At Guru Systems a key KPI for business success is to always have one Kiwi on the roster. With Nic Mason departing, I recently took up the mantle.

I grew up in Gisborne, New Zealand, a small town on the East Coast of the North Island. A great spot with everything on your doorstep; beaches, golf courses, great coffee and an epic local brewery. If anyone is planning a tour it’s definitely worth the car trip down, especially in the summer months.

I’ve always enjoyed team sports, especially in a social setting playing cricket, club rugby, basketball and even Australian Rules for a period. Team sports have shaped who I am in a professional perspective, taking ideas of belonging, clear communication and a healthy level of competitiveness, and bringing them to my roles.

I started at Guru Systems in January this year as the new Head of Product. I came into the role feeling refreshed after being lucky enough to spend the majority of last year travelling along the Mediterranean, exploring local swimming holes and hiking trails. Previously, I led a range of Product teams at one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing start-ups, Halter. Halter also used IOT devices but instead of fixed devices in buildings, they were collars on moving cows. Before that, I led the safety function for the Australia and New Zealand regions at an international ride-sharing company, DiDi.

Guru stood out to me due to the clear mission of the company; to accelerate the decarbonisation of heat by providing data and technology to make energy systems more transparent, lower cost and lower carbon.

~⅓ of the UK’s carbon emissions come from heat, and the UK must eliminate 100% of carbon emissions by 2050. A gnarly challenge.

High performance heat networks play a fundamental role in meeting this decarbonisation target. At Guru, we have found that a lot of heat networks don’t perform anywhere near intended efficiency and even if they were previously, if left unmonitored inefficiencies can double in a few years.

How does Guru help? We develop IOT devices that make heat and other utilities consumption and performance data available. We then take this available data, either from our devices or other means, and create software tools for various users to manage resident billing and network performance.

It’s clear to me that this mission runs deep in the company and that’s led by Casey, our CEO, who makes me want to run through walls to have an impact. He is truly passionate about the why behind the company, something he has in common with my previous CEO, Craig at Halter.

My goals at Guru Systems are to deliver great products and features consistently to our users, and to ensure those products and features directly impact our business outcomes and core mission. I’m also lucky enough to be included in a People team that focuses on driving engagement and culture adoption within the company.

My future goals have me based back in Aotearoa, to have an impact on my community back home, and to help that community have an impact on the world. But, for now, you can find me at Guru Systems, trying to solve one of the hardest problems our generation has to face, reducing the world’s carbon footprint.

If you’re a business or individual who wants to make an impact, please reach out. I’m happy to chat.