Russell Phillips
Managing Director

Russell Phillips is New Zealand's most experienced automotive recruitment consultant. He has extensive key appointment, technical search, immigration, industrial legislation and psychological assessment expertise.

Holding recruitment industry qualifications with postgraduate education, Russell has completed an extensive range of human resource training modules.

Initially founding New Zealand's first automotive recruitment company, Russell owned and operated this company from 1991 and remains the owner/operator of an automotive recruitment company to this day. His contacts and knowledge of candidates and clients in the New Zealand motor industry are unsurpassed.

There are very few companies in the New Zealand motor industry who haven't utilised his company's services over this period.

To this day Russell works with his fully managed database of specialist industry experienced candidates. Over the period from 1991 he has been involved in motor industry recruitment, the teams he has lead have processed over 68,000 candidate applications and client listings.

Frontline Motor Industry recruitment is his passion. To provide a more personal touch and to enable direct interfacing with his clients, Russell now operates and will be further developing the "silver service" philosophy that is now Automotive Employment NZ Ltd.

In Russell's spare time he enjoys boating, fishing, camping, snow and water skiing, mountaineering, scuba diving, 4X4 recreational driving and the collection of rare and antique automotive memorabilia. In past years he has been competitive middle and long distance runner and NZ and South Pacific Latin American champion.

Kim Powell
Senior Consultant

Kim Powell joins Automotive Employment NZ having emigrated from South Africa, the place she called home for 16 years. Prior to this Kim lived in the United Kingdom. Kim brings a strong motor industry recruitment background to our company, her recent experience since 1993 being in recruitment and training, most of which has been focused on the motor industry.

When in South Africa Kim owned her own recruitment consultancy with many divisions to its name, even given this point Kim was always personally drawn to the automotive division and with her families extended motor industry interests it is little wonder. Being an immediate past member of the Association of Personnel Organisations [SA], Kim is also qualified in this field.

In recent years New Zealand has had an increasing presence of new migrants that have joined the motor industry here in a variety of roles, Kim appointment reflects the desire of Automotive Employment NZ to be as well prepared as possible to assist those who have already moved here seeking employment and those yet to arrive. With an understanding of the South African, English and now New Zealand motor industries and the accompanying immigration knowledge forged from this experience, Kim will prove to possess some valuable knowledge.

In Kim's spare time she has strong interests in swimming sports, ice-skating, tramping/hiking, traveling and involving herself around the interests of her wider family.

Daryl Feast
Consultant

Daryl Feast is a highly skilled automotive professional and brings a wealth of experience to the consulting team. He has spent over 25 years in the motor industry mastering most roles within the business to a management level and gained many qualifications and certificates along the way building up a base of credibility. He has both light automotive and heavy diesel experience.

Daryl commenced his career with a four year apprenticeship on heavy and light vehicles and then going on to further his skills gaining certificates in electrical technology/diagnostics as well as law and management within the trade. He also has experience in the parts department as well as service and motor body experience before moving on to workshop manager.

Developing his career, Daryl moved on to sales from where he excelled in the fleet sales sector eventually achieving the title of group franchise manager controlling seven franchises across five counties within the UK.

Daryl moved to New Zealand in 2011. Having successfully completed the process of relocating to New Zealand he is well suited to assist new migrants looking to seek employment in New Zealand and work with those employers seeking skilled migrants. With experience in virtually every sector of the motor industry and better geographical knowledge of NZ than most New Zealanders he is also well positioned to assist New Zealand based candidates.

Daryl has a great business aptitude and understanding of what it takes to run a successful company and is very proficient in his approach to recruiting the right person for the right job.

You will find Daryl a very likeable and fun character that in his spare time enjoys fishing, rugby, scuba diving, golf, wine and is a keen motorcycle enthusiast.

Vanessa Godbaz
Business Manager

Vanessa is the Business Manager for Automotive Employment NZ Ltd. With a Bachelor of Business Studies degree majoring in marketing, coupled with 10 years experience running her own successful company in the relocations industry, she is well equipped to look after the day-to-day business management of the company.

True to the friendly down to earth culture of Automotive Employment NZ, clients are unlikely to find a more helpful person to deal with. Her quick-witted sense of humour and infectious personality adds greatly to the lighthearted environment that is Automotive Employment NZ.

In Vanessa's spare time she enjoys the gym, boating, mountaineering, fishing, camping and language studies.

Jenni Collier holds the position of Consultant Support at Automotive Employment NZ assisting our team with key appointment assignments and a range of recruitment support activities.

Jenni has been employed for a number of years in the industry in recruitment, selection and psychological testing and as an employee relations manager.

Prior to commencing with Automotive Employment NZ, Jenni worked in the Motor Industry for a national distributor and retailer of construction equipment. In this role Jenni dealt with Human Resource, Employment Relations and Health and Safety matters.

Jenni’s extensive skill set also includes event management and the skills of personal assistant to the managing director.

In Jenni’s spare time she enjoys walking, cooking, reading, gardening and eating out.