People & Culture.
We're a laser-focused team.
Vanguard employs high achievers and equips them with the best safety solutions, training, and industry knowledge, to ensure that our clients are readily and reliably supported to prevent the unthinkable happening.
Clients know us as an energetic bunch, quick to laugh, yet laser-focused on our client responsibilities, leaving nothing to chance. If we can’t help, we’ll tell you who can. Because safety always comes first.
Our Values.
Do the right thing.
Do the right thing.
Make it happen.
Make it happen.
Is there a better way?
Is there a better way?
Add value.
Add value.
Be the difference.
Be the difference.
Meet our team of Vanguardians.
Our end-to-end solutions leave nothing to chance, meet the team who
make it happen.
Gareth McLean
Gareth is devoted to delivering exceptional value and customer experience for all of our clients.
He is passionate about team engagement and keeping everything moving to maintain the momentum of this great team. Gareth places high value on customer satisfaction and people development.
After hours he enjoys recreational sport, community projects, and entertaining with friends and family.
Craig McLean
Craig’s passion for helping our clients stems from joining the family-based company in 2001. Starting in the warehouse, he has moved through many roles in the company which has helped give him a well-rounded understanding of the challenges our clients face and where we can best add value.
Craig’s current role as Product Manager involves staying in touch with our clients, and sourcing new opportunities, connections, and service offerings to enable the company to better meet the needs of our clients through innovative safety solutions.
When outside work, he enjoys getting out and about in the countryside with bushwalking, mountain biking and entertaining with family and friends.
Brendan McLean
Aside from his responsibilities as a Director, Brendan's role at Vanguard involves working effectively with key clients to ensure their safety needs are prioritised. His forward-thinking approach helps create new opportunities for continued growth at Vanguard.
Brendan thrives on interaction and innovation, and he enjoys interacting with people and thinking outside the box.
Outside of work he enjoys long distance running, playing music, contributing to various charities and spending time with his wife and family.
Do Hai
Do brings to Vanguard extensive finance and commercial experience that has been well developed over many years in a career that has spanned a wide range of companies. He is responsible for the integration of finance with operations to improve productivity, efficiency and bottom-line results.
In his spare time, he enjoys biking with his wife around various tracks in the Wellington region, playing social golf and building Legos.
Tharusha Pillay
Tharusha leads Marketing Strategy and drives campaigns for Vanguard. Tharusha enjoys using her analytical and strategic skills in her role and thrives off a challenge. When she’s not driving marketing, Tharusha enjoys travelling overseas and exploring new cultures.
Jackie McGuinness
Jackie is our internal sales team leader. A natural problem solver, Jackie brings a wealth of skills to help create a safe and supportive environment for our internal sales team and clients. In her spare time, she enjoys discovering different cultures by trying out local restaurants with international cuisine.
Neil Thomson
Neil brings to Vanguard over 25 years experience in Manufacturing, Logistics & Transport Management, and thrives on a fast pace environment that delivers and exceeds customer expectations.
As Vanguards Operations leader, Neil is responsible for the daily running of the Vanguard warehouse team, along with refining and implementing processes that lead to increased operational efficiencies. His role includes managing the full supply chain for Vanguards extensive product range, bringing in vital operational knowledge as Vanguard continues to grow.
In his spare time Neil likes to spend time with family and friends, along with the odd overseas trip. He enjoys watching most sports especially from the comfort of his own living room.
Ange Davies
Ange has 15 years experience in finance and office management. Her role at Vanguard as financial controller is to ensure all accounts are current – answering customer queries and making sure they are happy too.
She has lived in Wellington for over twenty years, and loves this city!
In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family, socialising with friends and exercising with her energetic puppy, Molly!
Louis Hart
Louis started with Vanguard in January 2021. He previously sold safety signage for the civil and construction industries. He is passionate about keeping people safe and coming up with new ideas to make his clients' lives as easy as possible.
After hours he likes to go for walks, play the saxophone, and develop his knowledge-base through educational reading.
He loves being part of a committed and passionate team.
Oliver McLean
Oliver's role at Vanguard involves regularly visiting clients face to face to get an understanding of their requirements for site safety equipment.
"What I enjoy most about my role is meeting new people, getting to know what they do in their role and what their challenges are, and being able to pair their needs with effective product solutions that help them and their staff to do their jobs safer and more efficiently. I believe in forming strong business relationships based on trust, honesty and reliability, and I take a genuine interest in solving people’s challenges with fit-for-purpose solutions, over against just trying to ‘sell products’ for the sake of it."
Outside of work Oliver is a fan of downhill mountain biking, playing the drums, casual sport, and catching up with mates over a few drinks.
Gary Whiteman
Gary brings 2 decades of experience in the construction sector and enjoys collaborating with people to achieve solid and safe outcomes for projects requiring pedestrian, traffic & plant safety.
After hours, you will probably find him bashing some tunes out on the piano and enjoying walks and hikes with his wife and three teenage children amongst the great scenery spots we have in this country.
Tim Boon
Tim joined the sales team in 2021. He enjoys being part of this energetic and enthusiastic team, and is passionate about excellent service and customer satisfaction.
Outside of work he enjoys spending time with his wife and their 3 school age children, and spends a lot of time walking the many regional parks and reserves around Wellington, as well as mountain biking with his boys.
Hannah Goddin
Hannah is a key part of understanding Vanguard's clients needs, by building a relationship of trust and communication, and delivering solutions and service that exceed their expectations.
She's truly passionate about getting current and potential client safety challenges solved.
Outside of the office Hannah is a full time mum!
Narissa Strauchon
Narissa brings with her a wealth of previous experience in Customer Service.
She is now our Sales Administrator extraordinaire! Her role includes making sure orders placed are looked after from start to finish, providing support to our sales consultants, and giving our clients the best possible experience.
Sharni Boon
Sharni's role includes looking after customers' enquiries and making sure they get the right product for the right solution, giving our clients the best possible experience!
Melanie Saunders
Melanie oversees financial operations to keep Vanguard running smoothly, and enjoys working with numbers to make sound decisions. In her spare time, Melanie is a passionate foodie – and enjoys gourmet cooking.
Baxter Ford
Baxter processes orders for Vanguard, working accurately and efficiently with the team to ensure customer satisfaction.
In his free time, he enjoys music, cycling and spending time with friends and family.
Braden Thomas
Braden's main role is supporting our sales consultants by quantifying and quoting installation work along side managing these projects.
The part Braden loves the most about working at Vanguard is being part of a inspiring and energetic team that is dedicated to ensuring customer health, safety and satisfaction.
Outside of work, Braden enjoys being outdoors either exercising or just relaxing and socialising with family and friends.
Ando Gagiano
Ando is based in Auckland as our Installation Manager for installing all of Vanguards' safety projects.
Bringing nearly 2 decades of experience across management, product service and installation, he's the go-to for making things happen smoothly for our busy clients, ensuring all products and services are completed to Vanguard's highest standards!
Passionate about his work, clients and the team he loves great client and team relationships.
On his down time, he loves spending time with his 4 young daughters and enjoying a good game of rugby. Nothing beats a live sporting or music, event except a good braai with family and friends!
Vanessa Hirschmann
Vanessa plays a pivotal role in various aspects of marketing. She finds immense joy in the dynamic world of marketing, and brings knowledge of marketing from her time in university and previous working experience.
Outside of work she enjoys cooking, reading, travelling and trying new coffee shops!
Jessica Pleasants
Jess’s role involves assisting customers with their orders and projects to make their sites a safer place. She loves to help people and brings a wealth of sales and admin knowledge to the sales team.
In her spare time she enjoys snuggling up with her cat, reading a good book, baking new things and building Lego.
Connor Te Wheoro
Connor's role involves sorting and managing our extensive range of products we hold in stock, to ensure we can process all orders as quickly as possible – aiming for same day dispatch for ex-stock items. We have always placed top priority on shipping all orders as soon as they are ready.
Lincoln Rose
Lincoln is in our warehouse team, and is primarily focused on packing and dispatching orders as efficiently as possible while maintaining a tidy and safe workspace.
In his spare time, he enjoys keeping an edge on his fitness by sparring!
Andrey Matushkin
Andrey is a warehouse team member responsible for dispatching orders. Andrey has vast knowledge and expertise in various fields to share with the Vanguard clients.
In his spare time, he enjoys doing yoga, fishing and spend time with his children!
Our culture is a big deal.
And it’s vital to our status as an employer of choice.
Every month Vanguard employees nominate peers who best demonstrate our core values at work.
The team member with the most nominations get a paid half-day off. This and other initiatives ensure Vanguard maintains a healthy and happy workplace.
It seems to be working – workplace specialists TINYpulse recently recognised Vanguard’s team as the happiest in our industry.
Working for us.
If you want to be part of a team of high achievers constantly striving to create safer workplaces then check out careers at Vanguard
