Meet Our Team
Mike Briant
Managing Director
Started: 2005
Role: I’m dedicated to defining and facilitating the implementation of our strategy. Moreover, I aim to foster an environment that empowers my team to accomplish great things.
Likes: Working together with great people to achieve great things together.
Background: School of hard knocks. I’ve worn every hat in this business except for Finance, I hate finance.
Skills: There’s a bunch of thing’s about me; l’ve got a thing for even numbers. Volume? Radio stations? Better end on an even number. It’s just one of those peculiarities that keeps life amusing!
Interests: When I’m not busy working then I am always kept busy with my four children and wife. We have many hobbies including travelling, sports, and spending time with friends and family.
Chantelle Mcinnes
GM Finance
Started: 2022
Role: I oversee all facets of finance and financial reporting, while also playing a crucial role in the senior leadership team.
Likes: Being able to be part of making decisions that lead us towards our goal of making billions of sweet moments.
Skills: Originally trained as a pastry chef, I achieved a certificate in practical patisserie from AUT. I went back to my love of numbers and have a Bachelor in Business majoring in Accounting and Finance and am a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.
Interests: I have a passion for both numbers and food.
Nga Mareva
Operations Manager
Since: 2023
Role: Overall, I am in charge of our manufacturing site.
Likes: Bringing people (staff) together with different backgrounds and creating happy moments, culture and memories.
Background: I’m a man of all trades. I worked in a Pharmaceutical for eighteen years from Junior warehouse staff in 1981 to Production Manager 1997. I spent twenty years as the Sensient Technologies Production Manager/Operation Manager/Account Manager/Quality Director. I have completed various training like Sales, Total Quality Management, Auditing training, Management, Operational and so on.
Skills: Communication Skills, Operational Skills, Quality Experience and Sales experience.
Interests: I have a range of interests, including rugby, rugby league, golf, and fishing, and I actively contribute to the sports community by refereeing touch rugby, coaching tag rugby in the summer, and coaching both school and club rugby teams in the winter; additionally, I am a dedicated supporter of my three children in their sporting pursuits, which encompass rugby and netball in the winter and sports like touch rugby, 7’s rugby, and tag rugby in the summer.
Sonja McIntyre
Supply Chain Manager
Started: May 2023
Role: I look after the Customer Services, Purchasing and Logistics team. I oversee the entire supply chain process from procurement to manufacturing including distribution.
Likes: The wonderful team, working with people from a range of departments and making improvements.
Background: I have a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Supply Chain and Operations. I’ve worked in various supply chain roles covering purchasing, inventory, logistics and procurement. I’ve worked in both importing and manufacturing businesses.
Skills: Multitasking, juggling priorities, co-ordinating and herding people. Thinking outside of the box to find solutions and improvements. Strong communication skills to create the smoothest process possible.
Interests: Being outdoors with my husband and Son as much as I can. Spending time with the animals.
James Peng
Purchasing and Logistics
Started: 2020
Role: Managing stock orders and coordinating shipping logistics, among other tasks.
Likes: My favorite thing to do at work is make Chris happy, when he’s happy, I’m happy.
Background: Bachelor of science from Auckland Uni.
Skills: Proficient in mathematics, skilled in creating and managing Excel spreadsheets, and fluent in Mandarin.
Interests: Enjoying movies and spending quality time with my kids at the parks are some of my favorite pastimes.
Chris Maguire
National Sales Manager
Since: 2017
Role: I oversee the bakery sales team and cultivate relationships with key accounts for GoBake.
Likes: I love working with great people, managing a great team and developing great customers. My results come by developing key account strategies and executing them.
Background: I previously built my own sales and marketing company in NZ and trained hundreds of salespeople in direct sales throughout Australia and NZ.
Skills: I have good communication and interpersonal skills, the ability to lead and motivate a team and handle pressure while meeting sales targets. My sales analysis, forecasting and problem-solving skills are key to my success.
Interests: Fishing, fishing, did I mention fishing?? I’m a huge sports fan and love to play darts and pool! I enjoy spending time with my family and friends and love the outdoors.
Paul Adams
Account Manager
Started: 2009
Role: I take pride in my role of encouraging customers to choose our products by emphasising their unique advantages. Additionally, I provide support to Chris by assisting some of his customers, enabling him to concentrate on expanding sales.
Likes: Being able to witness the growth of sales alongside my customers and nurturing the relationships I build with them is a deeply fulfilling aspect of my professional journey.
Background: Having dedicated two years to university education and three years as a store manager, I embarked on a comprehensive program with Countdown supermarkets, accruing invaluable on-the-job experience over a span of thirty years.
Skills: With two decades of hands-on experience in bakery operations, I bring a wealth of expertise to the team. I pride myself on my exceptional ability to connect with a wide range of individuals and demonstrate a high level of business empathy, particularly in my interactions with customers.
Interests: I find great interest in attending events with my family and indulging in my hobby of stamp collecting.
Brooke Mattock
Key Account Manager
Started: 2021
Role: I have a varied customer base, they are made up of Foodstuffs North Island and Foodstuffs South Island, and specialty retailers and independent Cake Shops, my role is to build relationships with Bakery Managers and Cake decorators, and store owners.
Likes: Working with a wonderful fun bunch of humans at GoBake, and great customers that I really enjoy developing relationships and finding solutions.
Background: Sales and Marketing Executives International Diploma (Merit) Diagnostic Selling certificate, Leadership and development, Effective Business Writing (NZIOM) Cutting Edge Sales Techniques (NZIOM)
Skills: Having had over 20 years in Sales and Marketing and Business Development for Global companies, to Small Medium Enterprises, I enjoy all types of business and people.
Interests: I am passionate about my daughters, and my friends and family, and I really enjoy classic cars, and cars in general, I also am partial these days to a reasonable amount of gym, and I love walking and, and socialising and entertaining people.
Lee Johnson
Marketing Manager
Started: 2021
Role: I manage the marketing team, planning and providing direction for all marketing and brand activities across the business.
Likes: Working collaboratively with our team to see our visions and ideas come to life. I love being part of this fast-growing team and being involved in the process of developing the business.
Background: For the past 13 years I have worked in-house in a variety of different Graphic Design and Marketing based roles. I have a Bachelor of Graphic Design majoring in Photography, a Diploma of Marketing and Communication and a Certificate in Small Business Management.
Skills: I’m a creative person and I love being involved in a range of different projects where no two days are the same. I have a strong work ethic and enjoy managing the creative direction and vision for the future of our brands. Spreadsheets all day ain’t for me!
Interests: A good day always starts with coffee and ends with chocolate. Outside work I enjoy family adventures with my husband and two young kids. I love new experiences and spending quality time with family and friends. In summertime, I can usually be found at the beach enjoying some vitamin D and vitamin sea.
Kate Wise
Graphic Designer and Marketing Co-Ordinator
Since: 2023
Role: Fresh to the team my role will include several facets of the marketing teams outputs. With a special interest in web design and social media, my role will go from orginising social content to re-jigging the websites.
Likes: I like how the entire team works together to achieve goals. There’s a friendly vibe in the office and everyone is incredibly kind and welcoming.
Background: In 2009 when I finished school, I joined the Royal New Zealand Navy and got my diploma in professional cookery. I spent ten years serving before leaving to open my own cafe and cake shop – Hello Sailor Bakery. When I sold the business, I decided to embark on a new career in the digital design sector thus gaining a bachelor’s degree in UX/UI design.
Skills: I am really one of those people who is willing to give anything a go. I am extremely creative and that reflects in the lines of work I have pursued. With my degree I have gained skills in coding and user experiences on digital platforms and hope that with my life experience included I can utilise both where needed.
Interests: I have so many hobbies. I love gardening, my dogs, the ocean, fishing, diving, spending time in Nelson where my family lives, spending time with my husband and besties. Painting, sewing, writing fiction, reading so, so, many books, drawing, illustrating, Taylor Swift – duh. Doom scrolling Tik-Tok and I better stop there.
Tracy Elliot
Operations & Logistics Administrator
Started: 2021
Role: Assisting colleagues with their needs, providing top-notch customer service, handling exports, and adeptly tackling any challenges that arise.
Likes: What I find most fulfilling in my role is seeing contented colleagues and satisfied customers.
Skills: I completed my schooling with a school certificate and transitioned into full-time work at the age of 15, as formal education wasn’t the right fit for me.
Interests: Fishing, Towing and Salvage with my husband. Spending time with friends and family and of course my grandchildren.
Sophie Spinks
Food Technologist & Quality Manager
Since: 2022
Role: Develop new sweet things, including setup recipes in BOMS, tech sheets, factory trials, lab work & oversee the food quality aspect of the business.
Likes: Working with the people here doing sweet stuff.
Background: Bachelor of Food Technology
Skills: Have a background in product & packaging development.
Interests: Artist & musician. Love bike riding and watching my kids play sport.
