Helping smart people grow

  • “I am delighted to nominate Geoff for Me Māia - Rise to the Challenge - in recognition of his outstanding support during my internship. He demonstrated remarkable commitment by setting aside his own work to partner with me on a three-week project. His willingnes to step in and collaborate not only put a jetpack on our project, but also ensured that we achieved meaningful results. Geoff’s investment in my professional development was truly commendable. He took the time to mentor me, never made me feel like I was a burden, and took care to check in on my wellbeing throughout the internship. His dedication to both the project and my growth has left a lasting impression on me.” [Ngā Kauwaka Award Nomination] — Phillip, UX Design Intern

  • “And I’ve done it!!! You were sooo right! I grabbed the ugliest OfficeMax notebook and started writing. More of a mid-morning Morning Pages now and a bit of gratitude too! Grateful for you today!!!!!!” — Trysh, Leadership Capability Specialist

  • “Geoff is one of the most empathetic people I know; there is a big reason why he is a researcher after all. He can perceive when someone is not 100% and knows how to approach and make them feel better.” [Ngā Kauwaka Award Nomination] — Marina, Senior UX Designer

  • “What I thought was going to be a casual chat turned out to be an uplifting mentoring session that I didn't know I desperately needed! He shared so many actionable suggestions and personal experiences. For the past months, I've felt discouraged and found job hunting as a career-shifter soul draining. But after a cuppa with Geoff, I'm now energized to review my strategies and look forward to integrating his insightful suggestions to my plans. Extremely approachable with a genuine desire to help.” — Victoria, Administrator

  • “Geoff is great at bringing the team together and pushing us to think different. He always encourages us to think criticallly and brings out our best in a way that makes everyone feel welcome. He also works on finding ways to unite the team. As a result, the team feels comfortable sharing their opinions during discussions and we also have a stronger team culture outside of work.” [Ngā Kauwaka Award Nomination] — Anonymous

  • “What stands out most is Geoff’s willingness to share his expertise in a way that felt supportive and collaborative. Rather than just giving advice, he coached, questioned, and helped me build the confidence to do it well. Geoff’s approach demonstrates true leadership; consistently showing that sharing knowledge benefits everyone and that we are stronger when we work together.” [Ngā Kauwaka Award Nomination] — Anonymous

  • “His approach of helping Kiwibankers to be 1% better each time he interacts with us has been invaluable. For me specifically, he’s helped me improve heaps on the way I approach user testing.” [Ngā Kauwaka Award Nomination] — Anonymous

Driving informed decisions

  • “Hands down, that accessibility clip you shared in that presentation was the biggest eye-opener and most moving customer insight I have seen in my career. In every role I’ve had, we have talked about ‘accessibility’, but it’s really only gone as far as bigger text or contrast. Seeing the daily struggles that customer goes through to do tasks that my seven-year-old can do with his eyes closed was such a slap in the face and has really made me re-think what accessibility truly means. Thanks Geoff!” — Liz, Customer Insights Manager

  • “Shout out to Geoff for swiftly launching our survey yesterday. Within no time at all, Geoff was able to get up to speed on the context and craft a couple of questions that will be instrumental in helping us validate some key UX decisions. It’s great to see how quickly we’re able to move—this kind of agility makes a real difference.” — Karla, Senior UX Designer

  • “Geoff made a huge difference by raising awareness of accessibility in our experiences, engaging stakeholders across the business, and illustrating the importance of keeping the customer at the heart. It was eye-opening.” [Ngā Kauwaka Award Nomination] — Anonymous

  • “What truly sets Geoff apart is his ability to explain complex concepts in a clear and engaging manner. He provides well-thought-out rationales for his methods, making it easy for teams to understand the value and impact of his approach.” — Sarah, Technical Delivery Manager

  • “I just want to give a huge shout out to Geoff who has been an absolute superstar supporting me in getting urgent testing submitted on our research tool. He has gone above and beyond to ensure we have a robust and clear approach; an excellent sounding board for my questions and concerns. I am feeling so much more confident with our approach thanks to his help.” — Laura, Senior Brand Marketing Manager

  • “I feel very lucky that I get to focus on meetings and mahi as needed, and can just jump into these interviews with Geoff when I can as an observer.” — Chloe, CX Designer