Our team members are chosen for their positive ‘can do’ attitude, practical skills, expertise and friendly disposition.
It is our team’s passion and desire to take ownership of the gardens and landscapes entrusted to them that makes the difference. We encourage our people to take ownership of the properties entrusted to them, to ensure a consistently high standard of service and presentation. All clients have a dedicated, multi-skilled team assigned to them. This approach means our people are empowered to make decisions and focus on individual client’s needs. Our clients get the best of both worlds, their own personal gardener, who can draw on a greater pool of resource and expertise. Bark has one of the highest qualified teams of any major gardening company in the country, with 75% of our team having formal qualifications (a level of expertise well above the industry average) we bring a wealth of expertise to every job.
Our People
Meet our highly motivated and qualified team.
Kerei Thompson
Managing Director
Founding Bark in 1994, Kerei has overseen the successful expansion of the company across the county, a big portion of this expansion has been built on Barks reputation. Our reputation is driven by Kerei’s passion which is backed by our Bark teams unrelenting focus on delivering exceptional customer service. Today Kerei focuses on the company direction and quality assurance.
Andrew Jensen
Regional Manager - Wellington & Hawkes Bay
Having been part of the Bark team for over 20 years, Andrew has extensive knowledge of Bark's operations and client expectations. He has a very clear view of what makes a difference to our clients and teams, when combined with his continual improvement mind-set Andrew is well equipped to assist our clients and teams; ensuring Bark consistently delivers exceptional customer service and standards across the region.
Andrews’s hands on experience combined with his management expertise enables him to support our teams and clients effectively, ensuring our operations run efficiently both within the Wellington, Hawkes Bay region and across the country.
Sam Murrell
Regional Manager - Auckland
Sam is a motivated, results driven leader with a background in facilities and open space management. He holds a National Certificate in Sports Turf Management. His passion for quality and exceptional customer service, along with his hands on experience, ensures client’s expectations are consistently met or exceeded.
Charlotte Grosjean
Regional Manager - Waikato & Bay of Plenty
Charlotte manages our operations in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty working closely with our teams and clients to ensure our operations run smoothly and we consistently meet our high expectations in service & standards. She has a passion for plants and design and has been working in horticulture in France and New Zealand since she was a teenager. She holds a diploma in Garden Design and is well equipped to support both our clients and teams with her breadth of experience.
Jo Finlay
Administration Manager
Jo provides the vital office management that enables our teams and managers to remain focused on our clients and service delivery. Jo is responsible for system administration and development, financial administration and general office management.
Suzanna Taylor
Company Accountant
Suzanna has been a long standing member of the Bark team. Her extremely efficient management and administration of the company’s finances provides security and confidence to our clients, suppliers and our team members.
Suzanna is a chartered account having gained experience working within NZ and overseas before settling back in NZ.
Mathew O'Connor
Arboricultural Manager - Wellington Region
Matt joined Bark in 2015 as an apprentice and worked his way up to a qualified arborist, team leader and now manages our Wellington tree team. He holds an Advanced National Certificate in Arboriculture and is experienced in pruning, rigging, utility line clearance and large scale removals. Matt is fascinated by what he continues to learn about trees and feels privileged to be able to care and maintain a number of heritage trees around the Wellington region. Matt’s ability to solve problems swiftly and professionally along with his people skills and his commitment to best practice in tree care, project management and customer service make him the perfect person to lead our Wellington Tree Team.
Clint Jensen
Technical Advisor
As an original member of the Bark team Clint has a deep understanding of our company values. He has a passion for horticulture and delivering a high level of service for our clients. With a broad range of hands on and management experience to call on, his focus is on supporting and developing our team across the country, along with managing the Hawkes Bay region.
Ondine Brown
Business Coordination Manager
Ondine works alongside Bark’s management team, supporting them with health and safety, team training, wellbeing and contract management. Ondine is also working on our sustainability initiatives to ensure we are doing everything we can to protect our environment.
Shane Jones
Arboriculture and Projects Manager
Shane began his Arboriculture career in 2010 and has worked across a range of field based and management roles, holding a Level 4 Certificate in Arboriculture, and is certified as a Quantified Tree Risk Assessment provider. Joining Bark in 2019, he enjoys working alongside our team to deliver exceptional tree management to our clients. Also spending time as a landscaper, Shane oversees delivery of our projects in Auckland.