From the very beginning, Harvey has led the strategic direction of Carus, growing the business into the flourishing, nationwide company it is today. His genuine commitment to our core values and his heart for doing what’s right have been guiding lights through the years as he’s worked to develop the Carus team. Also known as chief problem solver and troubleshooter, Harvey is always looking to be the best and deliver the best – to clients and to our people.
Leadership team
Harvey Fisher
CEO
Glen Clark
CFO
With a knack for unravelling issues and crafting solutions, Glen is the one behind the scenes making sure the business is on track and everyone has what they need for the journey. He keeps a close eye on the business’ financial well-being and guides our budgeting and reporting, while also taking charge of our IT. He’s an invaluable part of the team, not only helping us grow as a business, but also imparting his knowledge to the rest of the team and empowering them to grow their own careers.
Marlene Roets
Executive Assistant
As our Executive Assistant, Marlene supports the senior management team and facilitates the day-to-day running of the business. Quick, efficient, and an exceptional multi-tasker are just a few of the ways we describe Marlene. With over 20 years of experience in office management, she is no stranger to the role and her ability to effectively support the team is highly appreciated.
Richard Faulkner
National BDM
With over 16 years of experience in the painting and property maintenance industry, Richard has valuable in-depth knowledge of best industry practices. He puts this knowledge to use daily as our National Business Development Manager, working with large-scale property managers to develop long-term painting and maintenance plans for their property portfolios. Richard especially enjoys the challenge of unique or historic properties and is proud to have secured the contract for the Old Government Buildings in Wellington.
Sam McArthur
Northern Regional Manager
Sam is highly experienced in operational and business development management with over 15 years in various roles across New Zealand. As our Northern Regional Manager, he manages our four North Island branches, supporting a team of over 100 staff and contractors. His commitment to honesty and transparency is clear in the genuine way he builds relationships and develops his team’s skills and capabilities. He’s proud to create a positive working environment for his people and set up a structure of success for them to continue to deliver great results for our clients.
Matthew Gunton
Northern Regional Manager
Meet Matthew Gunton! Following in the footsteps of his builder father—who wasn’t too keen on painting—Matthew seized the chance to carve his path in Painting and Decorating. With a motto rooted in preparation, he’s perfected his craft over the years, working around the globe before settling in New Zealand two decades ago. Now, practically a Kiwi, Matthew enjoys life with his local wife and their five grandkids. When he’s not improving the house, you’ll find him in the garden, building huts, playing games, or exploring the great outdoors with a good bushwalk.
Tommy Wilkinson
Southern Regional Manager
From his early days at one of the oldest painting and decorating companies in the UK, Tommy has built up an impressive track record of growing businesses, developing relationships, and delivering high-quality work in the painting industry. In his role as Southern Regional Manager, Tommy manages the majority of our South Island work, with a special focus on planning and pricing large commercial contracts and developing the teams he oversees. He’s a true people person and loves a challenge – a perfect combination for the role.
Blake James
Lower Regional Manager
Background as a police officer, there isn’t much that phases him – though by his admission, his almost 1-year-old boy usually finds a way to keep him on his toes. Like many other kiwis, sport forms the backbone of the rest of his life outside work, particularly rugby, rugby league, fishing and diving, and you can see why his favourite quote is “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”. We asked him to share a funny story or two about himself, but that training for his previous career has seen him stay tight-lipped thus far… we’ll keep you posted if that situation changes in the future.
Waikato
Joe Norling
Central Regional Manager
Introducing Joe Norling: A Jack of All Trades with a Passion for Adventure! With a diverse background in law enforcement, management, and sales spanning over two decades, Joe knows a thing or two about getting things done. And when it comes to painting, it's in his blood – with generations of painters in his family, he knows that preparation is key. But Joe's not just about work; on weekends, you'll find him tackling half Ironman training, cycling, and exploring the globe. His favorite quote: 'Great things never came from comfort zones.' Just don't sprinkle coriander on his food – that's his only fear!
Support office
Richard Fisher
Director
Richard first learned how to spray paint and hang wallpaper from his father, setting him up to take over the family business in the 1990s. He eventually founded Carus alongside his own sons and has been key in developing the company into what it is today. As Director, Richard is now primarily responsible for upholding the company vision and core values as we grow, but that doesn’t stop him from lending his years of experience to estimating and planning as needed.
Peter Dixon
Senior Estimator
Pete, as he is known to most people has spent years as a body double for Hugh Jackman… okay, that might be stretching it a little, but seriously though, even an Aussie in Australia once asked him for his signature! Starting out his career as salesperson and display artist, he soon joined his father and brother in the family painting business, learning his trade at the coal face, and progressing through the ranks to where he is today. Now with 30 years of industry experience in the bank, but never losing the attention detail that he has always prided himself on, Pete is an incredible asset to the Team at Carus. Outside of work you are most likely to find Pete with his family, and ideally, he’ll be doing that while out and about enjoying the stunning scenery New Zealand has to offer. One last thing, Pete is quiet about it, but ask him about the ‘other’ painting that he enjoys and if you are lucky enough, he might share with you a little of his passion for painting beautiful New Zealand landscapes – the kind most would be proud to hang on their wall.
Bay of Plenty
Rob Ferrari
Tauranga Estimator
Mad about rugby, but not quite being able to match his aspirations for a black jersey with actual ability on the park, Rob chose a job that would challenge him just as much as running a backline would, and hasn’t looked back since. Having worked his way up the ladder over the years, Rob brings valuable experience drawn from all sides of the industry – making him and project management a match made in heaven. While weekdays are for organizing painting and scaffolding, Rob’s kids fill his weekends with endless adventures, and bring a whole added dimension to the idea of being kept on his toes… He wouldn’t have it any other way though, this much was clear when we asked Rob what gets him out of bed in the morning and his response was: “If you work hard yourself, then when it’s comes their turn, your kids don’t have to”.
Auckland
Jared Firmston
Estimator
Meet Jared, our Jack-of-all-trades and the man with a colorful past! Formerly the Picasso of paint in Auckland, Jared owned and operated his own painting company for 8 years. He then took a brief detour as the ringmaster at Michael Hill, managing the glittering world of jewelry for just under a year, before donning the hard hat as a site manager at Aspec Construction for over a year. When he’s not conquering the professional world, Jared’s a sports enthusiast. Golf is his zen, even if the ball has a mind of its own. Darts, tennis, and backyard cricket are all fair game, and when the weekend hits, he’s out and about with his better half—whether it’s crafting clay bowls, forging knives, or trying not to burn the picnic. An early riser at 6ft 9, Jared beats the sun to the punch at 5:30/6 am, armed with a cuppa, a hearty breakfast, and a mission to tackle the day. They say the early bird gets the worm, but Jared’s not too sure what he’d do with a worm.
Wendy Zhao
Accountant
She might be last in the alphabet but Wendy’s top of the list in our accounting books – she’s got the Dean’s Award from her studies at Canterbury University to prove it. Much like the Fisher lads, Wendy is following in her family’s footsteps. Her mum used to take Wendy into the office as a little kid, and Wendy has loved the clever challenges of billing and balancing ever since. When she’s not happily buried in numbers, Wendy’s often playing with Lego – she’s a volunteer at Imagination Station, a Lego play station at her local library. Otherwise, she’s outside enjoying the gorgeous nature that brought her to New Zealand.
Melissa May
Office Manager
If positivity was a middle name, we’d be paying Melissa Tui May to change hers by deed poll… (actually can someone call and check on whether we can legally do that?) Seriously though, with an attitude that is only matched by her incredible work ethic and ability to organise the un-organisable, Carus is quite simply blessed to have Mel keeping everything and everyone in our office in line. Not that these are the only strings to her bow. Equally as happy out on the water as behind her desk, she lists meeting Gavin McLeod (AKA Captain Stubing from The Loveboat) as a highlight of her former career in the travel industry – and given how much time she now spends arranging accommodation for our teams that travel around the country, it’s certainly come in handy on more than one occasion. The living embodiment of Carus Core Value Caring for Others and Their Property, with Mel running our office, the flow on effect is that everyone comes to work happy to be part of her team.
John Rodriguez
Book Keeper
Living life by “learning something new every day”, makes more sense for John than for many of the rest of us at Carus, having emigrated with his beautiful whanau from Colombia to take up residence in Christchurch. A background as a tax consultant in his homeland means he can help keep our books seamlessly in order – and thankfully for us, he does so with one of the warmest smiles on the planet a permanent fixture on his face. With 3 kids to keep him busy, life at home very much revolves around family, but when he can squeeze it in, you’ll find John, like many other from that football-mad part of the world, teaching us kiwis a thing or two about the beautiful game.
Alicia O'Halloran
Sales Support
Alicia studied broadcasting communications in film and television and has worked on global wildlife shows in Dunedin. She also has experience as a barista and in various hospitality roles. Most recently, Alicia worked as an Administration Coordinator in the hire industry, managing logistics for Port-a-loos across Southland. In her spare time, Alicia enjoys painting, especially skirting and edges during home renovations, and finds joy in seeing a room come together. She loves hanging out with friends, going to the gym, spending time with family, and soaking up the sunshine—whether going for a walk, swimming or meeting friends for lunch or dinner. Alicia's hobbies include photography, swimming, watching movies, and enjoying a good cup of coffee. Although she's not a fan of heights or bugs, Alicia's ready to take on new challenges enthusiastically.
Conor Lay
Marketing Manager
Meet Conor Lay! With a rich background in digital marketing, Conor has worked in agencies, in-house roles, and as a freelancer. Known for being a “numbers and data guy,” you’ll often find him crunching data between coffee breaks. While marketing is his forte, he admits painting is not—just ask his partner! Weekends are filled with family adventures, from kids’ swimming lessons to exploring new spots around Christchurch, where he recently moved. A die-hard Chelsea FC fan, foodie, and avid hiker, Conor loves being a dad and enjoys discovering the South Island with his family. His favorite quote? "Children follow your example, not your advice".
It all starts with a simple conversation, so please get in touch with us today.
