Our People

A Maurice Paykel Scholarship recipient, Shane first joined Fisher & Paykel as a graduate in 2001. He left in 2004 to gain overseas experience in the UK and returned to our NZ–based Product Development team a couple of years later. He's had an exciting career since, involved in a variety of ground–breaking projects that led him to become Group Chief Engineer before taking up an exciting Vice President of Product role in Costa Mesa, California.

Today, Shane is Executive Vice President Product Development based at our East Tamaki Head Office and is as excited as ever about what the future holds at Fisher & Paykel. From his humble beginnings as a model maker for fridge prototypes, Shane's had the chance to immerse himself in industry–leading work in research and development. Every step of the way he has admired how strongly the spirit of innovation shines at Fisher & Paykel, with no idea a bad one.

Reflecting on his growth over the past 20 years, Shane says, Fisher & Paykel is full of opportunity. I could never have predicted where my career has ended up going – it's changed and grown so much, and I've had loads of learning along the way. There's so much to do here, you just have to stay open and say ‘yes’.

Alex joined Fisher & Paykel as a graduate in 2013, before leaving to experience more of the world. He returned to our Dunedin office three years later and joined the Cooking Systems Cavity team doing a bit of everything, from CAD design to prototyping and testing.

Alex has always been a creative person and enjoyed problem solving. Fisher & Paykel was somewhere I could freely express my ideas and really challenge myself. Having grown up in the countryside I always loved the outdoors, and the Dunedin site is a great place to be as the outdoors are so accessible. It's one of the few high–profile companies in the world where a good work/life balance can be achieved.

One of Alex's highlights during his time here was visiting Fisher & Paykel Mexico, one of our offshore manufacturing facilities, where he had the chance to get familiar with how our parts and products are built and assembled. “Fisher & Paykel not only fosters a friendly culture and promotes a healthy work–life balance but also invests in my personal development. During my time here, I've had the opportunity to participate in a range of courses such as speechcraft, TIG welding, plastics, and simulation, among others. If you're looking to expand your skill set, Fisher & Paykel is a great place to do so.”

Renu joined Fisher & Paykel at the start of 2023 to build and lead a new Product Development team based at our manufacturing site in Thailand. She saw a chance to step into a pivotal leadership role, working on innovative projects and collaborating with talented teams across Thailand and New Zealand, to support the expansion of our global business.

Renu's onboarding process included a stint in New Zealand, giving her the chance to deeply understand how our values and purpose shape the organisational culture. At Fisher & Paykel, creativity and innovation are deeply woven into our ways of working. It is this ethos that emphasises our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, fostering an environment where every voice is valued and trusted. As Renu puts it, Fisher & Paykel places a strong emphasis on the human–centred approach to product design and development, which involves placing the needs and experiences of customers at the forefront of their product development process.

Zoey began her career at Fisher & Paykel as an intern in 2007. She worked as an Electronics Engineer for six years before working her way up to Group Chief Engineer in 2018. In November 2019, she made the move from Dunedin to Auckland taking on the role of General Manager – Cooking Product Line.

In every role Zoey has had over the past 14 years at Fisher & Paykel, she's been blown away by the opportunities and mentorship offerings, as well as the 'family feel' culture at the company. Generous is her favourite company value, as it's one she's seen embodied time and time again. Zoey feels she's on a continuous learning journey at Fisher & Paykel and credits the generosity of time from peers and mentors for empowering her to constantly learn and progress. Zoey was 27 when she became Chief Engineer, our youngest ever at the time – an achievement she's especially proud of within a male–dominated industry.

Excited about the future at Fisher & Paykel, Zoey says, “Not a lot of companies are truly global – being under the Haier umbrella but headquartered in New Zealand is unique and opens up opportunities not just here but abroad. Ours is a culture where people thrive.”

Born and raised in Spain, Sara has called New Zealand home for the last ten years. So, when an opportunity arose to join an iconic New Zealand based brand operating on a global scale, Sara jumped at the chance. As General Manager Marketing for New Zealand, Sara is responsible for strategic planning and execution of marketing strategies for Fisher & Paykel and the Haier brand in the New Zealand market. Sara and her team work with both B2C and B2B customers, deploying tactics to attract, engage, convert, and retain the audience.

Sara says that the Auckland Fisher & Paykel Experience Centre brings to life our human–centred philosophy, proudly celebrating New Zealand while delivering on our promise to enhance the lives of our customers. She resonates closely with our 'Trusted' value; always delivering on her promises and committing deeply to do what she says she will do. This is her first role at Fisher & Paykel, and she loves the challenge, and opportunities for growth and development that she sees in the business.

Riki joined Fisher & Paykel seven years ago with a desire to advance his sales career. He says it's a privilege to be able to take world–class products and market them in New Zealand where they are designed. During his time here, Riki has represented the Haier brand as well as Fisher & Paykel.

Riki supports our customers around the South Island by facilitating product and sales training, as well as planning and executing in–store display experiences. He's also the first line of support for day–to–day business queries from his customer base. He sees opportunities to bring to life the statement 'creating' moments of delight' in our customers as well as users of our products. Being a problem solver at heart, Riki aligns closely with our values of Curiosity and Innovation, which are brought to life in his interactions with our customers.

Being a human–centered business, Riki appreciates the culture at Fisher & Paykel, the opportunity he has had to give back to his community and being able to find a balance between his role and spending quality time with his family.

Based in New York City, Barbara fills her day engaging with designers, architects and developers who are looking to specify products for their projects. She works remotely but loves that we have a showroom within walking distance of her apartment, showcasing our ‘absolutely beautiful’ products.

Of our five values, Barbara most closely connects with Curious, Trusted and Generous. Curious speaks to who she is as a person – always asking questions to better understand a situation or person – and Trusted and Generous are core to how she nurtures relationships. Barbara enjoys deep diving into projects, understanding the who, what and why to create innovative, sustainable solutions, and is particularly proud to do so alongside our incredible Marketing team.

Relationship building is a core aspect of Barbara's role, and her favourite. As she describes, Our culture here in North America is truly fantastic. We are such a cohesive team, all so helpful and inclusive with each other. Between leadership, culture, and true joy in what she does, Barbara says, I seriously wake up each and every day wanting to give the best of me!

Sarah returned to New Zealand after spending 18 years working in London’s fashion industry and joined Fisher & Paykel as General Manager Digital in 2019. Appliances are a very different ball game to Fashion, but the world of Digital is where Sarah’s expertise lies and she was thrilled to find a local opportunity that still played on a global scale, while affording great work/life balance.

Sarah is excited to be a part of the Fisher & Paykel story as we grow and adapt to an increasingly digitised world. Our core values Trusted and Generous resonate closely with her, and she sees these played out at work every day. There's a real mindset of stewardship, constant questioning and curiosity, and a willingness to help that I haven't seen elsewhere. It was a big deal starting in a new industry and I felt like I was starting from scratch in many ways. People here are so generous with their time – it really eased the transition, and as time has gone on, I've continued to learn so much. I love too that we have such a flexible approach to working, and view productivity in terms of outcomes achieved rather than time spent at a desk.