
Kaitlin joined the IT Partners team in April 2015 as receptionist/administrator. In February 2017 Kaitlin was promoted to the position of finance assistant. Kaitlin is responsible for supporting the financial director and looking after all the staff at IT Partners. Before IT Partners, Kaitlin worked in a range of professional service firms including 1-day.co.nz/Torpedo7 and Loop Technologies. Outside of work, Kaitlin is a happy and creative person who enjoys spending time with her husband and dog Henry or going to the beach with family and friends.
07 957 2650
Dannielle CookIntern
Dannielle Cook
Dannielle joined the IT Partners team in 2016 as an intern for Managing Director, Andrew Johnson and Kristy Cook, Marketing | People & Culture Manager. In October 2017 Dannielle completed her Bachelor of Management Studies with honours, majoring in human resources and strategic management, and became a People & Culture Team Member. This role involves Dannielle supporting our People & Culture Manager with human resource processes, employee engagement and the overall happiness of the team. Outside of the office, Dannielle enjoys spending her time at the beach.
07 839 8585
Brooke Shepherd-WrightPersonal Trainer
Brooke Shepherd-Wright
Brooke is IT Partners’ personal trainer. A former sales and fitness consultant at Les Mills in Hamilton, Brooke puts the staff of IT Partners and Lightwire through their paces in our gym at South Bloc. Brooke has a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science and previous experience as a dance teacher of American Tap, Contemporary Dance and Jazz. A qualified sports masseuse, she oversees our wellness area here at IT Partners. When she’s not causing our staff to break out in a sweat, Brooke enjoys everything health and fitness, from running half and full marathons, to hiking, snowboarding and spending time with family and friends.
07 974 1701
Renee ButlerIntern
Renee Butler
Originally from Wanganui, Renee has joined the IT Partners team as an intern while completing her studies at the University of Waikato, where she is a student ambassador. She is currently in her second year of a Bachelor of Management Studies, double majoring in marketing and strategic management. Renee has previously worked in the hospitality industry but is turning her hand to marketing and IT. In and around her studies and work commitments, Renee enjoys playing sports, spending time outdoors, travelling, music and socialising. She is always looking for new experiences and opportunities to try new things, so will be right at home here at IT Partners.
07 974 1702
ENGINEERS
Carl BuckleySenior Systems Engineer
Carl Buckley : Senior Systems Engineer
Carl has been one of our senior systems engineers since joining IT Partners in June 2008 and focuses on supporting and creating solutions for a select number of complex clients. Carl has a career history working for large organisations. Prior to joining IT Partners Carl was involved with migrations and upgrades on thermal and hydro power stations for an SOE power generation company.
07 957 2656
Dan McCarthy Senior Systems Engineer
Dan McCarthy : Senior Systems Engineer
Dan joined IT Partners as a senior systems engineer in July 2013. Dan previously worked for the Cloud as a senior systems engineer where he worked primarily on IAAS and SAAS platforms. Dan’s industry experience includes R&D for Cisco for five years, supporting and building video conferencing appliances and networks. Dan also worked for the University of Waikato for four years in the Windows Systems and Development team, handling exchange and active directory primarily.
07 974 9316
Nick Staines-Hawthorne Senior Systems Engineer
Nick Staines-Hawthorne : Senior Systems Engineer
Nick graduated from Spherion Education in 2003 with a Diploma in Information Technology majoring in software development. After gaining industry experience through an internet services provider Nick travelled overseas on his OE. Upon returning to New Zealand, Nick has continued to increase his knowledge in his previous systems administrator and systems engineer roles. Nick’s experience includes server migrations, virtualisation and infrastructure upgrades as well as SANs, servers and switches. Nick became part of the IT Partners team in January 2014 and is now a senior systems engineer.
07 974 9318
Rinie LazetSenior Systems Engineer
Rinie Lazet : Senior Systems Engineer
With 16 years’ experience in the IT industry under his belt, Rinie is not short on experience in the field of engineering. Rinie’s employment history also includes working in both the health and corporate sectors. Excelling in customer relations by applying a customer-focussed approach to his work, Rinie helps guide the technical support team to operate smoothly and effectively. Rinie has a MCSA Server certification (2012) and a MCITP Server certification (2008). Outside of work, he likes spending quality time with his family and keeping up to date with the latest movies and gadgets.
07 974 9314
Nicholas Pome'eSystem Engineer
Nicholas Pomee: System Engineer
Nicholas joined IT Partners in 2016 as a systems engineer after spending eight years working as an information systems operator with the NZ Army. Prior to this, Nicholas built up extensive IT experience in Australia. As the former IT manager for the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, Nicholas provided IT services to clients such as Microsoft, Gartner, IGA, Griffith University during events. This included the setup and maintenance of networks to maintain 99.9% uptime. Nicholas also spent two years working as an IT coordinator at Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal, providing all levels of support to local and remote users. Outside of the office, Nicholas enjoys spending time with the family, snowboarding and DJing.
07 839 8581
Marcus IbanezDesktop Support Engineer
Marcus Ibanez
Marcus Ibanez has managed to combine his love of travelling with his interest in IT, working in both Australia and the UK before joining IT Partners in February 2015. After four years as an IT coordinator in North Sydney, Marcus headed to the Northern Hemisphere where he worked in desktop support in London. Upon moving to New Zealand Marcus began working as an IT service desk analyst and is now our desktop support engineer providing front line support to our clients.
07 957 2654
Nathan PillaiIT Support Technician
Nathan Pillai: IT Support Technician
Nathan joined the IT Partners team in November 2016 as an IT Support Technician. He has previously worked for New Era IT in Christchurch where he was the key onsite IT support for Cashmere High School, supporting 2000+ devices. Prior to his time at Cashmere High School, Nathan worked as a technology specialist at The Warehouse. Nathan has a Graduate Diploma in Information and Communication Technology and a Bachelor of Business Management. Outside of the office, Nathan enjoys playing cricket, swimming, finding out about new technology and spending time with family, particularly his young niece.
07 974 9312
Jason CrearIT Support Engineer
Jason Crear: IT Support Engineer
Jason joined the IT Partners team in 2016 after four-and-a-half-years as an IT support technician at engineering company, Amec Foster Wheeler. A qualified MCITP server administrator and BlackBerry certified system administrator, Jason previously worked at ATIO IT Services for four years as a system administrator associate. Outside of the office, Jason enjoys a range of outdoor activities, including hiking, mountain biking, watching and playing sports. He also enjoys spending time with his family.
07 839 8584
James TaylorSystems Engineer
James Taylor: Systems Engineer
With a decade worth of experience in the IT industry, James Taylor knows a thing or two about networks, systems, and programming. A graduate of the University of Waikato – James has a Bachelor of Science (Computer Science) next to his name – he has previously worked as a support analyst for Hamilton firm, Convex and as both a service desk technician and systems administrator for the Waikato Regional Council. In his role as systems engineer for IT Partners, James is responsible for front line support for our clients, all of whom will reap the benefits of his years of experience. Outside of the office, James enjoys homebrewing, reading, family time and cooking.
07 974 9310
Cheryl Pome'eSystems Engineer
Cheryl Pomee: Systems Engineer
Cheryl Pomee’s IT career has taken her around Australasia, from Brisbane, Australia to East Timor and back to New Zealand. It was one of the perks of working in the NZ Army for five years as an information systems operator configuring IT networks. During her time abroad, Cheryl undertook short-term IT contracts in Brisbane providing desktop, user and server support for companies including Dell, ATO, Brisbane Hospital, Suncorp Bank, Lockheed Martin and the Gold Coast Convention Centre. Her last year in Australia was as a senior systems engineer at TransLink, supporting the company’s public facing website and public transport timetables. Cheryl joined IT Partners in 2017 after working as an infrastructure engineer at DairyNZ. Outside of the office, Cheryl spends her time working through CrossFit WODs, running half marathons and cooking.
07 974 9319
Richard WaySystems Engineer
Richard Way: Systems Engineer
At IT Partners we support our clients and Richard is in the front line to do exactly that. With a Bachelor of Computer Systems from the Waiariki Institute of Technology, Richard is a systems engineer here at IT Partners working as part of the First Line Support Team. He has eight years of IT experience, the past three of which have been spent working for Fujitsu NZ. During this time he supported customers across the Waikato as a field engineer. Richard has also put his IT skills to use for Reece plumbing in Melbourne and Belkin Australia in Sydney. Outside of the office, Richard enjoys restoring old vehicles and machinery, flying remote control aircrafts and hanging out on the farm with his dog.
07 974 1700
Daniel EbbettSenior Systems Engineer
Daniel Ebbett
Daniel brings a wealth of experience and qualifications to his role as a Senior Systems Engineer at IT Partners. A graduate of the University of Waikato, Daniel combined a Bachelor of Electronic Commerce with a Postgraduate Diploma in Management Systems before working at the Waikato District Health Board as a senior enterprise engineer. Most recently, Daniel spent four years with Insurance Australia Group in Sydney where he was responsible for looking after the company’s core infrastructure in Australia, New Zealand and Asia. Outside of work, Daniel can be found in the outdoors and depending on the season he’ll either be hiking, snowboarding or mountain biking.
07 974 9317
IT Partners transformed a tired IT platform into a future proofed value added solution
– Aber Group
When the amount of spam became overwhelming for staff, we called in IT Partners to solve the problem
– Lodge Real Estate
An animal health delivery company who know that trust in your IT provider is crucial
– Vet Focus