
OUR TEAM
Our unique, multi-skilled teams have expertise across the disciplines of surveying, hydraulics, electronics, GIS and IT to give you the best advice and support for your project. As the exclusive national distributor for one of the world’s largest manufacturers of positioning and machine control systems, our sales and support teams are tapped into the very latest, state-of-the art developments.
Position Partners’ senior management has more than 200 years of combined industry expertise, with contributions to various associations and Australian Spatial Industry initiatives.
NEW ZEALAND BOARD

Ian Petherbridge
Chairman
Having started his career as a surveyor, and then co-founder of a national IT company, Ian has an excellent technical background and understanding of business.

Martin Nix
Chief Executive Officer
Martin Nix is the CEO and Managing Director of Position Partners. He practiced as a surveyor until 1984 and then joined Leica Geosystems where he held a number of management roles in Australia, Switzerland and USA until 2009 where he held a number of management roles in Australia, Switzerland and USA until 2009.
The roles included President Americas Sales and Service, Business Area Manager Mining and Agriculture Systems and Corporate Officer while Leica Geosystems was listed on the Swiss Stock Exchange.Martin has a Masters of Surveying (GIS) (’90) from UNSW and is a Member of the Institute of Company Directors.
He has participated in Working Groups that formed Australia’s space policy and National Positioning Infrastructure, including as Co-chair of the Department of Home Affairs’ Space Community of Interest, supporting risk management of space-based critical infrastructure.

Garry MacPhail
Geospatial & Western Australia Manager
Garry is a qualified engineering surveyor and began his career with Hinco Engineering in 1984.

Alex Felgate
Managing Director – Position Partners New Zealand
Alex has managed the New Zealand business since 2016, when his company Optical Services joined the Position Partners group.
Executive Steering Team

Bernadette Taoro Ashin
Strategic Head of People and Culture
Bernadette is an experienced Human Resources professional with extensive experience across both private and public sectors.

Harry Katsanevas
Strategic Business Development & Queensland Manager
Harry has been directly involved in the Laser and Machine Control business for 20 years commencing in the service area.
He has received extensive training in Denmark, Sweden USA and Australia. Harry is recognized world-wide as a professional in terms of the best utilization of Machine Automation Equipment in Construction.
Harry commenced his employment within this industry in the workshop managing maintenance and repairs. Based in Queensland, he is the Executive Manager for Business Development including emerging technology for construction site solutions and Tokara telematics remote asset control technology.

Reece Kline
Chief Financial Officer
Reece started his career with William Buck Chartered Accountants.

Gina Velde
Executive Marketing Manager
Gina began her career as a journalist in the UK, working for an online newswire at a London-based publishing company.

Jason Curtis
National Service Centre and New South Wales Manager
Jason began working for Laserquip – one of the five companies that merged to form Position Partners – in 1995 as an electronics technician.

Greg Macklin
General Manager – Australia & New Zealand
Greg has built his career in both the construction materials and equipment rental industries and holds a degree in Business and Marketing.

Daniel Shibata
Executive Manager Business Development & Planning
Daniel Shibata joined Mitsui & Co. in 1999 working for the retail business in the fashion industry.

Andrew Granger
Mining Business Manager
Andrew manages Position Partners’ mining, solar and landfill business across Australia, South East Asia and New Zealand.

Mathew Connelly
Regional Manager – South East Asia
Mat is a qualified surveyor with extensive experience across a wide cross section of technologies including machine control, paving solutions, survey and GNSS equipment.
FOUNDERS
Our founders with senior management roles include: Garry MacPhail (Western Australia), Craig Fleming (South Australia), Mike Forrest (South East Asia, recipient of the Topcon Spirit of Excellence Award), Harry Katsanevas (Queensland), and Bernard Cecchele (Western Australia).
Our retired founders include: Anne Forrest (Queensland), Garry Fleming (New South Wales), Janine Arnold and Robert Bent (Victoria) and David Gow (South Australia).

Brian McLoughlin
Brian was a founder of Position Partners, who sadly passed away on 17th January 2016 after a battle with cancer.
Brian commenced his sales career in 1975 with Banbury Engineering, then distributors for Kato excavators, and sold his first laser in 1976.