Daniel moved to Wellington from Hawera with his family in January 2024 to take on the Operations Manager role at LVVTA and RepairCert NZ.

Experience: With extensive experience in collision repair and the automotive industries across New Zealand, Canada, and the UK, Daniel brings a wealth of knowledge to RepairCert NZ. His qualifications in business management and advanced collision repair complement his previous roles in education (preparing and supporting the next generation of automotive collision repair and mechanical technicians). Outside of work, Daniel dedicated 17 years as a volunteer firefighter.

Goal: To make a positive impact on the industry by fostering its continuous growth, and further improve the automotive industry’s safety and compliance standards, through RepairCert NZ.

Interests: In his spare time, Daniel is in the process of completely restoring his great-grandfather’s 1970 Holden HT, a treasured family project now spanning four generations. Daniel says the road to completion may not be a quick one, citing, “Rome wasn’t built in a day!”- which he expects many automotive enthusiasts with a ‘project’ in their garage or shed will relate to, only too well.

Ken is the Chief Executive Officer for both RepairCert NZ and LVVTA, dividing his time between the two organisations. For RepairCert NZ, Ken focuses on supporting the technical team while steering the organisation towards achieving its goals.

Experience: Ken has been involved in the automotive industry since 1980, working in roles such as Mechanic, Service Manager, General Manager, business owner, and Low Volume Vehicle Certifier (1999–2023). He joined LVVTA in 2015 as Training Officer before becoming Chief Operations Officer, and then CEO in 2024. Ken has also held roles within the Wellington branch of the Motor Trade Association, as Vice President, and President, and carried out Warrant of Fitness training for AVIs. He has spent many years with the New Zealand Four Wheel Drive Association (where Ken has been part of the National Executive Committee, and also Central Zone President.

Goal: To improve the support systems for Repair Certifiers and advance the automotive industry’s compliance standards.

Interests: With a keen interest in how things work, and a bit of a collector, Ken’s hoarding includes multiple gramophones (both wax cylinders and 78s), player pianos, old clocks, and a diverse range of vehicles. As well as some fine examples of ‘temporarily-stationery’ tractors and diggers littered around the lifestyle property he calls home, a variety of cars have passed through Ken’s garage. These include several Ford Zephyrs (one of which he bought for a dozen beer), a couple of 1950 Humber Super Snipes, a Purvis Eureka kit car powered by a 13b rotary, a C5 Corvette, and a VW Taipan, amongst others. His current project is a 1929 Dodge DA6.

Linda has been with LVVTA since 2002 and also supports RepairCert NZ (and has been doing so since its inception in 2021).

Experience: Linda’s varied career includes roles as a wool classer, stock agent, co-owner of a scrap metal business, and sales. At RepairCert NZ, she oversees finance and insurance, as well as being involved in board and council meetings, and recruitment.

Goal: To support the team in fostering a thriving automotive repair community where everyone can enjoy their vehicles safely.

Interests: Linda says that work became an extension of her interests – street machines, classic cars, and especially race cars, of which she’s owned a few (Linda currently has two circuit cars in her garage – a C4 Corvette, and a BMW E30). When not working, she enjoys looking after a lifestyle block with all that entails. Travel (to motorsport events of course) rounds out what fills Linda’s days.

Marty worked behind the scenes for several months before officially joining the RepairCert NZ Technical Team in January 2022, developing training programmes, and creating technical bulletins and publications to support Repair Certifiers and the wider autobody repair industry.

Experience: Marty has worked in the autobody repair industry since the mid-70’s, having worked as a tradesman, business owner, motor assessor, and educator. His commitment to professional development includes writing technical publications and training programmes for the industry.

Goal: To ensure Repair Certifiers have the knowledge and tools they need to deliver safe and compliant outcomes.

Interests: A lifelong ‘car guy,’ Marty has restored and owned several classics, but for the last 20 or so years has immersed himself in motorcycles, with a keen interest (and participation) in road-racing. He is also an avid motorcycle restorer, with a focus on race conversions and the development of his small collection of classic bikes. Marty also enjoys a semi-rural lifestyle, cycling, gardening, promoting events for his local museum, Waimak Classic Cars, and is also involved with his local Lions club.

Mike joined RepairCert NZ in 2021, and has been supporting Repair Certifiers, the public, and NZTA ever since.

Experience: A qualified panel beater with over 35 years in the trade, Mike has managed large repair shops, owned his own business, worked as an insurance assessor, and spent over 10 years (so far) as a Repair Certifier. While no longer commercially carrying out repair certifications, Mike completes a few each year so he doesn’t get rusty. In a rather big leap sideways, Mike even spent seven years as a commercial fisherman.

Goal: To simplify and modernise the Light Vehicle Repair VIRM and improve industry communication.

Interests: A family man with two grandsons, Mike enjoys cycle racing, and maintaining his collection of ten racing cycles. Mike calls a lifestyle block home for himself, his wife, and a collection of cars he is restoring.

Perry joined RepairCert NZ in 2023, working on the helpdesk supporting Repair Certifiers, the public, and NZTA.

Experience: Perry is a highly experienced and qualified panel beater, having worked in several panel and paint shops throughout the Wellington region. His career also includes roles as a Motor Vehicle Assessor in the insurance industry, which involved a dual role with Fire and General as a Loss Adjuster. Perry later moved into an Analyst role and, more recently, has been a Motor Vehicle Estimator, performing digital assessments and quantifying repair costs for motor vehicles.

Goal: To improve autobody repair industry communication and collaboration to provide clear, effective technical guidance and recommendations.

Interests: A keen DIY enthusiast, Perry enjoys tackling landscaping and building projects, along with other outdoor activities.

Shelley joined RepairCert NZ in August 2022 to assist with administration, document and process development, and office management.

Experience: With over 25 years involvement in vehicle compliance, Shelley’s experience lies in office administration and management, vehicle compliance, shipping light vehicles, caravans, and motorbikes from the UK, as well as disability vehicle importation and rental.

Goal: To help Repair Certifiers meet their NZTA repair certification requirements by streamlining processes and documentation – to make it as easy as possible to do what needs to be done.

Interests: Shelley enjoys family life on a lifestyle block (fingers crossed for a market boom in gorse wine and rabbit stew), motorbike riding, and cake making/decorating… well, eating really. After a brief stop for kidney transplant surgery, she’s back on track to expertly nag motivate her husband to finish their house (the two-year project is still dawdling along nearly 25 years later).

Tony led the development of the Contract for Service between LVVTA and the New Zealand Transport Agency in 2020 and 2021, which laid the foundations for the establishment of RepairCert NZ. His role now is to develop the operational and technical documents that the Repair Certifiers will use into the future.

Experience: Tony was responsible for the establishment of the low volume vehicle certification system back in the late 1980s, and was LVVTA’s CEO for 21 years. This experience gave him the ability to understand what was needed to improve the repair certification system for the Repair Certifiers, and the repair industry and public who rely on the system. Tony had a panel and paint shop back in the late 1970s and early 1980s (in the days of Spraying Enamel, Dulon, and Duco!), but the industry has changed so much in the ensuing 40 years that his minimal and ancient knowledge is irrelevant, and he relies entirely on today’s technical experts!

Goal: To make the repair certification system practical, workable, sensible, and fair for everyone involved.

Interests: Cars, dogs, and music. Tony has a home garage that’s substantially larger than his house, which accommodates a small collection of classic American cars, a Model-A Ford roadster hot rod, a retired 1956 Chev drag car, assorted automotive artifacts and V8 engines, and he currently wastes a disproportionate amount of money circuit-racing a VN Holden Commodore in the South Island’s Mainland Muscle Cars series.