Silicon understands that to be successful we need a team who share our
values and vision. Over the last 15 years we have built a team with a
wide range of skills and passion for quality and innovation. We work
together, and share information and ideas with our customers to provide
them with the best possible solution.
We encourage and support professional and personal development by providing a positive, vibrant and relaxed environment. On going training enables us to think laterally and remain focused on new and creative solutions without compromising quality or reliability.
Above all, we are a team of proud New Zealanders, with a broad range of backgrounds and interests who all share a passion for ingenuity, quality and all things New Zealand made.
See below to meet our team.
Lorne Simmons, Managing Director
Lorne
is the founder, Managing Director and 68% shareholder of Silicon.
Since starting in the company in 1991, Lorne has had an active involvement
in developing Silicon into one of New Zealand's most successful technology
companies. Lorne's caffeine intake would rival that of many small
countries, and he enjoys life at a frenetic pace as a result. Travelling,
spending time with his 3 daughters and things with large motors that
go really fast are high on Lorne's agenda.
Liam O'Keeffe, Sales and Marketing
Director - BBS, Marketing
Liam
is Silicon's Sales and Marketing Director and holds a 32% share
of Silicon. He joined Silicon in 1998, and since that time has
maintained a hands-on approach to developing Silicon's sales
and marketing strategies, as well as managing a small group of
accounts. Liam loves the outdoors and is especially fond of mountainbiking,
skiing, snowboarding, surfing, kiteboarding and wakeboarding
- luckily, so is his fiance.
Hugo Van Gorkom, Techincal Director -
RTC, NZCE, PGDipCompSci, GradDipArts, ICIS, VCP
Hugo is one of the founding members of Silicon, and has
been with the company for 18 years. Hugo has been instrumental
in developing Silicon from a small PC builder in its early
days to a successful IT solutions provider servicing clients
nationwide. He has an enormous range of skills including
server and storage architecture, virtualization and process
improvement. Hugo has 2 young children and enjoys life
in the fast lane. He has been know to stay awake for periods
of up to 16 days without coffee....
Nicole Simmons, Web Development Director - BCA, BTSM
Nicole
has been a part of Silicon since 1993 and has been the driving force
behind Silicon’s Quality Philosophy, having guided the company to ISO9001
status in 1995. Nicole continues to drive improvements in Silicon’s
quality systems and is also responsible for Silicon’s web development
team. She is also an extremely busy mother of 4 (the latest addition
being a miniature schnauzer called Mata), a connoisseur of great design
and loves to travel.
Liz Dempster, Financial Controller - BBS, Accounting
Liz
started at Silicon in 2007, initially in the role
of finance assistant. Liz is a valuable part of the team and comes to us with extensive tax knowledge after previsously working for IRD. She is responsible for the overall
accounting functions of this busy organisation. When not working she enjoys weekends with her
family, enjoying sport and catching up with friends over a glass of wine or two. She also loves to travel any chance she gets!
Nicky Sullivan, Financial Administrator - CertVisDsgn, DipHospMgt
As
Financial Administrator, Nicky plays a key role in ensuring that Silicon’s
fiscal operations are kept ship shape. Nicky is also involved in the
web development team, and has a number of websites in her portfolio.
In her spare time, Nicky enjoys snowboarding and skiing with her family
and friends, watching sport, and spending time with her dogs.
Stacey Ross, Sales Manager
A
long time member of the sales team, Stacey joined Silicon in 1999 and
has been Sales Manager since 2002. During this time she has accumulated
a ton of product and client knowledge, and has been instrumental in maintaining
Silicon’s reputation for first class service. Stacey is also a coffee
aficionado and Mum, who loves spending time with her young daughter
even more than a good flat white.
Adele Goodwin, Business Development Manager - Dip.Mgmt
Adele
joined Silicon in 2008 after a number of years in the banking industry,
as business development Manager. Her bubbly personality and positive
attitude provide a breath of fresh air in an industry that can at times
be a tad reserved! In her spare time Adele enjoys painting, travelling,
and regular wine 'tasting'.
Diane Keech, Operations Manager
Another long term member of the team, Diane joined Silicon’s
production department in 2000, working her way up to Production Manager
just 2 years later. Quite simply, Diane is a machine – her dedication
and commitment are without equal. Diane works hard and plays hard –
horse riding, mountain biking, snowboarding, and spending time with her
new kelpie puppy ensure that theres never a dull moment!
Richard Best, Senior Systems Engineer - CBC, MCP, CAN, CertCompSci, Inc.HULK
A Senior Systems Engineer with over 12 years experience, Richard brings
a wealth of Microsoft, VMware and Citrix experience to our Technical
Team. In his 4th year with Silicon, Richard holds a National certificate
in Business Computing, and has developed expertise in implementations
and support/management of a variety of systems. His strengths include
the ability to manage outsourced IT infrastructures and install and design
systems. Richard has been a Mr New Zealand title holder twice, and has
been known to devour 5 Lonestar meals in one sitting.
Barry Meynell, Senior Systems Engineer - CNA, CASE, CCA, MCTS
Barry joined Silicon in January 2008 from a network support role with one of
New Zealand’s largest Tertiary institutes. Barry brings a wealth of storage,
server and networking experience to our team and has expertise in both Microsoft
and Novell environments. When not working, Barry likes to spend his time
on 2 wheels, and is the proud owner of an immaculate Triumph Daytona 675
– and a top-end radar detector.
Rebecca Taylor, Systems Engineer - BSc Computing, MCP
Since
joining Silicon 5 years ago, Rebecca has established herself as an integral
part of Silicon’s Technical Services team. Rebecca holds
a Bachelors degree in Computer Science, and is a Microsoft certified professional.
She is an avid football fan, and loves Manchester United almost as much as
2 minute noodles.
Stuart Fisher, Systems Engineer - CCP, MCP, CNA
Stuart
is Silicon’s ‘fix it’ man. A jack of all trades and master of most, Stu has
the perseverance and patience to solve even the trickiest of hardware related
problems. A highly capable and dedicated Engineer, he has established an excellent
working relationship with many of our customers. In his spare time Stu loves
to mountain bike, and has accumulated an enviable collection of scars, letters
from ACC and X-rays.
Mary-Anne Flores, Service Engineer - BSc Computing
Mary-Anne is part of Silicon’s production and Logistics team, and has been
with Silicon for 2 years. Mary Anne holds a Bachelor of Computer Science Degree,
and is working toward developing he skills in our technical team. In her spare
time Mary Ann is a bit of a bookworm, and loves surfing the net.
Dennis Mackley, Distribution
Dennis
and his Bright Blue Silicon truck are a familiar sight around the Wellington
area, having been doing the rounds for over 17 years. Dennis is an integral
part of our logistics team and his knowledge of our customers and our business
means that our product always reaches its destination safely and on time.
Dennis loves cars and would prefer, if he could, to undertake deliveries using
one of his classic BMWs….If only it had a bigger boot.
